NeurologyLive® Year in Review 2025: Top Interviews in Multiple Sclerosis Care

In 2025, the NeurologyLive® staff was busy covering clinical news and data readouts from around the world across several key neurology subspecialty areas. From major study publications and FDA decisions to societal conference sessions and expert interviews, the team spent all year bringing the latest information to the website's front page.

Over the past 12 months, there have been several significant advances in the field of multiple sclerosis (MS), including including a growing emphasis on earlier identification of disease progression independent of relapse activity; refined diagnostic frameworks for pediatric, late-onset, and atypical presentations; and a continued shift toward early, high-efficacy treatment strategies.

With the amount of ongoing research, it's nearly impossible to narrow down just 10 stories that have impacted the MS field this year, but we're highlighting the some of the top expert interviews on NeurologyLive this year. Click the videos to watch more of our conversations with these experts.

Evolving Research Strategies to Address Multiple Sclerosis Progression Earlier: Ludwig Kappos, MD

At the 2025 European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) Congress, held September 24-26, in Barcelona, Spain, Ludwig Kappos, MD, a professor of neurology at the University of Basel, was named a recipient of the 2025 Charcot Award, the highest international honor for lifetime achievement in MS research, from the MS International Federation. In an interview conducted during the Congress, he emphasized the need to adapt research and clinical strategies to identify and manage progression independent of relapse activity. In addition, he stressed the value of well-defined patient groups, ongoing monitoring, and thorough assessments to uncover cognitive changes and disease mechanisms often missed by standard evaluations.

Updates on Guidance for Diagnosing Pediatric and Late-Onset Multiple Sclerosis: Andrew Solomon, MD

The MS Differential Diagnosis Consortium (MSDDC), sponsored by the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS), is led by Andrew Solomon, MD, a neurologist at the University of Vermont (UVM) Medical Center. Following the 2025 ACTRIMS Forum, held February 27 to March 1 in West Palm Beach, Florida, Solomon spoke with NeurologyLive about the significant work of the MS Differential Diagnosis Consortium. In the interview, Solomon, who also serves as a professor of neurological sciences at the Larner College of Medicine at UVM, discussed the persistent challenges of MS misdiagnosis, the limitations of current biomarkers, and the necessity of a structured diagnostic approach that carefully evaluates alternative conditions.

Advancements and Challenges in Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Treatment: Lauren B. Krupp, MD

At the 2025 American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Annual Meeting, held April 5-9, in San Diego, California, a program offered a comprehensive overview of pediatric-onset MS, focusing on its distinct biological, clinical, and psychosocial features. Led by experts Jennifer Graves, MD, PhD, and Lauren B. Krupp, MD, the session guided participants through the latest approaches to diagnosis and disease-modifying therapy selection. Following the session, Krupp, sat down with NeurologyLive to highlight the evolving treatment landscape for pediatric MS, emphasizing the benefits of initiating high-efficacy therapies early because of the high relapse rates in younger patients. In the discussion, Krupp stressed the need to monitor long-term risks such as infections associated with immunosuppressive therapies.

Advancing MS Care Through Early Intervention and Deeper CNS Insights: Jack P. Antel, MD

Advancing MS Care Through Early Intervention was a topic featured in the Kenneth P. Johnson Memorial Lecture, presented at the 2025 ACTRIMS Forum, by Jack P. Antel, MD. After the Forum, Antel, professor of neurology and neurosurgery at McGill University, sat down with NeurologyLive to further reflect on how advances in imaging and molecular therapies have transformed the field for the MS community. During the conversation, he emphasized a paradigm shift toward early therapeutic intervention to prevent relapse-driven disability in patients living with MS. Furthermore, Antel also outlined the emerging realization that systemic immune activity alone may not account for disease progression and that future therapies should address CNS-specific mechanisms.

