In 1953, one of the major medical breakthroughs of the century occurred with the Nobel Prize-winning description of the structure of DNA by Francis Crick and James Watson. The way in which genes control biologic functions became clearer—as did ideas about how viruses work and how the immune system is regulated.

Additional studies on nerve conduction showed how chemicals generate electricity as they flow through channels in nerve endings. And myelin was broken down into its components, isolating the basic protein suspected to be the target of the MS attack.

This era saw scientists striking out on many different paths, testing many possibilities, and formulating many new theories, but without uncovering a clear unifying thread to direct MS treatment. Meanwhile, doctors continued to struggle with the challenge of diagnosing and treating people with MS. The emerging scientific complexity of MS confused rather than clarified their challenge. So while much was being learned, research could give doctors very little guidance on what was best for their patients.

Reference

Written by Loren A. Rolak, MD. Reproduced by permission from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, USA. © NMSS, 2003