About the Authors

Giammario Ragnedda

Affiliations Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences (Clinical Neurology), University of Oxford, The West Wing, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom, Division of Neurology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy

Giulio Disanto

Affiliations Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences (Clinical Neurology), University of Oxford, The West Wing, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom

Gavin Giovannoni

Affiliation Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, United Kingdom

George C. Ebers

Affiliations Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences (Clinical Neurology), University of Oxford, The West Wing, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom

Stefano Sotgiu

Affiliation Division of Paediatric Neuropsychiatry, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy

Sreeram V. Ramagopalan

s.ramagopalan@qmul.ac.uk

Affiliations Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences (Clinical Neurology), University of Oxford, The West Wing, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom, Blizard Institute, Queen Mary University of London, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, United Kingdom, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom

Competing Interests

The authors have read the journal's policy and have the following conflicts: GR reports no competing interest. GD reports no competing interest. GG serves on scientific advisory boards for Merck Serono and Biogen Idec and Vertex Pharmaceuticals; served on the editorial board of Multiple Sclerosis; has received speaker honoraria from Bayer Schering Pharma, Merck Serono, Biogen Idec, Pfizer Inc, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.–sanofiaventis, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Genzyme Corporation, Ironwood, and Novartis; has served as a consultant for Bayer Schering Pharma, Biogen Idec,GlaxoSmithKline, Merck Serono, Protein Discovery Laboratories, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.–sanofi-aventis, UCB, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, GW Pharma, Novartis, and FivePrime; serves on the speakers bureau for Merck Serono; and has received research support from Bayer Schering Pharma, Biogen Idec, Merck Serono, Novartis, UCB, Merz Pharmaceuticals, LLC, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.–sanofi-aventis, GW Pharma, and Ironwood. GCE serves on the editorial boards of the International Multiple Sclerosis Journal and Multiple Sclerosis and as Section Editor for BMC Medical Genetics; has received funding for travel or speaker honoraria from Bayer Schering Pharma, sanofi-aventis, Roche, and UCB; has served as a consultant to Biopartners, Bayer Schering Pharma, Howrey LLP, Heron Health, and Eli Lilly and Company; and receives research support from Bayer Schering Pharma, the Multiple Sclerosis Society of the United Kingdom, and the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada Scientific Research Foundation. SS reports no competing interest. SVR reports no competing interest.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: GR GD SVR. Performed the experiments: GR GD. Analyzed the data: GR GD SVR. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: GR GD SVR. Wrote the paper: GR. Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content: GCE GG SS SVR.