The purpose of this study is to collect blood samples from healthy volunteers in order to develop immunological assays for Multiple Sclerosis. Blood collected will be used to optimize lab processing techniques and the remaining samples will also serve to compare the immunological response profile to that of multiple sclerosis patients, in various research studies conducted at the Multiple Sclerosis Center. This will allow us to develop new laboratory tests in order to both diagnose and follow the course of multiple sclerosis patients.
Subjects will be recruited from family members of patients at the AUBMC MS center and/or other healthy volunteers from the general population.
- Subjects treated with immunosuppressive agents during at least the last three weeks prior to the blood draw
- Subjects diagnosed with an autoimmune disease
- Subjects currently suffering from an acute infection or taking antibiotics
- Pregnant females
- Subjects with chronic diseases that may affect immune function (diabetes, cancer, etc.)