Our MS research efforts
Much more research is needed to better understand the impact and causes of childhood onset demyelinating diseases. At the Mass General Brigham Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Center, we are conducting research which includes a search for genes that predispose children to MS and biological markers in the blood that can distinguish various forms of MS. We are conducting active projects to study the impact of MS on vision, childhood development, and quality of life. Using clinical and MRI measures, we assess the effects of treatment on slowing the disease course in children.
We are involved in several collaborative research studies including a Longitudinal Pediatric MS study conducted with the National Network of Pediatric MS Centers of Excellence and studies with International Pediatric MS Study Group.
You may be asked if you would like to participate in some of our research studies. Participation is not mandatory for your child’s care. For more information about our research studies, or to enroll your child, please call 617-726-2664.
Some of the questions that our research studies ask include:
- Why does MS occur in children?
- Is MS the same in adults and children?
- What are the best treatments for MS in children?
- How does MS affect children’s development?
- How does MS affect mood and school performance in children?
- Is there a blood test for MS in children?
- Why does NMOSD occur, and how do we best treat it?
- Why do MOG antibody associated disorders occur, and how do we best treat them?
- Can we develop a blood test to predict relapses in children with MS, NMOSD, and MOG antibody associated disorders?
Clinical trials & publications
Paradigms: Safety and Efficacy of Fingolimod in Pediatric Patients with MS
Efficacy, Safety and Pharmacokinetics of Teriflunomide in Pediatric Patients with Relapsing Forms of MS (Terikids)
Note: these trials are no longer enrolling patients
Below is a list of recent publications and reviews on MS and demyelinating disorders in children:
Temporal profile of lymphocyte counts and relationship with infections with fingolimod therapy in paediatric patients with multiple sclerosis: Results from the PARADIGMS study. Chitnis T, Banwell B, Krupp L, Arnold DL, Bar-Or A, Brück W, Giovannoni G, Greenberg B, Ghezzi A, Waubant E, Rostasy K, Deiva K, Huppke P, Wolinsky JS, Zhang Y, Azmon A, K-Laflamme A, Karan R, Gärtner J. Mult Scler. 2020 Jul 7:1352458520936934. doi: 10.1177/1352458520936934. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 32633694.
Treatment of MOG-IgG-associated disorder with rituximab: An international study of 121 patients. Whittam DH, Cobo-Calvo A, Lopez-Chiriboga AS, Pardo S, Gornall M, Cicconi S, Brandt A, Berek K, Berger T, Jelcic I, Gombolay G, Oliveira LM, Callegaro D, Kaneko K, Misu T, Capobianco M, Gibbons E, Karthikeayan V, Brochet B, Audoin B, Mathey G, Laplaud D, Thouvenot E, Cohen M, Tourbah A, Maillart E, Ciron J, Deschamps R, Biotti D, Rostasy K, Neuteboom R, Hemingway C, Forsyth R, Matiello M, Webb S, Hunt D, Murray K, Hacohen Y, Lim M, Leite MI, Palace J, Solomon T, Lutterotti A, Fujihara K, Nakashima I, Bennett JL, Pandit L, Chitnis T, Weinshenker BG, Wildemann B, Sato DK, Kim SH, Huda S, Kim HJ, Reindl M, Levy M, Jarius S, Tenembaum S, Paul F, Pittock S, Marignier R, Jacob A. Mult Scler Relat Disord. 2020 Jun 2;44:102251. doi: 10.1016/j.msard.2020.102251. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 32629363.
Rituximab in patients with pediatric multiple sclerosis and other demyelinating disorders of the CNS: Practical considerations. Ghezzi A, Banwell B, Bar-Or A, Chitnis T, Dale RC, Gorman M, Kornek B, Krupp L, Krysko KM, Nosadini M, Rostasy K, Salzer J, Schreiner T, Tenembaum S, Waubant E. Mult Scler. 2020 Jun 19:1352458520932798. doi: 10.1177/1352458520932798. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 32552353.
