Act Today to Preserve Funding for MS Research

With your help over the past four years, we’ve been able to get $17 million dedicated to MS Research through the Defense Department’s Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) . This week the House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on the FY 2012 Defense Appropriations bill that includes an additional $3.8 million for MS Research. There may be efforts to reduce or completely eliminate CDMRP and lose the momentum of the cutting edge research underway. It is important that you act now to urge your Representative to continue funding for the CDMRPs! 

Emerging evidence indicates a potential link between combat service and an increased incidence of MS, with one study theorizing that exposure to neurotoxins could be an environmental trigger for MS. According to a 2003 study in the Annals of Neurology, 5,345 veterans that served in Vietnam and the first Gulf War were diagnosed with MS that was deemed "service-connected." MS research in the CDMRP helps scientists better understand the causes of MS and can help us discover a cure.

Contact your Representative today and remind them of the importance of maintaining these programs that could lead to better treatments for MS in the future!