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A newly discovered molecule could play a pivotal role in inflammatory diseases, including multiple sclerosis, according to researchers at Trinity College Dublin and the University of Queensland Australia. The study was published in the journal Nature Medicine, and describes a molecule known as MCC950 that can suppress the ‘NLRP3 inflammasome’,…

Dr.  Jacob Sosnoff wants to know more about falling — something that few multiple sclerosis (MS) researchers focus on, even though it is a daily threat for many people with the disease. Sosnoff, an Associate Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Community Health at the …

A new study suggests that different types of physical activity might help the mental processes of people with multiple sclerosis. The research comes from the University of Illinois and the State University of New York at Buffalo, and appeared in the February 6th issue of the…

A study from German researchers might help to determine how multiple sclerosis is assessed in treatment trials. Published February 6 in the journal PLoS ONE, the study is titled “Regression to the Mean and Predictors of MRI Disease Activity in RRMS Placebo Cohorts –…

Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. has released results from a Phase 1 clinical trial of rHIgM22 for multiple sclerosis, showing that the medication is safe and produces few side effects. rHIgM22 is a medication that may induce the re-wrapping of the myelin sheath that surround nerve cells,…

MediciNova, Inc., has announced the acceptance of an abstract describing their ongoing Phase 2b clinical trial of MN-166 (ibudilast) in progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). The poster is to be presented at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) 67th Annual Meeting, April 18 – 25, 2015 in Washington, DC. The presentation is titled…

Biogen Idec, a Cambridge Massachusetts Biotechnology company, has released results from its Phase 2 acute optic neuritis (AON) RENEW trial. The trial tested anti-LINGO-1, a medication that restores myelin — a fatty substance that facilitates nerve cell impulses by wrapping around them and providing insulation. The trial results indicate that anti-LINGO-1…

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination can help protect against several health problems, including cervical cancers in women. Some reports have raised concerns however, that the vaccine might actually increase the risk of developing multiple sclerosis. A study entitled “Quadrivalent HPV Vaccination and Risk of Multiple Sclerosis and Other…

A study published on December 22 in JAMA Neurology emphasizes that a standard measurement used to gauge multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms, known as “no-evidence-of-disease-activity” (NEDA) is important for determining how the disease will progress long-term. MS is the most common degenerative neurological condition that affects young adults worldwide.

Researchers in Spain have found that specific fat stem cells from mice could be excellent tools for studying transplantation of stem cells in autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS). The work was published in the December 12th issue of the journal, Stem Cell Research & Therapy. The…

Have you ever eaten a turkey dinner and afterwards someone says that the feeling of drowsiness is caused by the tryptophan in the meat? According to Texas A&M University Professor Dr. Nicolaas Deutz, “This story about tryptophan in turkey is just kind of a running joke, it has nothing…

Researchers have uncovered new information about myelin, a fatty substance that wraps around the axons of brain cells (neurons) allowing them to transmit information quickly from one cell to another. De-myelinating diseases in which the insulating wrap is damaged include multiple sclerosis, in which unpredictable loss of myelin causes…

Researchers from Canada and the U.S. have found that brains of young people with multiple sclerosis fail to develop fully. The article appeared November 5, 2014 in the journal Neurology entitled, “Onset of multiple sclerosis before adulthood leads to failure of age-expected brain growth.” Multiple sclerosis is caused…

A team of researchers at the University of California, Riverside, along with other collaborators, have identified a drug associated with estrogen, indazole chloride (Ind-Cl), that blocks the effects of multiple sclerosis (MS). The findings were reported December 1st in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. MS…

Researchers from the National University of Singapore have found a new type of immune cell that could aid in the development of treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS). The study was published on November 21 in the journal Cell Research entitled, “STAT5 programs a distinct subset of GM-CSF-producing T helper…

The Oceans of Hope yacht, part of the Sailing Sclerosis Foundation project, has recently arrived in Boston after its transoceanic trip from Lisbon, the first by a crew of people with multiple sclerosis, announced the foundation through its webpage. The yacht, which started its sailing journey in…

Fingolimod is a disease modifying therapy (DMT) used to treat relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients as well as patients who continue to present with relapses despite treatment with beta interferon drugs, and is the first oral medication to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug…

Biogen Idec, a biotechnology company focused on developing innovative therapies for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, hematologic conditions and autoimmune disorders, has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved PLEGRIDYTM (peginterferon beta-1a), a new treatment for people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis…

According to a study published in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, HIV infection is correlated to a significantly lower risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS). The researchers analyzed a previous report by a team of Danish researchers whereby an HIV positive man with MS had his symptoms…

Synthetic Biologics, Inc., a biotechnology company developing novel drug candidates targeting specific pathogens that cause serious infections and diseases, announced that its latest data on Trimesta™, regarding cognitive and disability measures in women suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS), will be presented at the 2014 Joint Americas and European Committees…

Scientists at The New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) Research Institute have made encouraging advances in the development of a viable cell replacement therapy for multiple sclerosis using a patient’s own cells, known as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Since multiple sclerosis is a chronic demyelinating disease of unknown…

The next Bike Multiple Sclerosis Cactus and Crude event, a bike run hosted by the National MS Society to raise awareness on this disease, will take place this weekend at the starting line in Midland, TX gathering 200 to 250 cyclists that will ride a total of…

The Middle East North Africa Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis has recently announced the first MENACTRIMS Congress for professionals to be held in Dubai on the 17th and 18th of October. While Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is often associated with North America and Northern Europe, the disease…

A team of researchers from the University of Saint Louis has found a molecular pathway involved in a painful chemotherapy side effects, and a drug that might be able to stop it. Paclitaxel (also known as Taxol) is a chemotherapy drug commonly used to treat different forms of cancer…

Following the promising results of prior trials, Receptos, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the treatment of immune and metabolic diseases, announced that the Phase 2 portion of the RADIANCE trial has met the primary endpoint, a reduction in MRI brain lesion activity in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis…

A secondary analysis of data from a previous trial of an Internet-based exercise intervention in patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) suggests that the program wasn’t as effective on the subgroups of MS patients to whom physical activity is more important, reports John Gever…

Pharmaceutical company Novartis and health tracking and analytics platform Tictrac recently partnered up to support World Multiple Sclerosis Day and raise awareness for this disease by launching the campaign The 7-Day Challenge to Live Like You. The challenge, one of the first integrations of emerging technological trends by a pharmaceutical…

The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency recently offered a positive opinion for the marketing authorization of Biogen Idec’s Plegridy therapy, a pegylated interferon administered subcutaneously for adults with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The positive opinion will now be sent to the European Commission, which grants…

Although the biological activity by which Copaxone (glatiramer) exerts its effects i multiple sclerosis (MS) patients is not fully understood, it is believed it can block the induction of autoimmune encephalomyelitis as observed in recent experiments with mice.  Research in animals and in vitro systems suggest that glatiramer acetate-specific suppressor…

Marijuana has been approved for medicinal purposes in a number of U.S. states, however it still remains a much debated issue according to the American Academy of Neurology.  New information has been released by ANN Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, PA.  This represents the largest gathering of neurologists globally. According…