Hello friends --It's the unofficial start to summer!!!  🌞  I hope you had a great Memorial Day Weekend. AND - yesterday (May 30th) was World MS Day. And my birthday!!  Coincidence or destiny???  🤪  🥳This week is the CMSC - the Consortium of MS Centers annual conference. It's in Denver, Colorado and a company that I've been consulting with - Cytokind - is there (booth #202) sharing the good news of UVB light therapy for MS.  It's super interesting stuff. I'll be sharing more about it soon but if you're going to the CMSC - be sure to stop by and say hello!  Ok - let's see what's up in the world of MS:1.  For all the bad and scary stuff we're hearing about the potential zombie apocalypse that is AI (Artificial Intelligence), here is some good news for MS'ers:  Researchers use AI to study Multiple Sclerosis2.  A detailed examination of nerve tissue isolated from MS patients showed changes to the myelin sheath before the appearance of substantial inflammatory activity and lesions: Myelin defects seen before lesions, inflammatory activity in MS3.  Cross-sectional findings from a recently published study showed that stressors across the lifespan are commonly reported for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), and contribute to disability in children and adults, and relapse burden in adults. These data could potentially help inform research design and analysis to mitigate or prevent adverse outcomes associated with stressors across the lifespan. Stress May Play Role in Multiple Sclerosis Disability, Study Suggests  - remember- sometimes it helps the stress - just to say "F-U-M-S"4.  A unique group of antibodies can be used to predict whether someone will develop multiple sclerosis – they were present in about 10 per cent of people with MS years before they developed symptoms.  Blood test can identify MS in some people years before symptoms start5.  Once diagnosed - we all ask it: Is Multiple Sclerosis Genetic?  I asked because I had kids and I just couldn't imagine them having MS. But a look back - at our lifestyles and our genetics - might provide some interesting answers.  So - Is Multiple Sclerosis Genetic?6.  While fertility rates in women with multiple sclerosis (MS) have been increasing over time, they remain about two times lower than in the general population, a study in Italy has found.  Study stresses importance of patients being informed early about family planning.  Fertility rates about 2 times lower in women with MSThat's all folks. Hope you learned something. Do you have questions? Comments? Anything I could help you with? Well then - just hit reply and email me!!  I LOVE hearing from you.  Warmly -- Kathy#FUMS