Two activities for World MS Day 2026 highlighting new directions in MS research

Two separate initiatives were carried out for World Multiple Sclerosis Day 2026, both contributing to a growing shift in how research approaches understanding of multiple sclerosis.

By: Nele Vanbilsen

Published:

This image is a collage summarizing activities from a World MS Day 2026 event at Karolinska Institutet. It features multiple photos arranged on a dark red background, each labeled with session titles and speaker names. At the top, three panels highlight key themes: “History of MS research,” “How MS research affects treatment and care,” and “The Swedish MS registry.” These images show presentations in a lecture room with speakers standing near projected slides while attendees sit at round tables.
World MS Day 2026 event at Karolinska Institutet, marked by combining scientific presentations, discussions, student contributions, and networking activities focused on multiple sclerosis research. Photo: Karolinska Insitutet

1) KNIMS World MS Day meeting at Karolinska Institutet

On May 30, 2026, KNIMS hosted a half-day meeting at Karolinska Institutet under the theme “Research that changes the view on MS.” Around 65 participants, including researchers, clinicians, students, and people living with Multiple Sclerosis, came together in Solna to discuss advances in MS research, care, and ongoing projects.

The program included:

  • Reflections on the history of MS research and how understanding has evolved 
  • Presentations on current research projects and emerging findings 
  • Insights into the Swedish MS Registry and its role in clinical research 
  • An open dialogue session on topics such as pregnancy and MS 
  • Student presentations followed by a poster session and informal discussion during lunch 

The meeting emphasized the importance of integrating clinical practice, research, and lived experience to better understand disease mechanisms and improve patient care.

2) World MS Day video on Epstein–Barr virus and MS research

In parallel, collaborators at the Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute, represented by Pablo Villoslada Díaz (external link)and Gabriel Santpere Baró (external link), contributed to World MS Day with a video as part of the EBV-MS project. The video focuses on how research is reshaping understanding of MS, particularly through the lens of viral and immune interactions, and the important contribution from volunteers in research. 

A key theme is the increasing evidence linking Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), the virus responsible for infectious mononucleosis, to MS. A landmark 2022 study published in Science (external link)showed that EBV infection appears to be a necessary step in the development of MS, meaning that without prior infection, MS almost never occurs.

This finding has shifted the central research question from what causes MS in general to:

How does the EBV virus trigger the development of MS?

Is there a genetic variant of the virus that increases the risk of MS?

Can this knowledge prevent or give better treatment of MS in the future?

 

 

EBV-MS project and cohort research

The EBV-MS project investigates how viral genetics, host genetics, and immune responses interact in disease development. It aims to explain why only a subset of EBV-infected individuals go on to develop MS.

A key component of this work is the GCAT|Genomes for Life cohort, which provides thousands of healthy control samples. These allow researchers to compare genetic and environmental factors between people with MS and the general population, strengthening insights into risk and disease mechanisms.

GCAT|Genomes for Life cohort

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