Treatment and Diagnosis of MOG-Associated Disorders in Pediatric vs Adult: E. Ann Yeh, MD

At the 2025 Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) Annual Meeting, held May 28-31, 2025, in Phoenix, Arizona, the session "MOGAD in Focus: Diagnostic Criteria and Treatment Strategies" offered a comprehensive overview of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD). During the meeting, E. Ann Yeh, MD, a professor of pediatrics in neurology at the University of Toronto, sat down with NeurologyLive to outline the diagnostic similarities and key clinical differences between pediatric and adult MOG-associated disorders. Although both groups undergo similar diagnostic evaluations, she noted that pediatric patients may be more likely to present with a monophasic disease course. Ann emphasized the difficulty in determining optimal therapy duration because of the need to balance relapse prevention with the risks of long-term medication use. Furthermore, she also highlighted regulatory and enrollment challenges in conducting clinical trials in rare pediatric populations.

Barriers to Early Diagnosis and Access to Care in Multiple Sclerosis: Ethel Ciampi, MD, MSc

At the 2025 ECTRIMS Congress, neurologist Ethel Ciampi, MD, MSc, discussed access to diagnostic procedures for patients with suspected MS, highlighting global disparities in MRI availability, specialist care, and implementation of updated diagnostic criteria. In an interview during the meeting, Ciampi highlighted the global challenges patients face in obtaining a timely MS diagnosis, noting that delays often occur before a specialist is consulted. She emphasized that these barriers vary across regions and health care settings, including differences in access to imaging, trained neurologists, and diagnostic tools. Although updated diagnostic criteria offer more advanced approaches, she noted that their adoption is uneven, and clinicians may require additional training to apply them effectively. Ciampi also stressed the importance of early recognition to enable prompt treatment and help prevent disease progression.

Artificial Intelligence, Myelin Repair, and Aging as Emerging Frontiers in MS Research: Bruce Bebo, PhD

ACTRIMS Forum 2025 attendee Bruce Bebo, PhD, executive vice president of research at National MS Society, shared insights in an interview with NeurologyLive on how AI-driven imaging could enhance MS diagnosis and treatment monitoring. Throughout the conversation, he highlighted the ongoing challenge of accurately measuring remyelination, emphasizing the need for improved imaging techniques and biomarkers to assess myelin repair in clinical trials. Additionally, Bebo addressed the complexities of determining when to continue or discontinue disease-modifying therapies in aging patients with MS, underscoring the importance of personalized treatment decisions based on emerging research.

From Imaging to Biomarkers: Improving Remyelination Assessment in MS

In this episode, Ari Green, co-director of the Innovation Program for Repair and Remyelination at UCSF, and Paul Tesar, director of the Institute for Glial Sciences at Case Western University School of Medicine, explore how remyelination is currently assessed in multiple sclerosis clinical trials and why measuring myelin repair remains a challenge. They discuss the limitations of imaging and functional tools, the need for more direct markers of myelin restoration, and the risk of overinterpreting early data. The conversation also highlights the emerging role of biomarkers and why validating assessment methods depends heavily on the success of future remyelinating therapies.

Enhancing Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis and Early Treatment Strategies: David A. Hafler, MD, FANA

The updated McDonald Diagnostic Criteria, unveiled at the 40th Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS), held September 18-20 in Copenhagen, Denmark, emphasizes advanced diagnostic techniques and age-specific criteria for MS diagnosis in younger and older patients. In an interview with NeurologyLive, David A. Hafler, MD, FANA, the William S. and Lois Stiles Edgerly Professor of Neurology at Yale School of Medicine, emphasized how tools could offer a faster and more reliable alternative to traditional markers and noted that identifying MS before the appearance of parenchymal lesions could significantly improve disease management and long-term outcomes.

Emerging Therapies and the Future of MS: Insights on BTK Inhibitors and CAR T-Cells

In this episode, experts explored the evolving therapeutic landscape of MS, focusing on Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors and CAR T-cell therapy. Although BTK inhibitors have shown mixed results in relapsing MS, there is cautious optimism about their potential role in slowing disability progression, particularly as adjunct therapies. The speakers also highlighted the importance of identifying patients with compartmentalized inflammation and emphasized the need for more sensitive imaging and biomarkers in clinical trials. CAR T-cell therapy was discussed as a promising yet early-stage intervention, with an eye on safety and its ability to target previously inaccessible inflammation.