MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Lemtrada and B-cells, DMT Efficacy, Botox and the Brain, a Diet Recommendation

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by Ed Tobias |

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Lemtrada Can Lower Number of B-cells Infiltrating Nervous System and Forming Clumps, Animal Study Shows

I usually stay away from recommending articles about mice studies, but this article does a nice job of explaining how Lemtrada works and the role of B-cells in multiple sclerosis (MS). As someone treated with Lemtrada (alemtuzumab), it definitely caught my eye.

Treating mice in a model of multiple sclerosis with LemtradaĀ prevented the formation of B-cell aggregates in the animalsā€™ central nervous system and disrupted already existing ones, researchers report.

The treatment alsoĀ reduced disease activity when administered at the peak of disease.

The study, ā€œAnti-CD52 antibody treatment depletes B cell aggregates in the central nervous system in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis,ā€ was published in the Journal of Neuroinflammation.

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Long-term DMT Use Seen to Lower Likelihood of RRMS Progressing to SPMS in Study

This headline seems to be encouraging, but it only tells half of the story. Yes, the study reports that long-term use of a DMT can lessen, or slow, MS progression. But, it also says that they don’t help once the disease reaches the SPMS stage. I’ll go with the half-full glass view; especially since I’ve been SPMS for years, but I think that I’d be a whole lot worse if it weren’t for my DMTsĀ 

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Long-term treatment with DMTs appears to lessen the risk of disease worsening inĀ relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients, an 18-year follow-up study suggests.

But these therapies were not seen to benefit those who had progressed to secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS).

The study, ā€œOnset of secondary progressive multiple sclerosis is not influenced by current relapsing multiple sclerosis therapies,ā€ was published in the Multiple Sclerosis Journal ā€“ Experimental, Translational and Clinical.

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Botox Increases Activity of Brain Regions Involved in Urinary Sensation, New Study Shows

Doctors have used Botox injections for years to treat the urinary symptoms that are common in people with MS. There’s been a lot of research into the impact of these injections on the bladder’s detrusor muscle. But this study is different. It reveals that these injections may also affect regions of the brain that are responsible for sensing bladder fullness, urgency, and frequency.

BotoxĀ injections in the bladder muscle increase the activity of brain regions involved in the sensation of urinary urgency in female MS patients who have neurogenic overactive bladder (NOAB), a new study shows.

The study, ā€œHigher Neural Correlates in Multiple Sclerosis Patients with Neurogenic Overactive Bladder Following Treatment with Intradetrusor Injection of OnabotulinumtoxinA,ā€ was published in The Journal of Urology.

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Healthy Diet May Lower Risk of Developing MS, Study Finds

There are all sorts of diets that are marketed as being helpful to people who have MS. This study, however, looks at the food people eat before they receive an MS diagnosis. But the recommendation is familiar: eat more fish, poultry, eggs, and vegetables, and less meat and high-fat dairy. Couldn’t this be recommended to reduce the likelihood of many diseases?

People who eat a healthy diet that includes foods such as vegetables, fish,Ā eggs, poultry, and legumes may have a reduced risk of MS, a study suggests.

The study, ā€œA healthy dietary pattern associates with a lower risk of a first clinical diagnosis of central nervous system demyelination,ā€ was published in the Multiple Sclerosis Journal.

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Note:Ā Multiple Sclerosis News TodayĀ is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those ofĀ Multiple Sclerosis News Today, or its parent company, BioNews Services, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to multiple sclerosis.

Comments

Linda Brown avatar

Linda Brown

Hello I thought I should share my experience with Ocrevus.
I am 73 yo woman with a 10 year diagnosis of RRMS.
I have been on several drugs which did not stop my progression.
Between October 2016 and February 2017 I had 2 hospital stays;the last of which I could not walk.
I had the initial Ocrevus treatment May/June 2017. I had a left leg which froze about 10 times a day. Nothing improved until October 2017 when I noticed I could walk without my cane and my left leg stopped freezing. I had another infusion Dec 2018 and my legs got stronger. I went to Europe for the month of April and walk 70 miles with my cane but not really using it.
I had another infusion June 2018. I have no ill effects or unusual infections. I hope this helps someone. We are all so different.

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