Adil Harroud, MD, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, shares an overview of the key topics discussed during a session on multiple sclerosis (MS) susceptibility and the MS prodrome at the ACTRIMS Forum 2022. A large number of studies are looking into the earliest stages of MS, to advance our understanding of the pathobiological mechanisms involved. For example, the Genes and Environment in Multiple Sclerosis (GEMS) project aims to investigate the events leading to MS in first-degree relatives of patients with MS. Studies are also underway in patients with radiologically isolated syndrome (RIS) and what it can tell us about the clinical onset of MS. Through these approaches, it is hoped that the earliest stages of the disease process can be established and affected individuals identified before symptom onset is clinically meaningful. This interview took place at the ACTRIMS Forum 2022 in West Palm Beach, Florida.