Down Syndrome Disintegrative Disorder: A Clinical Regression Syndrome of Increasing Importance. Rosso M, Fremion E, Santoro SL, Oreskovic NM, Chitnis T, Skotko BG, Santoro JD. Pediatrics. 2020 Jun;145(6):e20192939. doi: 10.1542/peds.2019-2939. PMID: 32471843.
Effect of fingolimod on MRI outcomes in patients with paediatric-onset multiple sclerosis: results from the phase 3 PARADIGMS study. Arnold DL, Banwell B, Bar-Or A, Ghezzi A, Greenberg BM, Waubant E, Giovannoni G, Wolinsky JS, Gärtner J, Rostásy K, Krupp L, Tardieu M, Brück W, Stites TE, Pearce GL, Häring DA, Merschhemke M, Chitnis T; PARADIGMS Study Investigators. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2020 May;91(5):483-492. doi: 10.1136/jnnp-2019-322138. Epub 2020 Mar 4. PMID: 32132224; PMCID: PMC7231437.
Correction to: Long-Term Effect of Immediate Versus Delayed Fingolimod Treatment in Young Adult Patients with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis: Pooled Analysis from the FREEDOMS/FREEDOMSII Trials. Ghezzi A, Chitnis T, K-Laflamme A, Meinert R, Häring DA, Pohl D. Neurol Ther. 2020 Jun;9(1):193-195. doi: 10.1007/s40120-020-00178-4. Erratum for: Neurol Ther. 2019 Dec;8(2):461-475. PMID: 32060877; PMCID: PMC7229072.
Comparison of health-related quality of life across treatment groups in individuals with multiple sclerosis. Glanz BI, Zurawski J, Gonzalez CT, Shamah R, Ratajska A, Chitnis T, Weiner HL, Healy BC. Mult Scler Relat Disord. 2020 May;40:101944. doi: 10.1016/j.msard.2020.101944. Epub 2020 Jan 11. PMID: 32007653.
Cognitive processing speed in pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis: Baseline characteristics of impairment and prediction of decline. Wallach AI, Waltz M, Casper TC, Aaen G, Belman A, Benson L, Chitnis T,Gorman M, Graves J, Harris Y, Lotze TE, Mar S, Moodley M, Ness JM, Rensel M, Rodriguez M, Rose JW, Schreiner T, Tillema JM, Waubant E, Weinstock-Guttman B,Charvet LE, Krupp LB.; Mult Scler. 2019 Nov 28:1352458519891984. doi: 10.1177/1352458519891984. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 31775571
School performance and psychiatric morbidity 6 years after pediatric acute disseminated encephalomyelitis: A nationwide population-based cohort study. Boesen MS, Langkilde A, Born AP, Magyari M, Blinkenberg M, Chitnis T, Thygesen LC, Eriksson F.; Mult Scler Relat Disord. 2019 Nov;36:101425. doi:10.1016/j.msard.2019.101425. Epub 2019 Oct 3. PMID: 31655433.
Adipokines are associated with pediatric multiple sclerosis risk and course. Keyhanian K, Saxena S, Gombolay G, Healy BC, Misra M, Chitnis T.; Mult Scler Relat Disord. 2019 Nov;36:101384. doi: 10.1016/j.msard.2019.101384. Epub 2019 Sep 5. PMID: 31550559.
Consistent control of disease activity with fingolimod versus IFN β-1a in paediatric-onset multiple sclerosis: further insights from PARADIGMS. Deiva K, Huppke P, Banwell B, Chitnis T, Gärtner J, Krupp L, Waubant E, Stites T, Pearce GL, Merschhemke M; J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2020 Jan;91(1):58-66. doi:10.1136/jnnp-2019-321124. Epub 2019 Aug 29. PMID:31467033; PMCID: PMC6952840.
Ketamine use in refractory status epilepticus associated with anti-NMDA receptor antibody encephalitis . Santoro JD, Filippakis A, Chitnis T.; Epilepsy Behav Rep. 2019 Jun 23;12:100326. doi: 10.1016/j.ebr.2019.100326. PMID:31453565; PMCID: PMC6657533