Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the commonest non‐traumatic disabling disease to affect young
adults. The incidence of MS is increasing worldwide, together with the socioeconomic
impact of the disease. The underlying cause of MS and mechanisms behind this increase
remain opaque, although complex gene–environment interactions almost certainly play a
significant role. The epidemiology of MS indicates that low serum levels of vitamin D,
smoking, childhood obesity and infection with the Epstein–Barr virus are likely to play a role …

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central
nervous system (CNS), which gives rise to focal lesions in the gray and white matter and to
diffuse neurodegeneration in the entire brain. In this review, the spectrum of MS lesions and
their relation to the inflammatory process is described. Pathology suggests that inflammation
drives tissue injury at all stages of the disease. Focal inflammatory infiltrates in the meninges
and the perivascular spaces appear to produce soluble factors, which induce demyelination …

A number of recent advances have been made in the clinical diagnosis and prognostication
of multiple sclerosis patients. Future research will enable the development of more accurate
biomarkers of disease categorization and prognosis, which will enable timely personalized
treatment in individual multiple sclerosis patients.