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Help make a difference in the lives of those with autoimmune disease.

What is Autoimmune Disease?
- AUTOIMMUNE VS AUTOINFLAMMATORY DISEASE
  
  A Comparative Look
  
  Autoimmune disease (AD) and autoinflammatory disease (AIF) are two categories of illnesses that occur when the immune system mistakenly damages healthy cells. Although these inflammatory disorders share many commonalities, there are key features that make them unique.
  Read Our Article
  Autoimmune diseases (AD) occur when the immune system attacks the body’s own healthy cells. There are 80-100 known autoimmune diseases and counting, affecting more than 14 million Americans.
  AUTOIMMUNE VS AUTOINFLAMMATORY DISEASE
  
  A Comparative Look
  
  Autoimmune disease (AD) and autoinflammatory disease (AIF) are two categories of illnesses that occur when the immune system mistakenly damages healthy cells. Although these inflammatory disorders share many commonalities, there are key features that make them unique.
  
  Read Our Article
Resources & Support
- FREE RESOURCE
  
  Find Hope in Your Health Journey
  
  The Autoimmune & Chronic Illness Toolkit includes journal templates, resource lists, guidance for doctor appointments, tips on communication, and many more tools to support and empower you throughout your experience.
  Get Our Guide
  Browse our resource lists and information via the links below.
  FREE RESOURCE
  
  Find Hope in Your Health Journey
  
  The Autoimmune & Chronic Illness Toolkit includes journal templates, resource lists, guidance for doctor appointments, tips on communication, and many more tools to support and empower you throughout your experience.
  
  Get Our Guide
Education & Research
- HIGHLIGHTED PARTNERSHIP
  
  GAI is proud to fund the Raising Celiac podcast from the Celiac Disease Program at Boston Children’s Hospital
  
  Each episode features education, awareness and research on celiac disease in connection with other autoimmune conditions, including expert interviews on how these autoimmune diseases co-exist.
  View Podcast
  We support autoimmune disease research, awareness, and education. We fund clinical research, scientific investigations, multidisciplinary medicine, and educational resources, including podcasts and webinars.
  HIGHLIGHTED PARTNERSHIP
  
  GAI is proud to fund the Raising Celiac podcast from the Celiac Disease Program at Boston Children’s Hospital
  
  Each episode features education, awareness and research on celiac disease in connection with other autoimmune conditions, including expert interviews on how these autoimmune diseases co-exist.
  
  View Podcast
About Us
- SPREADING AWARENESS
  
  We were proud to sponsor Nature Magazine’s July 2021 Outlook on Autoimmune Disease
  
  Learn more about GAI's work, autoimmune risk factors, research advances, and more!
  Read Our Feature
  The Global Autoimmune Institute is empowering solutions in the diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune disease (AD) through research, education, and validation while supporting multidisciplinary approaches to wellness.
  SPREADING AWARENESS
  
  We were proud to sponsor Nature Magazine’s July 2021 Outlook on Autoimmune Disease
  
  Learn more about GAI’s work, autoimmune risk factors, research advances, and more!
  
  Read Our Feature
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Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) involves communication problems between the brain and the rest of the body due to immune attacks on axons and myelin in the central nervous system. Below are COVID news and research updates that specifically relate to MS.

Covid-19 Outcomes in Autoimmune Disease Patients

January 19, 2022

Autoimmune disease is currently considered a risk factor for severe COVID-19. A research article published in Rheumatology last Fall summarized 30-day outcomes of autoimmune disease (AD) patients following hospitalization with COVID-19. AD patients diagnosed and/or hospitalized between January and June 2020 with COVID-19 were included, and their 30 day outcomes were compared to patients with at least one AD hospitalized with influenza from September 2017 through April 2018.

Incidence of Vaccine Adverse Events in Autoimmune Disease Patients

October 14, 2021

A comment piece published in The Lancet Rheumatology examined the results of a questionnaire assessing adverse events in those with autoimmune disease (AD) following their first COVID-19 vaccination. Participants were asked (but not obligated) to recruit a “healthy” control of similar age and sex. They were asked whether they had 1) received a COVID-19 vaccine 2) if so, whether they experienced any local or systemic adverse events in the 7 days following vaccination 3) if so, to report the severity and duration of such adverse events. Patients were also asked to monitor any changes in their autoimmune disease for up to two months post-vaccination.

Multiple Sclerosis Patients on Anti-CD20 Therapy Create Antibodies Following COVID Vaccination

September 30, 2021

A study published in Nature has shown that multiple sclerosis patients undergoing anti-CD20 therapy were able to create robust T-cells following vaccination with an mRNA vaccine.

Risk of Relapse is Low for MS patients After COVID Vaccination, Study Finds

September 15, 2021

Research published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry has indicated that multiple sclerosis (MS) patients did not see a rise in symptoms following COVID-19 vaccination with the Pfizer vaccine. Cohort characteristics included 93.5% of patients having relapsing-remitting MS, 4.6% having secondary progressive disease, and 1.9% having primary progressive disease.