Posts by: Ana Pena

Ana Pena

Ana is a molecular biologist enthusiastic about innovation and communication. In her role as a science writer she wishes to bring the advances in medical science and technology closer to the public, particularly to those most in need of them. Ana holds a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Lisbon, Portugal, where she focused her research on molecular biology, epigenetics and infectious diseases.

June 25, 2019June 25, 2019

FDA Approves Botox to Treat Upper Limb Spasticity in Children Aged 2 to 17

News

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of Botox (onabotulinumtoxinA), marketed by Allergan, for the treatment of children ages 2 to 17 with upper limb ... Read more

June 21, 2019June 21, 2019

Bracco Diagnostics Notes Doctors’ Support in Developing Varibar for Assessing Dysphagia

News

As part of National Dysphagia Awareness Month this June, Bracco Diagnostics is acknowledging speech language pathologists for their support in developing Varibar (barium sulfate) products — imaging agents used to assess swallowing disorders, a ... Read more

June 7, 2019June 7, 2019

Obesity, Altered Fat Levels May Worsen Severity of RRMS, Study Found

News

Obesity, altered lipid (fat) levels, and elevated leptin — an hormone produced by fat cells — may contribute to neuroinflammation, and worse disease severity in people with relapsing-remitting multiple ... Read more

June 6, 2019June 6, 2019

Vitamin D’s Role in MS Likely More Result of Environment Than Genes, Study Suggests

News

A study found no genetic risk factors associated with vitamin D in families with a history of multiple sclerosis (MS), suggesting that the link between vitamin D deficiency and MS ... Read more

June 4, 2019June 4, 2019

AxoSim Licenses Mini-Brain Technology, Which May Speed Therapy Discovery for Neurological Diseases

News

AxoSim has acquired exclusive rights to lab-grown brain miniatures, coined “Mini-Brain,” a technology developed at Johns Hopkins University that uses stem cells to create models of the human brain in ... Read more

May 31, 2019May 31, 2019

Cyxone Nears First-in-human Trial for Investigational Preventive MS Treatment T20K

News

Cyxone submitted an application to the Netherlands research ethics committee to start the first clinical trial in humans testing T20K, its investigational preventive treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS). Approval by ... Read more

May 24, 2019May 24, 2019

MC10, AbbVie Plan Clinical Trials to Explore Using BioStamp nPoint Device for MS Patients

News

MC10 and AbbVie are working together to launch clinical trials exploring the use of BioStamp nPoint, a system of wearable sensors that collects health data from multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, to ... Read more

May 23, 2019May 23, 2019

Stress-induced Changes in Gut Bacteria May Increase Risk of Autoimmune Disorders, Mouse Study Suggests

News

Stress-induced changes in gut bacteria, or gut microbiota, may play a significant part in the possible link between exposure to stress and the risk of autoimmune disorders such as ... Read more

May 21, 2019May 21, 2019

Fibrinogen-containing Vesicles in Blood May Play Key Role in MS Relapses, Mouse Study Suggests

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Vesicles in the blood that contain a protein called fibrinogen important for blood clotting were found to be “sufficient and required” for the occurrence of spontaneous disease relapses in ... Read more

May 17, 2019June 21, 2019

Out-of-Pocket Costs of MS Treatments in US Soared from 2004-16, Study Finds

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Out-of-pocket costs for medications treating neurological diseases have skyrocketed over the last 12 years in the U.S., with multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, especially, paying 20 times more in 2016 than ... Read more

May 10, 2019May 10, 2019

#AANAM – RRMS Patients Switching to Lemtrada Report Greater Satisfaction with Treatment and Improvements in Quality of Life

News

Patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) who switched to infusions with Sanofi Genzyme’s Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) report increased satisfaction with treatment and improvements in health-related quality of life, according to ... Read more

May 10, 2019May 10, 2019

#AANAM – Oral Ozanimod Better than Avonex in Lessening Brain Volume Loss in Relapsing MS, Trial Shows

News

Oral treatment with ozanimod (RPC1063), an investigational immunomodulator under development by Celgene, is better at preventing brain volume loss, compared with Avonex (interferon-beta-1a), in adults with relapsing forms of ... Read more

May 8, 2019May 10, 2019

#AANAM — Quanterix Leads Research on Neurofilament Light Chain as Potential MS Biomarker

