European Multiple Sclerosis Platform

03/08/2026

IMMUTOL Featured in Insight Magazine

IMMUTOL is featured in Insight magazine's special edition, Rethinking Health: Transforming Prevention, Treatment and Care, highlighting the project's vision for transforming the treatment of autoimmune diseases.

The feature explores IMMUTOL's innovative approach of reprogramming the immune system. Rather than simply suppressing immune responses to manage symptoms, the project aims to restore immune tolerance, the body's ability to recognise its own healthy tissues and stop attacking them.

By bringing together experts in immunology, clinical research, biotechnology and patient engagement from across Europe, IMMUTOL is advancing research into therapies that could provide long-lasting disease control while preserving the immune system's natural ability to fight infections.

While this research is still in its early stages, it represents an exciting step towards treatments that move beyond managing autoimmune diseases and closer to addressing their root cause.

Read the full feature in Insight magazine to discover how IMMUTOL is helping to shape the future of autoimmune disease research.

Read here: https://buff.ly/crd5iSk
https://buff.ly/hr3tzge

31/07/2026

Season 3 of Let's Talk MS is here!

Two seasons in, this podcast has become a space where young people living with MS, NMOSD and MOGAD sit down with experts and talk honestly about the things that actually matter: nutrition, mental health, family planning, stigma and so much more. The conversations have been open, generous and often moving.

We are kicking things off with a brand-new episode on Diversity and Inclusion in Research. Hosts Anna Revilla Emsp and Elisabeth Kasilingam Emsp are joined by Dr Vanessa Apea and Natalie Busari, Founder, The Nerve of My Multiple Sclerosis CIC , for a conversation about why representation matters in research, the barriers that keep underrepresented communities out of it, and how researchers, patient organisations and communities can build something genuinely more inclusive and equitable together.

🎧 Press play on Season 3. https://lets-talk-ms.castos.com/

31/07/2026

Two days of inspiring conversations, fresh ideas, and a shared vision for the future. 💙
EMSP's first strategic meeting with our newly elected Executive Committee has concluded, leaving us energised and united in our commitment to the MS, NMOSD and MOGAD communities across Europe.
Here's to the journey ahead. ✨

30/07/2026

This week, EMSP's newly elected Executive Committee came together in Brussels for our Annual Strategic Meeting.

Together, we reflected on EMSP's achievements, assessed our current landscape, explored opportunities for greater impact, and discussed how we can strengthen our role as the voice of people affected by multiple sclerosis (MS), NMOSD and MOGAD across Europe.

From membership engagement and capacity building to advocacy, partnerships, and our flagship initiatives, the discussions were open, constructive, and ambitious. Most importantly, they were centred on one question: how can we create even greater value for our community over the next four years?

A huge thank you to our Executive Committee members, Jan van Amstel Eduard Andrei Pletea Alexandre Guedes da, Silva Beatriz Martínez de la Cruz, Antonia Kaltsatou, Tania Pilz, Mary McCusker Herbert Temmes and Lydia E Makaroff, PhD and the EMSP team who contributed their expertise, ideas, and passion throughout these strategic discussions.

We move forward united by a common vision and a renewed determination to advance the rights, wellbeing, and opportunities for people living with MS, NMOSD and MOGAD.

P.S Our President is Dutch! Can you tell? 🙃

MS Vereniging Nederland Asociatia Pacientilor cu Afectiuni Neurodegenerative din Romania SPEM - Sociedade Portuguesa de Esclerose Múltipla Multiple Sclerosis Ireland Multiple Sclerosis International Federation Deutsche Multiple Sklerose Gesellschaft, Bundesverband e.V.

Elisabeth Kasilingam Emsp Anna Revilla Nele Vanbilsen Kanika Kohli Delphine Sartiaux

22/07/2026

🧠Time matters in MS. Early diagnosis and timely treatment are critical to prevent irreversible disability — yet affordability, availability and delays still stand between too many people and the care they need.

For over a decade, EMSP's MS Barometer, has documented these disparities across Europe, from access to therapies and specialists to social protection.

This hashtag , we call on decision-makers to:
✅ Include MS in national chronic and neurological disease strategies — with dedicated funding
✅ Bring people with MS and patient societies into government consultation groups on every policy that affects them
✅ Connect Health, Education and Employment departments around a shared agenda
✅ Invest in patient education and empowerment — informed patients drive better access and trust in new therapies

🔜 The 7th edition of the MS Barometer is underway and for the first time, it expands beyond MS to include Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO) and MOG Antibody Disease (MOGAD): neuro-immunological conditions that have remained largely absent from pan-European data.

📊 Learn more: https://emsp.org/projects/ms-barometer-2025-2027/

22/07/2026

New Insights into the Role of Epstein-Barr Virus in Multiple Sclerosis

Why does EBV infection increase the risk of developing MS? Researchers from the EBV-MS project are helping to answer this important question with new published research.

