MSVirtual2020, the 8th Joint Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) – European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) Meetingis being held from September 11-13. The meeting is the largest international conference dedicated to multiple sclerosis (MS) research. Presentations and released data will focus on advances and breakthroughs made in MS causes and risk factors, diagnostic tools, treatment response biomarkers, technology, and therapies and interventions.

Hosted every three years, the joint ACTRIMS/ECTRIMS meeting brings together world-class neurologists, clinicians, and researchers in the field of MS from around the world to present and discuss latest research and therapeutic advances.

The key topics of this year’s meeting, according to an ACTRIMS press release, are:

  • Cutting-edge research into MS causes — ranging from genetic and epigenetic factors to complex immune- or disease-related pathways, which help inform therapy development — and environmental and lifestyle risk factors. (Epigenetics refers to chemical modifications in DNA that can turn genes on or off without altering the actual DNA sequence, or gene codes.)
  • Advances in brain imaging and machine learning approaches and how these techniques can help us better understand MS. (Machine learning is a form of artificial intelligence that uses algorithms to analyze data, learn from its analyses, and then make a prediction about something.)
  • Disease activity and treatment response biomarkers, which are critical for the future of personalized medicine in MS.
  • Latest findings on gut microbiota and the gut-brain axis in MS. The gut microbiota is a vast community of friendly bacteria, fungi, and viruses that colonize the gastrointestinal tract. It helps to maintain a balanced gut function, protect against disease-causing organisms, and influence the host’s immune system and inflammatory responses, which may contribute to MS development or progression.
  • Data from recent clinical trials of new therapies and interventions, innovations in symptomatic and rehabilitative therapy, and current research on the impact of COVID-19 in MS.

An Encore event will occur Saturday, September 26 to hear high-impact, novel research during the Late Breaking News session as well as a special session featuring presentations on COVID-19 and MS. Following the Late Breaking and COVID-19 sessions.

For more information, visit MSVirtual2020.

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