"VUmc MS Center Amsterdam is one of Holland's centers of excellence"

VUmc MS Center Amsterdam belongs to the Dutch excellence. This is the message of Alexander Rinnooy Kan, chairman of the ESC. Rinnooy Kan is one of the speakers at the symposium on November 21 in the city of Amsterdam to mark the tenth anniversary of the VUmc MS Center Amsterdam. The MS center at that time launched a new initiative for MS patients, the MS-Supportaal. With this project can MS patients via the Internet to view their patient data and communicate with experts from the MS center. The MS-Supportaal is an online communication between people with multiple sclerosis (MS), the treating doctor in the region and experts from VUmc MS Center Amsterdam. Patients have access to this system through their own medical records and have the opportunity to ask questions. Because the disease history of patients in a clear overview is shown, the experts of the MS Center tailor give advice. This improves the quality of care and the quality of life for people with MS. 10 years of MS research Chris Polman, director VUmc MS Center Amsterdam: "Ten years ago MS was still uncontrolled, step by step we learn about the disease and we have made progress." An example of progress are the so-called Brakhof criteria, developed for the assessment of MRI scans, which are now used worldwide. These criteria are an important step in the provision of a reliable diagnosis using MRI scans of the brains of MS patients. On MRI scans have places inflammation in the central nervous system clearly visible, even if the patient has no complaints. Also in the understanding of the cause of MS, the MS Center Amsterdam VUmc played an important role. Research in the center has given insight into how inflammatory cells from blood, the major blood-brain barrier and then in the brain inflammation that cause the disease are typical of MS. This is an important discovery that provides synergy for developing therapies and treatments. The MS center of the Netherlands The VUmc MS Center Amsterdam in the last ten years developed into a leading center worldwide in the field of multiple sclerosis. The quality of the MS Center show includes the number of patients who visit the center. More than half of all Dutch-MS patients visiting the MS Center for a second opinion. In addition staff regularly publish in prestigious scientific journals like The Lancet. Medical Contact the weekly has published a list last May with most cited scientific clinical studies. Two articles of the MS center in this list were the places one and three. Future In the coming years, the VUmc MS Center Amsterdam next to the leading role in the knowledge generate knowledge sharing. This is done by offering fellowships for foreign researchers, but also by the MS-Supportaal project. To the ambitions of the center to realize the MS center is looking for additional funding. This is the Foundation Aid VUmc MS Center Amsterdam, under the chairmanship of Tom de Swaan, former CFO of the ABN-AMRO.