Multiple sclerosis (MS)

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease that affects the fatty substance called myelin that surrounds the nerves in the brain and the spinal cord (central nervous system). Myelin insulates the nerves and enables them to conduct impulses between the brain and other parts of the body. The Multiple Sclerosis Genetic Group (MSGG) is a collaborative effort between the MIHG at the University of Miami, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, the University of California at San Francisco and UC Berkeley. In 1996, the MSGG completed one of the first genomic screens aimed at identifying the location of MS susceptibility regions.