Multiple Sclerosis Discovery Forum (MSDF) is a non-profit online resource created to speed progress toward a cure for

multiple sclerosis Multiple (cerebral) sclerosis (MS), also known as encephalomyelitis disseminata or disseminated sclerosis, is the most common demyelinating disease, in which the insulating covers of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord are damaged. This d ...

(MS) and other demyelinating diseases by enabling faster sharing of information and free discussion among MS researchers in academia, industry, and the clinic. Launched in April 2012, MSDF deploys

science journalism Science journalism conveys reporting about science to the public. The field typically involves interactions between scientists, journalists, and the public. Origins Modern science journalism dates back to ''Digdarshan'' (means showing the di ...

as a primary tool in fostering communication and collaboration among MS researchers from all corners of the scientific enterprise. The site combines news and features with technical resources, such as a weekly editor-curated index of MS-related papers from PubMed and a database with the latest scientific and regulatory information about drugs being marketed or in the pipeline for treatment of MS. Other resources include interactive data visualizations, meetings and events, and discussion forums. MSDF is modeled after online scientific community Alzheimer Research Forum (AlzForum). Since 1996, AlzForum has become an location for information and interaction for investigators working on age-related

neurodegeneration A neurodegenerative disease is caused by the progressive loss of structure or function of neurons, in the process known as neurodegeneration. Such neuronal damage may ultimately involve cell death. Neurodegenerative diseases include amyotrophic ...

. More recently, similar independent neutral Web-based neurology disease forums have followed, including Schizophrenia Research Forum and Pain Research Forum.Pain Research Forum
/ref> As with its sister forums, all content on MSDF is provided free of charge to the research community, and editorial independence from sponsors and donors is strictly maintained. MSDF articles have unique digital object identifiers (DOI) to provide stable linking over time and to facilitate discussion and altmetrics tracking of scientific articles in social media forums, s. MSDF articles are indexed by

Google News Google News is a news aggregator service developed by Google. It presents a continuous flow of links to articles organized from thousands of publishers and magazines. Google News is available as an app on Android, iOS, and the Web. Google rel ...

. MSDF covers the plausible but unproven questions of whether the dozen new anti-inflammatory therapies can be deployed more effectively against disease progression, as well as the upsurge in research to understand the pathological mechanisms and treatments for progressive MS. Related demyelinating conditions include neuromyelitis optica (NMO), transverse myelitis, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, and optic neuritis. Their misdiagnosis as MS can lead to inappropriate and even harmful therapeutic choices, such as was discovered with NMO, now clearly understand to be a different disease. MSDF is a joint activity of Accelerated Cure Project for Multiple Sclerosis (ACP) and the MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease (MIND).

References

{{reflist Multiple sclerosis Internet properties established in 2012 American medical websites