Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease of the central nervous system that affects the brain, optic nerves, and spinal cord. MS is also an autoimmune disorder, meaning that the patient's own immune system attacks their nerve tissue.

MS is characterized by the destruction of the myelin sheath, a layer of insulation that surrounds nerve cells and serves the dual purpose of strengthening nerve signals and protecting the fibers that connect nerve cells to each other. As myelin breaks down, lesions appear and form hard plaques, or sclerosis, which give the disease its name.

The initial phase of the disease is called relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS). In RRMS, patients alternate between inflammatory autoimmune attacks and periods of remission and partial recovery. RRMS can be followed by a progressive phase of irreversible nerve degeneration, called secondary progressive MS (SPMS). In some patients, the disease is progressive from the onset, called primary progressive MS (PPMS). These destructive processes cause a variety of symptoms including blurred vision, loss of balance, poor coordination, slurred speech, tremors, numbness, extreme fatigue, problems with memory and concentration, paralysis, blindness, and irregular function of the bowels, bladder and sexual organs. At present, there is no full understanding of the cause and mechanism of the disease.

Tisch MSRCNY is at the forefront of advances in the field of neuroimmunology and is determined to discover the cause of, and the cure for, MS.