Beyond Diagnosis: How Allegheny Health Network’s Innovative Personalized Care is Redefining Life with MS

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - On New Year's Eve in 2021, Annie Saunders learned her life was about to change. After months of unusual symptoms that lead to an MRI, Saunders received a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS).

"It was a shock," Saunders said. "MS is a serious diagnosis, and you don't really know what the future looks like when you first hear it."

Saunders, now ​​40, had always been active. A longtime runner, she had completed a full marathon and several half marathons before MS symptoms ruled out long footraces. Under the care of Allegheny Health Network (AHN) neurologist Troy Desai, MD, Saunders started taking the next steps in understanding the chronic autoimmune disease and neurological disorder.

"The care feels incredibly personal," said Saunders. "Dr. Desai really knows me as a person. I don't feel rushed, and I don't feel like just another patient."

Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves, damaging myelin, the protective covering around nerve fibers. This damage - called sclerae, or scars, which manifest as lesions or plaques across the nervous system - disrupts communication between the brain and the body and can cause symptoms such as weakness, balance problems, vision changes, fatigue, numbness, cognitive challenges and bowel or bladder dysfunction.

Saunders was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), the most common form of the disease. She now receives infusion therapy twice a year and undergoes annual MRI scans to monitor disease activity. Her MS has remained stable, with no new lesions and no significant progression. While running is off the table, encouragement from her care team helped her see new possibilities.

"I told Dr. Desai how disappointed I was that I couldn't run anymore," she said. "He said, 'You can walk.' I didn't even know half marathons had walking divisions. ​​Now I've walked two of them. I'm registered to walk my third in May."

That shift in mindset helped Saunders focus on what she can do rather than what she has lost. She continues to stay active, follows a Mediterranean-style diet, prioritizes sleep and manages stress, lifestyle choices ​that ​Dr. Desai ​ ​emphasizes as part of all his patients' treatment plans.

Although MS can appear in families, it is not considered a directly inherited or purely genetic disease. Saunders doesn't have a known family history of MS, but she does have relatives with autoimmune conditions. She also learned that prolonged exposure to cigarette smoke is a known risk factor for developing MS.

"I grew up around cigarette smoke," Saunders said. "That's something I didn't realize could increase risk until after my diagnosis."

"There isn't one single cause of MS," Dr. Desai said. "We believe it develops from a combination of genetic susceptibility and environmental factors. Things like smoking, certain viral exposures and vitamin D deficiency have all been linked to increased risk, but no one factor explains why one person develops MS and another does not."

For Saunders, living with MS means navigating ever-present symptoms in her legs, a lack of sensitivity and strength she calls an "altered sensation," which can make walking and balance more challenging.

"I can feel my legs, but not properly," she explained. "They often feel heavy, like they don't quite respond the way they should, and it's a constant reminder that my body isn't working exactly as it used to."

MS affects each patient differently and is often described as a "snowflake disease." In addition to RRMS, some patients develop secondary progressive MS, in which symptoms gradually worsen over time, while others are diagnosed with primary progressive MS, which progresses steadily from the start. While current treatments are highly effective for relapsing-remitting MS, options for people with secondary progressive MS have historically been limited.

"One of the biggest unmet needs in MS care has been effective treatments for secondary progressive MS," said Dr. Desai. "That's where newer therapies like BTK inhibitors are especially exciting."

BTK inhibitors, or Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitors, are a new class of medications currently in late-stage clinical trials. Unlike many existing MS treatments that primarily target inflammation in relapsing disease, BTK inhibitors are designed to cross into the brain and may help reduce both inflammation and ongoing nerve damage that drives progression.

"These medications have the potential to fill an important treatment gap," Dr. Desai said. "If approved, BTK inhibitors could offer new hope for patients whose disease is slowly worsening and who currently have very limited options."

In addition to medication, AHN's Neuroscience Institute takes a multidisciplinary approach to MS care that addresses the full spectrum of the disease. Advanced MRI technology is used regularly to monitor disease activity and guide treatment decisions, ensuring timely adjustments when needed. In addition to medical management, patients have access to physical therapy.

For Saunders, the combination of personalized medical care, lifestyle support, and a strong personal network has made living with MS feel manageable.

"I feel incredibly lucky," she said. "MS is part of my life, but it doesn't define it."

To schedule an appointment or learn more about services at the AHN Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Center, call .