Key Highlights
🧬 Distinct EBV response in MS
MS is associated with stronger CD4+ T cell responses against EBV proteins involved in active viral replication.

📈 Enhanced EBV immunity
Untreated individuals with MS showed approximately two-fold higher EBV-specific immune responses compared with healthy controls.

💊 Impact of therapy
Anti-CD20 treatment reduced EBV-specific responses and stopped detectable EBV shedding in saliva.

🚀 Future directions
The findings support new EBV-targeted strategies, including vaccines and antiviral approaches.

Read the full paper here: https://buff.ly/LOEmoR0

CD4+ T cells in MS preferentially recognize EBV viral particles rather than latent antigens, and responses are reduced by B cell–targeting therapies.

16/07/2026

🧬 New research from the BEHIND-MS project

Why do some families have more than one person with Multiple Sclerosis (MS)? Latest research provides new insights into the factors that increase the risk of developing MS, and how these differ from the factors that influence disease progression.

We found that people with a family history of MS are more likely to:
🔹 Carry a higher genetic risk for MS
🔹 Have genetic traits linked to lower vitamin D levels
🔹 Have genetic traits associated with higher body weight

Interestingly, levels of anti-EBNA1 antibodies (linked to Epstein-Barr virus exposure) were similar regardless of family history. We also found that, in the early stages of MS, having relatives with MS did not mean the disease progressed more quickly.

These findings suggest that the factors contributing to developing MS are not necessarily the same as those influencing how the disease progresses after it begins.

📖 Publication: Van Luijn M. et al. Genetic and environmental mediators of multiple sclerosis susceptibility but not early severity run in families. Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders (2026).

13/07/2026

🎧 "No, there's no need to change anything in your diet."

That's what Marjolijn Oranje was told when she was diagnosed with MS five years ago. She looked into nutrition herself anyway, and noticed a clear difference in her energy and symptoms.

In the latest episode of Let's Talk MS, hosts Elisabeth Kasilingam and Anna Revilla Bruñol speak with dietitian Sophie Pratt and Young People's Network member, Marjolijn Oranje about the role of nutrition in MS, NMOSD and MOGAD.

Sophie is clear on the boundary: nutrition doesn't cause MS, and it won't cure it. But it touches almost everything else — fatigue, bowel symptoms, inflammation, cardiovascular risk, weight, immune function, and above all, quality of life.

What comes out is that good nutrition doesn't need to be complicated:

💠 Structure beats restriction. Four to five eating occasions a day, each with carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats.
💠 Carbohydrates are not the enemy. They are our main source of fuel, and a key source of the B vitamins involved in energy metabolism. 🍚
💠 Everyone's symptoms are different. Adapting your diet to your own symptoms is the most effective approach.
💠 Try one change for three to four weeks. Then review.

For Marjolijn, it comes down to keeping frozen vegetables, tofu and nuts at home, so that on unplanned days there is still a proper meal within reach.

Listen to the full episode for Sophie's five quick wins and Marolijn's pratcical tips on where to find trustworthy nutrition information.
🎧 https://lets-talk-ms.castos.com/episodes/s02e05-nutrition-finding-balance-in-what-we-eat

13/07/2026

Can Multiple Sclerosis Be Prevented?

Research suggests the disease process may begin years before diagnosis. From EBV and genetics to emerging biomarkers, scientists are increasingly focused on identifying risk earlier, and moving from treatment towards prevention.

As part of the Europe project, Prof. Bernhard Hemmer shares insights into the challenges and opportunities of predicting and potentially preventing MS before symptoms develop.

Read more: https://buff.ly/AQDPzwW

Read the latest blog posts, insights, and updates from the WISDOM research team.

10/07/2026

Yesterday, EMSP presented the MS Barometer and its other projects at the European Charcot Foundation's MS Initiatives meeting — an opportunity to share one of our most powerful tools for driving change with partners from across the European MS community. 📊

The MS Barometer compares national healthcare and social systems across Europe, benchmarking the state of play of MS care. It helps identify gaps, spotlight progress, and strengthen advocacy at national and EU levels — six editions since 2008 have made it a cornerstone of evidence-based advocacy in MS.

And the new 2025–2027 edition marks an important first: the Barometer will expand beyond Multiple Sclerosis to include Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO) and MOG Antibody Disease (MOGAD) — conditions that share the neurological landscape with MS yet have long been absent from pan-European data. A meaningful step towards a more complete picture of neuroimmunological disease in Europe. 💙

Thank you to the European Charcot Foundation and all participants for the warm welcome and rich discussion.

Learn more about MS Barometer- https://buff.ly/muZmd01