Cleveland Clinic pulls in $5.4M federal grant for multiple sclerosis research

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cleveland Clinic has received a $5.4 million federal grant to continue multiple sclerosis research that it started in 1999.

The National Institutes of Health grant will fund the research through 2014, according to a statement from the Cleveland Clinic.

Multiple sclerosis is a disease that attacks the central nervous system and can cause paralysis and loss of vision. The cause of the disease isn’t known and it’s thought to affect 2.5 million people worldwide, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. There’s no known cure for the disease, but those who suffer from it can use a variety of medications to slow its progress.

Dr. Richard Ransohoff, director of Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Neuroinflammation Research, has been leading the project, which has focused on identifying the connection between inflammation and tissue injury in the central nervous system of people with multiple sclerosis.

“Our integrated, continuous and unique research studies have produced deep insights into the mechanisms underlying multiple sclerosis, and more importantly, point the way toward effective use of newer treatments,” Ransohoff said in the statement. ’