MS Society

Trial of Metformin-Clemastine Combo Enrolls First Patient

The first participant has been enrolled in a new clinical trial that is testing whether an antihistamine in combination with a diabetes medication might promote the repair of the myelin sheath in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The trial’s first participant, Annabelle, was diagnosed with relapsing MS over a…

Results From Trial of Simvastatin for SPMS Expected in 2025

MS-STAT2, a clinical trial testing whether the cholesterol-lowering medication simvastatin might slow disability progression in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), has finished enrollment. A total of 964 people are now in the trial (NCT03387670), making it the largest progressive MS trial not run by a commercial…

One-third of Patients in the UK Hid MS Status, Poll Finds

An MS Society survey found that about one-third of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the U.K. have kept their condition hidden from their partner, family members, employer, or work colleagues. To help mark MS Awareness Week, observed in the U.K. April 19ā€“25, the nonprofit organization released…

MS Society in UK Commits to Raising $5.2M for Research

The MS Society in the U.K. is hoping to raise Ā£3.7 million ($5.2 million) to fund research aimed at developing new treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS). The funds will support research at the Societyā€™s Centers of Excellence in Edinburgh and CambridgeĀ over five years. ā€œOur top priority…

MS Society, Parkinson’s UK Grant $3.6 Million to Digital Brain Bank

The Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Parkinson's Tissue Bank at Imperial College London, the largest brain and tissue bank in Europe, will receive Ā£1.5 million (about $1.82 million) from the U.K.Ā MS Society. This fund will support the development of a digital brain bank powered by a virtual reality platform, which will provide new tools for researchers around the world with the ultimate goal of stopping multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological diseases. These new technologies will be used to create high-definition pictures of brain tissue donated by people with MS after their death. ā€œWhen the tissue bank first opened in 1998 there were practically no treatments for those affected. Things are very different now and itā€™s a privilege to work with an organization like the MS Society, which does everything it can to ensure the work of the scientific community reflects the needs of people living with MS," Richard Nicholas, PhD, scientific director of the tissue bank, said in a press release. ā€œThis investment will ensure all researchers have access to high quality brain and spinal cord tissue from people with MS, and marks an important development in the U.K. research landscape. Weā€™re excited to see where it takes us,ā€ Nicholas added. The new-era tissue bank will grant researchers access to tissue images that can be studied extensively and indefinitely, and also will offer the opportunity to explore the brainā€™s structures in a 3-D interactive section. Together with Parkinson's UK, these two leading neurological charities will contribute a total of Ā£3 million (about $3.6 million) over a period of five years. "The MS Society Tissue Bank has been vital in improving our understanding of MS and finding treatments for some people with the condition. But our top priority now is finding treatments to slow or stop MS for everyone,ā€ said Sorrel Bickley, PhD, head of biomedical research at MS Society. This new virtual database gives researchers the opportunity to develop innovative projects in which they can combine virtual tissue data with genetic analysis in an easy and more efficient way, and help define how genetic landscape can affect MS and Parkinsonā€™s progression. ā€œWe can see a future where nobody needs to worry about MS getting worse, but for that to happen we urgently need to find treatments that repair myelin ā€” the protective layer that surrounds our nerves, which is damaged in MS, and protect the nerves from damage. This funding will allow researchers to operate as effectively as possible, and ultimately help us stop MS faster,ā€ Bickley said.

$1.5M Earmarked for MS Research on Cannabis in Canada

In partnership with the CanadianĀ Institutes of Health Research, theĀ MS Society of CanadaĀ has announced $1.5 million to fund research over five years on the effects of cannabis on multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms and disease progression. Studies have shown that for each 10-degree increase in latitude, patients newly diagnosed…

Heparin for MD Myelin Repair to Be Studied in United Kingdom

The MS SocietyĀ in the United Kingdom is funding a new project at the University of Glasgow, in Scotland,Ā to examine if Ā heparin, a drug widely used for stroke patients, can repair neurological damage in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). MS is a progressive, debilitating, immune-mediated, neurodegenerative disorder in which…

#MSLIFE2016 – Sunday Brings Presentations, Activities Galore

A veryĀ full day of activities is planned for today at MS Life, inside London’s ExCel exhibition and convention center. Altogether, there are 15 presentations on the agenda. Three are in the MS Life theatre, and three more are in each of the following four zones: Managing my MS Symptoms;…

Help for Anyone Newly Diagnosed with MS

Being diagnosed with MS can be more than a bit of a shock at first. Yes, you finally know what youā€™ve got, what all those symptoms you’ve having mean, and you have heard what your neurologist told you. Well, you may have heard, but you didnā€™t take it in…

Anti-LINGO-1: All You Need to Know

Recently, Biogen released results from its Phase 2 acute optic neuritis (AON) RENEW trial which tested Anti-LINGO-1. Learn more about this results here. So what isĀ Anti-LINGO-1? According to the MS Society,Ā Anti-LINGO-1 (also known as BIIB033) is a treatment in development by the pharmaceutical company Biogen which is currently…

MS Society Funds 3 New Investigations into Symptom Management

TheĀ Multiple Sclerosis Society (MS Society)Ā in the U.K. recently announcedĀ  awards targeted towardsĀ new MS research. In total, 16 projects carefully selected by both a panel of experts and patients living with MS will share MS Society 2015 funding grants amounting toĀ Ā£1,979,879. All projects fulfilled the requirements of high scientific…

MS Society Supports 2 Projects Advancing MS Care, Services

The United Kingdom basedĀ Multiple Sclerosis Society (MS Society) recently announced Ā£1.98 million in grants toĀ new MS research projects in different disease-related areas. A panel of experts carefully selected 16 projects to be funded through the MS Societyā€™s 2015 grant round, totaling Ā£1,979,879. All selected projects fulfill the requirements of…

MS Society Funds 5 Projects Aiming to Cure the Disease

The Multiple Sclerosis Society (MS Society) in the United Kingdom recently announced the investment of Ā£1.98 million in new MS research. After an in-depth, rigorous review process of the 58 applications submitted, 16 projects were awarded funding through the MS Societyā€™s 2015 grant round totaling Ā£1,979,879. All applications…

Might Chocolate Ease Multiple Sclerosis Fatigue?

A research team from Oxford Brookes UniversityĀ is being given aĀ Ā£70,000 ($107,000) grant to analyze whether dark chocolate can help ease symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS). The Multiple Sclerosis Society (MS Society) will fund the study. The goal of the project, according to aĀ press release,Ā is to investigate if a…

Multiple Sclerosis Patients Could One Day Benefit From Brain Boost Study

A recent study suggests that in the futureĀ multiple sclerosis patients could benefit from treatments intendedĀ to boost their brain function. The study was published inĀ Nature NeuroscienceĀ and receivedĀ funding fromĀ The Wellcome Trust, the Lister Research Prize and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. According to researchers, patients…

‘Treat Me Right’ MS Society Campaign Shortlisted For Award

TheĀ Treat Me RightĀ campaign from the MSĀ SocietyĀ in the UK was recentlyĀ shortlistedĀ for this year’s voluntary sector campaignĀ Public Affairs Award. The campaign was launched in April 2014 during MS Week to raise awareness for the importance of providing the right treatment at the right moment…