News

Quanterix is leading the research presented at this year’s American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Annual Meeting, validating the use of neurofilament light chain (NfL) as a potential biomarker for ... Read more

April 24, 2019May 15, 2019

Thyroid Hormone Mimetic Holds Promise as Remyelination Therapy for MS, Mouse Study Shows

News

Researchers have developed a compound based on the thyroid hormone T3 that is able to repair damaged myelin in the brain of mice, a discovery that holds promise for ... Read more

April 23, 2019April 23, 2019

Main Ingredient in Potential MS Therapy EHP-101 Not a Controlled Substance, DEA Rules

News

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has determined that the cannabidiol-based active ingredient of EHP-101, an investigational oral treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS) under development by Emerald Health Pharmaceuticals (EHP), should not ... Read more

April 23, 2019April 30, 2019

Study Will Explore Benefits of Tai Chi, Meditation on MS Patients’ Physical Balance

News

A pilot study has been launched to assess the immediate and enduring benefits of tai chi and mindfulness meditation on the physical balance and mental wellness of people with multiple ... Read more

April 10, 2019April 18, 2019

MS Misdiagnosis Too Common, Puts Patients in Unnecessary Peril from Therapies, Study Reveals

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Nearly 18% of new multiple sclerosis (MS) patients referred to two speciality clinics in Los Angeles, California, had been misdiagnosed with the disease, according to a recent study. Most ... Read more

April 9, 2019April 9, 2019

Menstruation Onset, Pregnancies and Breastfeeding Habits Don’t Influence MS Risk, Study Suggests

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A woman’s age at her first menstruation, or becoming pregnant and breastfeeding does not substantially influence the long-term risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) or the risk of increased disability, ... Read more

January 2, 2019January 3, 2019

Acrolein Eyed as Potential Biomarker of MS, Preliminary Study Finds

News

A product called acrolein, which is naturally excreted by the body and possible to measure in urine and blood, may be a potential biomarker to help diagnose and evaluate ... Read more

December 19, 2018January 2, 2019

Ampyra Significantly Improves Walking Ability As Reported by MS Patients, Phase 3 Trial Shows

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Treatment with Ampyra (dalfampridine) for 24 weeks leads to sustained and clinically meaningful improvements in walking ability as reported by multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with gait difficulties, according to ... Read more

December 13, 2018December 19, 2018

Patients with Stable Disease Who Switch to Another Interferon Therapy at Greater Risk of Flares, Study Reports

News

Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who have been relapse-free while using an interferon-beta (IFN-β) therapy but switch to another IFN-β are significantly more like to start experiencing flares than patients who remain on ... Read more

December 13, 2018December 19, 2018

Lipoic Acid Supplements May Help to Delay Decline in Walking Speed in SPMS Patients, Study Says

News

Lipoic acid (LA), an over-the-counter antioxidant supplement, helps to mildly delay a decline in walking speed in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) patients, particularly those with lesser disability, analysis of a ... Read more

December 5, 2018December 11, 2018

Lemtrada Linked to Bleeding in Lungs in Case Report, 1 of 5 MS Cases Worldwide, Study Says

News

A potentially life-threatening case of bleeding in the lungs has been reported and attributed to treatment with Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) by a woman with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. Her medical team found diffuse alveolar hemorrhage in ... Read more

December 3, 2018December 11, 2018

Lemtrada’s Use Carries Rare But Serious Risk of Stroke and Artery Tears, FDA Warns

News

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a safety alert, warning about a rare but life-threatening risk of stroke and artery rupture in patients with relapsing forms of ... Read more

November 29, 2018November 29, 2018

Stem Cells With Unusual Metabolism May Be Therapeutic Approach to Fight Inflammatory Diseases Like MS, Study Suggests

News

Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs), the type of stem cells present in many tissues of adults, may be manipulated to fight inflammation and used as a cell therapy to ... Read more

November 27, 2018December 4, 2018

Homotaurine Compound May Be New Class of Treatment for MS, Mouse Study Suggests

News

Homotaurine, a compound proven safe for humans in long-term clinical trials, has eased autoimmune responses, brain inflammation, and multiple sclerosis-like symptoms in a mouse model of the disease, a ... Read more

