A team of researchers have demonstrated a direct link between a particular genetic variant and vitamin D which can determine an individual's risk of developing MS. The new evidence emerged from a study published in the journal PLoS Genetics which found that the most important gene implicated in susceptibility to MS, the variant gene DRB1 can be switched on by vitamin D in laboratory experiments.
Leading the study, George Ebers, professor of clinical neurology at the University of Oxford, suggested that a lack of vitamin D during pregnancy and in the early years of life could increase the risk of developing the condition later in life.
Chief Executive of the MS Trust, Pam Macfarlane, commented: “This is a interesting study which adds to the growing evidence of a link between vitamin D and the risk of developing MS. A number of studies over the years have also suggested this connection and hopefully these results will encourage further investigation.”
