Letter from the Editor

Dear reader,

This year, ECTRIMS took place in Amsterdam with over 9,000 neurologists, researchers, and MS professionals seeking updates on new developments regarding diagnosis, treatment, pathology, and biomarker research.

EBV has gathered renewed interest in its possible relationship with MS, showing MS to be associated with a broader EBV-specific T-cell receptor repertoire. A late-breaker trial showed the first disease-modifying therapy in radiologically-isolated syndrome to reduce the risk with 80% of having a first clinical event. Smouldering MS was also in the spotlight, with presenters arguing that the real MS is driven by smouldering processes.

This summary attempts to identify and review the highlights of the congress.

I hope you will find this interesting reading.

Best wishes,

Hans-Peter Hartung

 

Biography

Prof. Hartung is currently Professor of Neurology at Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Honorary Professor at Brain and Mind Center, University of Sydney, Visiting Professor at Medical University Vienna and Palacky University Olomouc. He was chairman of the Department of Neurology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf from 2001-2020, director of the Center for Neurology and Neuropsychiatry from 2012-2020 and director of the Department of Conservative Medicine from 2012-2019.

Prof. Hartung’s clinical and translational research interests are in the field of basic and clinical neuroimmunology and in particular multiple sclerosis and immune neuropathies, development of new immunological, neuroprotective and neural repair promoting strategies. He has (co-)authored more than 950 articles in peer-reviewed journals and 100 book chapters. He has been involved as member of the Steering Committee in numerous international multicentre therapeutic phase 2 and 3 trials in multiple sclerosis, Guillain-Barré Syndrome and CIDP.

He was President of ECTRIMS and has served/ serves amongst others on the executive boards of the European Charcot Foundation, the European Neurological Society, and the International Multiple Sclerosis Cognition Society (IMSCOGS). He is/was also member of the Editorial Board of a number of international journals. Prof. Hartung is a Fellow of the AAN and EAN, and has been chair/ member of the management group of the EAN scientific panels on general neurology and multiple sclerosis. He is Corresponding and Honorary Fellow of several international societies.

 

Conflict of Interest Statement:

Hans-Peter Hartung has received fees for consulting, speaking, and serving on steering committees from Bayer Healthcare, Biogen, GeNeuro, MedImmune, Merck, Novartis, Opexa, Receptos Celgene, Roche, Sanofi Genzyme, CSL Behring, Octapharma, Teva, TG Therapeutics, and Viela Bio, with approval by the Rector of Heinrich-Heine University.