November 26, 2018December 19, 2018

FDA Warns of Rare Risk of Severe Worsening in MS Disability After Stopping Gilenya Use

News

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a safety alert, warning that people with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) who stop using Gilenya (fingolimod) may experience disease worsening beyond that when starting ... Read more

November 19, 2018November 19, 2018

MS Therapy Fampyra Again Not Recommended for Use in Scottish National Health System

News

The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) issued a negative recommendation on the use of Fampyra (fampridine; marketed as Ampyra in the U.S.) in the National Health System (NHS), for the ... Read more

November 15, 2018November 20, 2018

MS-specific Lineage of Oligodendrocytes May Provide New Hints on MS Development

News

The cells that produce myelin in the brain and spinal cord, called oligodendrocytes, may play an active role in the onset or progression of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to ... Read more

November 14, 2018November 26, 2018

Motor Imagery Set to Musical and Verbal Cues Helps Patients with Walking and Fatigue, Study Says

News

Mentally rehearsing an ease of walking to rhythmic cues — especially musical and verbal — improves walking speed and distance, and lessens feelings of fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis ... Read more

November 1, 2018November 8, 2018

Stopping Thrombin’s Release in Brain May Prevent Myelin Loss in Diseases Like MS, Mouse Study Suggests

News

Myelin loss might be prevented by astrocytes, a brain cell that regulates myelin’s thickness in coating nerve fibers to support the proper transmission of nerve signals, after astrocytes were ... Read more

October 30, 2018October 30, 2018

Air Pollutants, Household Chemicals Increase Risk of Pediatric MS, Studies Suggest

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Children exposed to certain air pollutants in urban areas or some household chemicals are at higher risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) during childhood or adolescence, two new research studies suggest. The ... Read more

October 29, 2018October 29, 2018

Blocking Molecule Evident in Excess in MS Patients Treats Mice with SPMS-like Disease, Study Reports

News

Blocking a molecule that is overly abundant in the nervous system of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, and has been linked to nerve cell damage in animals, worked to significantly ease inflammation, ... Read more

October 24, 2018October 30, 2018

Rare Mutations Affecting Immune System and MS Risk Identified in Large Study

News

An international consortium studying more than 68,000 people, about half of them multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, found rare genetic variations that account for up to 5 percent of the heritable ... Read more

October 23, 2018October 26, 2018

Stress Granules Found in Nerve Cells of MS Patient Linked to Troubled Protein in Study

News

Stress granules forming inside the nerve cells of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) may be the underlying cause of nerve cell degeneration and permanent disability in these patients, researchers report. The ... Read more

October 22, 2018October 22, 2018

Antibody Targeting Clotting Factor Seen to Lessen Inflammation, Nerve Cell Damage in MS Model

News

An antibody that blocks a blood-clotting factor from leaking into the brain was seen to lessen neuroinflammation and nerve cell damage in mouse models of multiple sclerosis (MS) and ... Read more

October 18, 2018October 23, 2018

#ECTRIMS2018 — High Vitamin D Levels, Smoking Predict Opposite Effects on Cognition in CIS Patients, Study Suggests

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High vitamin D levels predict better cognitive function, while smoking is associated with worse long-term cognitive disability in patients with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), a study suggests. Data from ... Read more

October 17, 2018October 17, 2018

#ECTRIMS2018 – Evobrutinib Seen to Lower Active Brain Lesions in Phase 2 Trial

News

Merck KGaA announced that evobrutinib, its oral candidate for relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), was able to safely and significantly reduce active brain lesions over 24 weeks of treatment, according to ... Read more

October 16, 2018October 16, 2018

#ECTRIMS2018 – Shifting from Gilenya to Lemtrada Doesn’t Increase Risk of MS Reactivation, Study Says

News

Shifting from treatment with Gilenya (fingolimod) to Lemtrada (alemtuzumab), and doing a short washout period between the two therapies, does not seem to increase the risk of disease reactivation ... Read more

October 15, 2018October 15, 2018

#ECTRIMS2018 – Smoking and Vitamin D Deficiency Likely to Worsen CIS Prognosis, Model Suggests

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Smoking and low levels of vitamin D can worsen prognosis for people with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), researchers who developed a model for predicting long-term disability progression report. Their ... Read more