Accelerated Cure
The purpose of this study is to establish a collection of blood samples and associated data from approximately 10,000 people who have experienced at least one CNS demyelinating event (characteristic of Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Transverse Myelitis (TM), Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM), Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO) or Optic Neuritis (ON)) and control subjects, both related and unrelated to the case. These samples and data will be made available for use in multi-disciplinary research involving MS, TM, ADEM, NMO and/or ON.
CASE Inclusion criteria
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Individuals with at least one CNS demyelinating event characteristic of MS, TM, ADEM, NMO or ON. A demyelinating event is defined as a symptom or constellation of symptoms referable to a disruption of the CNS white matter or myelin within gray matter. Characteristic syndromes include hemibody sensory or motor symptoms, mono-sensory symptoms, monoparesis, brainstem syndrome or cerebellar syndrome, lasting at least 24 hours and not acute in onset.
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Individuals at least 18 years old and able to give informed consent.
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Individuals willing and able to provide up to 110 ml blood via venipuncture.
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Individuals with clinical or radiological evidence of stroke, meningitis, neoplastic, peripheral nervous system or primary muscle disease, or other well characterized and defined diseases of the nervous system with the exception of MS, TM, ADEM, NMO, ON (to help eliminate related neurological signs/symptoms).
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Individuals with a history of blood borne pathogens (e.g. viral hepatitis, HIV/AIDS) due to Laboratory restrictions.
CONTROL Inclusion criteria
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Related and unrelated individuals who have not experienced any CNS demyelinating events characteristic of MS, TM, ADEM, NMO or ON, and have not been diagnosed with any demyelinating disease.
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Individuals at least 18 years old and able to give informed consent.
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Individuals willing and able to provide upt to 110 ml blood via venipuncture.
CONTROL Exclusion criteria
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Individuals with clinical or radiological evidence of stroke, meningitis, neoplastic, peripheral nervous system or primary muscle disease, or other well characterized and defined diseases of the nervous system (to help eliminate related neurological signs/symptoms).
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Individuals with a history of blood borne pathogens (e.g. viral hepatitis, HIV/AIDS) due to Laboratory restrictions.
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Individuals with a history of allogeneic bone marrow transplant due to changes in genetic material.