The Founder’s Research
The founder of the Global MS Society researched nutrition, systems biology, and herbal medicine on her own and developed the MS diet (2005-2012) before going to college to pursue studies in cellular and molecular biology to test her hypotheses regarding its effects on systemic and molecular interactions involved in MS etiology
She conducted a pilot study during undergraduate studies, then a much larger study to confirm the results during graduate studies
Results were highly significant and consistent, so during the pandemic when labs shut down and she was unable to continue histological analysis on her samples, she started the Willison Foundation as a means to support further developing the MS diet, and she founded the Global MS Society to begin sharing her MS story and introducing her treatment to the MS community as a possible means to manage the condition
She is currently writing manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals and converting the MS diet into a nutraceutical as part of her PhD dissertation research project
She also travels to discuss detailed molecular aspects of her research to biology students at universities and academic research conferences
*If you have MS or are a veteran with MS and would like to participate in this research study, we are currently accepting applications to determine eligibility for enrollment.
*If you would like to invite the founder of the Global MS Society to be a guest lecturer at your university, we are currently booking for the Fall 2023 semester.
The following are excerpts from her research experiments:
Title: The Effects of a Modified Ketogenic Diet on Clinical, Behavioral, Genetic, and Demyelinating Inflammatory Immune Responses in the Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis Model of Multiple Sclerosis
Author: Jenny Michelle Willis
Thesis Chair: Dr. Daniel V. Widzowski
Thesis Committee Members:
Dr. Robert J. Major
Dr. Robert D. Hinrichsen
ABSTRACT: Multiple sclerosis (MS) remains one of the most elusive neurological autoimmune disorders for which there is no established cause or cure. Single-target disease modifying therapies (DMTs) aim to slow disease progression via immunosuppressive and/or immunomodulatory mechanisms but are associated with significant side effects and not effective for many MS patients. In contrast, systems-based dietary interventions are noninvasive, have fewer adverse effects, and may have as profound an impact on MS pathophysiology as DMTs. This hypothesis was tested in a previous pilot study by the author using the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model of MS following prophylactic dietary treatments where C57BL/6J mice were fed either a rodent standard diet (SD) or a modified ketogenic diet (mKD) rich in medium-chain triglycerides and omega-3-6-9 fatty acids. The present study was designed to confirm and expand on the pilot study by including a larger sample size with greater statistical power and two additional cohorts of mice, including sham controls and a group of mice fed the mKD with added sucrose (mKS). The mKS group tested the hypothesis that disaccharides combined with the mKD promote inflammation, demyelination, and reduce efficacy of the mKD. Results for mKD indicate delayed onset of EAE, reduced preclinical sensorimotor deficits and clinical disability scores, and induced EAE remission in every animal by end of study (EOS). However, treatment with mKS produced similar results as mice fed the SD, who exhibited increased preclinical sensorimotor asymmetry, early EAE onset, and sustained elevated clinical scores. Data analyzing mKS response to EAE indicates that sucrose supplementation negated the therapeutic benefits of mKD treatment, but two distinct response-type sub-populations were observed: severe (s) having similar symptoms to SD mice, and mild (m) less impacted than SD mice. Although mKS response to EAE indicates highly significant overall reduction of mKD benefits, further analyses are ongoing. In-progress histological work is evaluating neuroimmune mechanisms that contributed to these behavioral and clinical outcomes.
Title: A Modified Ketogenic Diet Attenuates Motor Disability and Cognitive Impairment in a Murine Model of Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Author: Jenny Michelle Willis
Research Advisor: Dr. Bruce B. Bethke
ABSTRACT: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a progressive demyelinating disease of the Central Nervous System (CNS) characterized by neuro-inflammation resulting in symptoms ranging from optic neuritis to weakness, vertigo, numbness, tremors, paralysis, and cognitive dysfunction. Treatment protocols for MS typically consist of pharmaceutical intervention even though diet, particularly one rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and exercise are considered to be non-invasive approaches to stimulating neuronal repair. In this study, mice fed a Modified Ketogenic Diet (mKD) high in fats from coconut and fish oils but restricted for carbohydrates exhibited significantly delayed onset, progression, and severity of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis (EAE), a murine model of MS. Control animals induced to develop EAE but fed a Standard Rodent Diet (SD), unlike those fed the Modified Ketogenic Diet (mKD), exhibited substantial motor disability as well as spatial learning and memory deficits in Morris Water Maze and Y-Maze analyses. Molecular analyses demonstrated that Peptidylarginine deiminase 2 (Padi2) expression was significantly downregulated in the brain and spinal cord of mice fed the mKD relative to controls. Padi2 is overexpressed in the brain and CNS of MS patients and is known to citrullinate arginine residues in myelin basic protein, leading to autoimmunity and demyelination. Further, bisulfite conversion analysis revealed hypermethylation of the Padi2 promoter region for animals with EAE fed the mKD, while animals with EAE on the SD showed patterns of hypomethylation, suggesting an influence on epigenetic controls. These data strongly suggest that a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids, coconut oil, and plant oils, but low in carbohydrates, can exert protective effects against autoimmune based neuro-inflammatory events consistent with human MS.
Publication References:
Willis, Jenny Michelle. (2020). The Effects of a Modified Ketogenic Diet on Clinical, Behavioral, Genetic, and Demyelinating Inflammatory Immune Responses in the Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis Model of Multiple Sclerosis. Indiana University of Pennsylvania ProQuest Dissertations Publishing. 28157271.
Willis, Jenny Michelle. (2017). A Modified Ketogenic Diet Attenuates Motor Disability and Cognitive Impairment in a Murine Model of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Saint Vincent College Undergraduate Thesis, Latrobe, Pa 15650
