The debilitating impact of multiple sclerosis (MS) - including cognitive deficits, sensory impairments, and loss of bladder control - can produce physical, emotional, and financial hardship for its sufferers, often in the prime of their lives and when they least expect the disease to strike. In fact, MS is the most prevalent disabling disorder of young adults in the United States and affects more than 350,000 people nationwide; at least 30,000 of them are located in the New York metropolitan area.

This disorder, which has a propensity to target young adults (18 to 40 years of age), affects nerves within the central nervous system. The cause of MS is unknown, and there is no known cure. Primarily, it damages the covering or insulation of the nerves known as myelin and is, therefore, referred to as a "demyelinating disorder." MS can affect any part of the central nervous system and cause a wide range of disabilities, from mobility problems to cognitive deficits. Beyond this disabling physical impact, MS can exact a heavy emotional toll on the lives of its sufferers and on their family members and loved ones. Therefore the disease can lead to mood and behavioral disorders, and family relationships are often affected, at times leading to divorce or spousal abuse.

In addition, the high incidence of MS in young adults has significant socioeconomic consequences. For example, the disability associated with the disease can result in patients’ loss of employability and full ability to maintain daily activities. MS is estimated to cost approximately $40,000 per patient, per year. Most patients have a normal life span, and this expense can result in substantial economic hardship for them, their families, and society.

Fortunately, there are new therapies that can lessen the effects of MS and improve patients' quality of life dramatically.

Until now, many patients did not have the resources to obtain necessary care because there were no programs in the New York area that offered a full range of clinical and research services to MS patients. Mount Sinai, in an effort to combat these hardships and provide the most comprehensive MS-related patient care and research in New York City, has announced the opening of The Corinne Goldsmith Dickinson Center for Multiple Sclerosis. The hallmark of this innovative center is its multidisciplinary approach to MS, integrating a broad base of talented physicians and scientists, all of whom have a vested interest in understanding the cause, and overcoming the consequences, of this devastating condition. Through this synergistic approach, the MS Center holds the promise of tremendous progress for MS patients - offering them the best care available today and hope for better therapies and a cure tomorrow.

The first of its kind in New York City, the Corinne Goldsmith Dickinson Center for Multiple Sclerosis provides a comprehensive approach to disease management, including state-of-the-art programs in diagnostics, management, experimental therapeutics, and basic research. To complement this approach, Mount Sinai has recruited a team of leading clinicians, clinical investigators, and scientists. The Corinne Goldsmith Dickinson Center for Multiple Sclerosis was established with a $5 million endowment from George J. Gillespie, III and Clifford H. Goldsmith and is named in memory of Corinne Goldsmith Dickinson, who suffered from this disorder.

What Sets Mount Sinai Apart?

The Center offers the coordination, in a single location, of all aspects of patient care including diagnosis, disease management, rehabilitation, and support services. Because the Center is devoted to enhancing quality of life for people living with MS, the patients of the MS Center have access to the latest and most promising research advances and the opportunity to participate in trials of new therapeutic agents.

Innovations

Researchers have made considerable progress in understanding the nature of MS, and their insights have led to the development of several new MS drug therapies in the past decade. While these treatments represent major therapeutic advances, they provide only partial benefit to MS patients, are challenging to administer, and are extremely expensive. There is continued hope, however, as scientific advances have provided a rationale for the development of additional therapeutic agents that are now entering clinical trials. Their successes have attracted the interest of biotech and pharmaceutical companies that are now actively performing and sponsoring research aimed at finding new and more effective therapies.

In the tradition of ongoing research at Mount Sinai, the MS Center has established a leading-edge clinical research program. The clinical trials team is compromised of experienced professionals who design and implement studies of experimental treatments. These studies offer patients access to groundbreaking therapies that are not yet widely available. For example, the Center has recently been awarded one of the largest grants for MS by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Lublin and his research staff are presently in the planning stages as the coordinating center for Phase III study. This clinical trail will evaluate the efficacy of combination therapy in MS, using interferon beta 1-a and glatiramer acetate.

In order to continue to fulfill some of the goals of the Center, we have identified several areas that are in particular need of support.

Dr. Fred D. Lublin, Director of The Corinne Goldsmith Dickinson Center for Multiple Sclerosis, is particularly enthusiastic about areas in which donors may choose to become involved in a part of the growth of the newly endowed Center. For instance, depending on the donor’s particular area of interest, one might want to contribute to a lecture series, or to the educational resource center, or to help purchase a state-of-the-art computer/LCD projector unit for the Conference Center. One could think of endowing a named chair or professorship for Center physicians or beginning researchers that will enable them better to invest their time in the study of the causes and etiology of multiple sclerosis. We also would appreciate the time and effort individuals might want to devote to the Center by assisting in social, clinical, and/or in administrative projects throughout the Center.

There is an educational resource unit within the Center. However, if you have a question or would like more information about some aspect of multiple sclerosis and the research currently being conducted, please feel free to use our email address: multiple.sclerosis@mssm.edu.