Henry F. McFarland wins 1998 John Dystel prize.

Dr. Henry F. McFarland was awarded the 1998 John Dystel Prize for Multiple Sclerosis Research at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in Minneapolis this April. According to Dr. John Richert, who wrote one of the many supporting letters, "Any one of his significant contributions would, by itself, make him a strong nominee."

Genetic Breakthroughs

Dr. McFarland broke new ground in the search for the factors that make some people susceptible to MS. He has done studies in which blood cells from people with and without MS were tested for their reactions to a variety of proteins and viruses. He showed that the response to measles virus was different in people with MS, indicating that they either had an alteration in the immune system or that a virus like measles could act as a trigger for the disease.

Recently, Dr. McFarland and his group performed detailed studies of the immune response to proteins in myelin, the material that insulates nerve fibers and is damaged in MS. The results are being used to design new therapies which Dr. McFarland's group will then test.

Dr. McFarland has also had a long-standing interest in the role of genes in MS. In early studies, he and his colleagues found that if one identical twin has MS, the chances of the second twin developing MS are much greater than with nonidentical twins. These findings helped to stimulate extensive research on the genetics of MS. It is now thought that there is no single "MS gene" but rather many genes that play some small role in influencing the risk of getting the disease. Moreover, genes are only part of the story; environmental triggers probably influence MS risk.

MRI Discovery

Dr. McFarland has used MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) to uncover what happens in the brain during the course of MS. Before MRI technology was available, the only way researchers could track the disease or test the effectiveness of a new treatment was by observing clinical changes. Working with MRI, Dr. McFarland was among the first to report that MS can be very active even when a person has few symptoms. This work helped make MRI an important tool in understanding MS and in testing potential treatments.

It was during a postdoctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins Medical School that Dr. McFarland began studies of the immune system that helped lay the foundation for his later MS research. He continued his training in immunology at University College, London. After returning to Johns Hopkins, he helped establish the first MS clinic there. In 1975, Dr. McFarland went to the National Institutes of Health where he continued searching for links between the immune system and MS.

Influence at the NIH 

In 1994, Dr. McFarland became Chief of the Neuroimmunology Branch at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). His many efforts to further MS research on the federal level have been credited with making the NINDS a world leader in MS research--with an annual budget of $64 million devoted to MS projects.

Dr. McFarland has also been a powerful influence on the next generation of MS researchers. Under his guidance, many young scientists who come to the NINDS for advanced training in immunology have gone on to devote their professional lives to the MS problem.

The John Dystel Price for Multiple Sclerosis Research was created in 1994 by Marion and Oscar Dystel in honor of their son, John, whose promising legal career was cut short by progressive disability from MS. The prize of $7,500, funded through the John Dystel Multiple Sclerosis Research Fund at the Society, is given jointly by the Society and the American Academy of Neurology. It is the only professional award given annually to honor outstanding contributions to MS research. The Society's Ralph I. Strauss Prize will also provide $1 million to the scientist or scientists whose research results in effective prevention or treatment of Ms.