The genetic basis of multiple sclerosis severity

Adil Harroud, MD, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, talks on an investigation into the contribution of genetics to disease severity in multiple sclerosis (MS). There is currently a wide breadth of knowledge covering genetic susceptibility of MS, however, little is known about the genetic contributions to disease progression. To address this, a study was conducted including 13,000 patients with MS, in which their genetic information was assessed in conjunction with clinical data. The study advanced the field of MS genetics, demonstrating for the first time that MS severity can be heritable, which was measured based on the age-related MS severity score to account for differences in age. Additionally, the genetic effects of MS susceptibility and severity were compared via genetic correlation across the entire genome. Genetic correlation was found to be low, concluding genetic influences of susceptibility and genetic influences of severity are not the same. This interview took place at the ACTRIMS Forum 2022 in West Palm Beach, Florida.