image: Manuel A. Friese, MD – Recipient of the 2025 Barancik Prize for Innovation in MS Research
Credit: Dr. Manuel A. Friese
Manuel A. Friese, MD, clinician-scientist at the Institute of Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis of the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf in Hamburg, Germany was awarded the 2025 Barancik Prize for Innovation in MS Research. He is being recognized for his groundbreaking work studying the interactions between inflammation and nerve cell death (also called neurodegeneration) that drive disease progression. His work has the potential to identify new therapeutic targets for MS. It also brings the field closer to stopping disease progression, a key objective of the Pathways to Cures Research Roadmap.
Previous Barancik Prize winner Peter Calabresi, MD, nominated Friese for the prize, commenting, “Manuel Friese’s work has fundamentally reshaped how we understand neurodegeneration in progressive multiple sclerosis. By bridging immunology, neurobiology, and translation to the clinic, he has opened entirely new therapeutic avenues where few existed before. The Barancik Prize is a fitting recognition of his originality, rigor, and transformative impact on the field.”
With MS, the immune system attacks the brain and spinal cord. During the attack, myelin (the protective coating around nerve cell fibers) and axons (nerve cell fibers) are damaged. Unresolved damage promotes disrupted cell signaling and nerve cell death that leads to MS symptoms, clinical disability accumulation, and disease progression.
Historically, MS research and drug development has focused on the inflammation that causes attacks. Although current disease-modifying therapies effectively suppress the immune response and reduce relapses, they do not prevent disease progression. This treatment gap motivated Friese to study other biological drivers of MS progression.
His research focuses on how nerve cells react to the inflammatory environment seen with MS. His group has led the way in identifying specialized interactions between inflammation and nerve cells, including specific pathways and proteins that could be future therapeutic targets. A selection of Dr. Friese’s many research contributions include:
Characterizing the “neuronal inflammatory stress response:”
Friese discovered that nerve cells are not just passive victims of inflammation, as once believed. Instead, when exposed to inflammatory signals, nerve cells actively respond. They trigger internal pathways that disrupt processes that nerve cells generally need to stay healthy, like protein clearance, metabolism, signaling, and gene regulation. The disruptions lead to nerve cell damage and neurodegeneration.
Genetic or drug-based approaches that target these pathways can help correct the cellular disturbances, preserve nerve cell health, and, in some cases, reduce disease severity in mouse models that have MS-like characteristics.
IMPACT: This work has shifted how scientists think about nerve cell death and MS progression. It has also identified many new potential targets for future treatments that could protect nerve cell health and stop disease progression.
Discovering a new brain-immune connection that reduces MS inflammation:
Friese found that levels of a protein in the bloodstream called GDF-15 increase during pregnancy and are associated with fewer relapses. GDF-15 sends signals to specific neurons in the brainstem that can reprogram the immune system. The reprogramming reduces harmful immune cells from entering the brain and spinal cord and protects against inflammatory insult.
IMPACT: This newly identified brain-immune pathway could be harnessed for future MS therapies. GDF-15-based treatments are already being tested in humans for other conditions, potentially speeding up their advancement to clinical testing for MS.
Speaking about the National MS Society’s award decision, Bruce Bebo, PhD, Executive Vice President of Research at the National MS Society commented, “Dr. Friese’s work exemplifies the kind of bold, innovative science the Barancik Prize was created to recognize. His research provides a new vision for treating MS – one that goes beyond controlling inflammation. His discoveries open promising new paths toward therapies that could finally address neurodegeneration and bring us closer to stopping disease progression – one of the most urgent unmet needs for people living with MS.”
In addition to his laboratory research, Friese remains a leader in the clinic when treating people with MS. Alongside colleagues at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, he is overseeing the first people with progressive MS receiving CD19 CAR-T therapy. This is an experimental approach in the very early stages of clinical testing for MS. It is not yet proven safe or effective for MS, but could one day represent a new type of treatment if larger studies are successful.
Commenting on the award, Friese noted,
"I am deeply honored to receive the Barancik Prize and humbled to join the distinguished group of previous recipients. As a neurologist caring for patients with multiple sclerosis, I am aware of the urgency of uncovering the pathophysiological basis of MS progression. My early integration of neurobiology and immunology has enabled me to pioneer mechanistic insights into how nerve cells respond to and are reprogrammed by inflammation during MS. This prize provides additional motivation to continue along this research path and to translate our discoveries into novel therapeutic strategies. Only through such efforts can we develop tailored treatments that enhance the resilience of nerve cells to inflammatory stressors and ultimately halt the relentless progression that current therapies cannot fully prevent. I extend my deepest thanks to my lab for their exceptional dedication and outstanding work."
In receiving the Barancik Prize, Friese joins an esteemed group of researchers whose innovation and creativity are accelerating progress toward better treatments and cures for MS. He will be formally honored and deliver the Barancik Prize Lecture at the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) Forum on February 6, 2026.
Biosketch: Manuel A. Friese studied medicine at the Universities of Hamburg, Oxford and University College London and received his MD in 2001. He completed neurology training at the Universities of Tübingen and Hamburg, between 2004–2008 he conducted postdoctoral research training at the University of Oxford. He established his laboratory in 2008 at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf. He is currently Director of the Center for Molecular Neurobiology, Director of the Institute of Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis, Professor of Neuroimmunology, and consulting neurologist at the University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf.
About the Barancik Prize for Innovation in MS Research: This international prize is made possible by the generosity of the Charles and Margery Barancik Foundation. Charles and Margery were two powerful visionaries of the MS movement and a driving force to accelerate pathways to new treatments and ultimately a cure for multiple sclerosis. The Barancik Prize honors researchers who demonstrate exceptional innovation and originality in MS-related science, with a strong emphasis on work that shows clear potential to advance and shape the future of MS research.
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About Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable disease of the central nervous system. Currently there is no cure. Symptoms vary from person to person and may include disabling fatigue, mobility challenges, cognitive changes, and vision issues. An estimated 1 million people live with MS in the United States. Early diagnosis and treatment are critical to minimize disability. Significant progress is being made to achieve a world free of MS.
About the National Multiple Sclerosis Society
The National MS Society, founded in 1946, is the global leader of a growing movement dedicated to creating a world free of MS. The Society funds cutting-edge research for a cure, drives change through advocacy and provides programs and services to help people affected by MS live their best lives. Connect to learn more and get involved: nationalmssociety.org, Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), Instagram, YouTube or 1-800-344-4867.