New database aims to accelerate research into progressive MS
It brings together massive collection of patients' MRI scans, clinical data
The International Progressive MS Alliance has introduced the MS Clinical and Imaging Data Resource, or CIDR, to accelerate the search for effective treatments for progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) where options are limited.
The resource was built in partnership with McGill University in Canada, as well as industry partners Biogen, Novartis, Roche, and Sanofi. It brings together a massive collection of MRI scans and clinical data from people with MS who participated in previous clinical trials. By pooling a large amount of anonymized data, the goal is to provide researchers worldwide with the tools to understand how MS progresses.
“This unique resource underscores the power of the Alliance and its role in bringing together industry and academia around the world to contribute to and offer this valuable tool,” Robert Fox, MD, chair of the Alliance’s scientific steering committee and a neurologist at the Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis at Cleveland Clinic, said in a press release from the nonprofit. “Most importantly, we are grateful for the thousands of people with MS who participated in these trials so that we can have this data to offer to those working to solve progressive MS.”
CIDR grew out of earlier effort to create predictive models of MS progression
MS is a neurodegenerative disorder where the immune system attacks the protective myelin sheath around nerve fibers. This damage slows or blocks nerve signals, leading to neurological symptoms, including vision problems, muscle weakness, and fatigue.
CIDR is one of the largest collections of MS data ever assembled, making it a valuable source for studies requiring large-scale evidence. It includes around 72,000 MRI scans and information from 200,000 clinic visits involving more than 13,500 people living with MS. Over time, more data will be added, making CIDR an even stronger tool.
The idea grew out of an earlier international research network focused on MRI imaging and biomarkers. That work, led by Douglas Arnold at McGill, laid the foundation by using large amounts of data to create predictive models of disease progression and treatment response.
While many current treatments help people with relapsing forms of MS, there are still few effective options for those with progressive forms of the disease. CIDR aims to close this gap by enabling studies exploring the biological mechanisms behind progression and by guiding the search for new therapies.
Ideally, the new AI-based tools and other statistical methods should optimize trials, so they’ll be shorter, more efficient and hopefully more successful.
Because the data has been carefully harmonized across contributions from different companies, it is especially well suited for analysis with artificial intelligence and machine learning.
These tools can help detect subtle changes in the brain, sometimes even before symptoms appear, and can provide insights into how patients might respond to different therapies. They can also create opportunities to find new patterns and connections that traditional methods might miss.
“Ideally, the new AI-based tools and other statistical methods should optimize trials, so they’ll be shorter, more efficient, and, hopefully, more successful,” Arnold said.
Starting in the fall of 2025, researchers will be able to apply for access to the data. Applicants will be required to explain how their projects focus on understanding MS progression. Possible areas include modeling the natural history of MS, or how the disease runs its course without treatment, as well as running simulations, testing new outcome measures, and studying biomarkers in depth.
Applications will be reviewed by a committee that also includes a person living with progressive MS. This ensures the work being done directly reflects the needs and concerns of people most affected by the disease.
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