Posts by: Jose Marques Lopes, PhD

News

Levels of proposed biomarker neurofilament light chain (NfL) are associated with therapeutic effects of disease-modifying treatments (DMTs) in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients, according to a real-world study. ... Read more

October 12, 2018October 12, 2018

#ECTRIMS2018: Study Proposes Serum Neurofilament Light Threshold to Identify RRMS Patients at Risk of Worsening

News

Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients with serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL) levels higher than a proposed threshold have a higher risk of disease activity, and worsened ... Read more

October 12, 2018October 12, 2018

#ECTRIMS2018 — In CIS Patients, Early Lesions in Specific Brain Area Linked to Worse Disability 30 Years Later, Study Shows

News

Lesions in the infratentorial region of the brain at the onset of clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) and lesions in white matter one year after CIS onset are ... Read more

October 12, 2018October 12, 2018

#ECTRIMS2018 — Early Relapses and Larger Lesions Increase Risk of Developing SPMS, Study Reports

News

A higher frequency of early relapses, as well as a larger volume of lesions and older age at disease onset, increase the risk of transitioning from ... Read more

October 11, 2018October 11, 2018

#ECTRIMS2018 — Infections, Severe Disability Complications More Likely Causes of Death in MS Patients, Study Shows

News

Infections and complications from severe disability are the greatest contributors to mortality among multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, according to a population-based study in British Columbia, Canada, which ... Read more

October 11, 2018October 11, 2018

#ECTRIMS2018 – Brain, Spinal Cord Injuries Affect Processing Speed in MS Patients, Study Reveals

News

Processing speed is associated with the extent of brain and spinal cord injury in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new study conducted in ... Read more

October 11, 2018October 11, 2018

#ECTRIMS2018 – Rituximab for MS Does Not Increase Cancer Risk Compared to Gilenya and Tysabri, Swedish Study Finds

News

Treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with rituximab does not increase breast cancer risk in women, and is not associated with a higher risk for malignant ... Read more

October 11, 2018October 11, 2018

#ECTRIMS2018 – Lower Mortality Rate in US, Sweden for MS Patients Treated With Rituximab, Study Reports

News

Treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with rituximab leads to lower-than-reported mortality rates, according to a large real-world study in the U.S. and Sweden. The findings ... Read more

October 10, 2018October 10, 2018

#ECTRIMS2018 — Vitamin D May Boost Glucocorticosteroid Effectiveness in MS Relapses, Study Suggests

News

Vitamin D may increase the therapeutic benefits of glucocorticosteroids (GCs) for multiple sclerosis (MS) through a protein complex called mTORc1, according to a study in a mouse ... Read more

October 10, 2018October 10, 2018

#ECTRIMS2018 – Switching to Tysabri Leads to Fewer Relapses and Disability than Gilenya, Study in RRMS Patients Finds

News

Patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) who switch to Tysabri (natalizumab) after relapses on first-line treatment with other medications show greater relapse reduction and less disability ... Read more

October 10, 2018October 15, 2018

#ECTRIMS2018 – Researcher Presents Data About Myelocortical MS, a New Disease Subtype

News

A new subtype of multiple sclerosis (MS) — called myelocortical MS (MCMS) — is characterized by cortical neuronal loss, but not by loss of myelin in ... Read more

October 5, 2018October 11, 2018

#ECTRIMS2018 — Biogen’s MS Treatments Found Safe, Effective in Clinical and Real-world Data

News

Clinical data and real-world results support the long-term efficacy of Biogen’s medications for multiple sclerosis (MS), according to scientific presentations being released by the company. Specifically, ... Read more

October 4, 2018October 11, 2018

#ECTRIMS2018 – Genentech to Present Ocrevus-related MS Studies at Conference

News

Treatment with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) over five years lessened upper limb disability progression in primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) patients, reduced relapses and brain disease activity in ... Read more

September 28, 2018October 8, 2018

#ECTRIMS2018 – Ublituximab Markedly Reduces Lesions, Promotes B-cell Depletion, Halts Disability Progression in Phase 2 Trial

News

A 48-week treatment of relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) with TG Therapeutics’ investigational compound ublituximab led to a marked reduction of brain and spinal cord lesions, massive ... Read more

September 27, 2018October 3, 2018

Smoking May Speed Up MS Progression, Lower Treatment Effectiveness, Study Reports

News

Smoking may increase multiple sclerosis (MS) disease activity, quicken disability progression, and speed the transition from relapsing to secondary progressive MS (SPMS) by as much as ... Read more

September 26, 2018October 2, 2018

DMTs Are Cost-Effective and Help to Slow MS Progression, 10-Year Study from UK Reports

News

Four disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for multiple sclerosis — Avonex, Rebif, Betaferon, and Copaxone — are cost-effective and reduce disease progression in MS patients, especially those with relapsing-remitting disease, according ... Read more

September 24, 2018September 24, 2018

CHMP Favors Approving Gilenya to Treat Children and Teenagers with RRMS in Europe

News

The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), an arm of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), has recommended that Gilenya (fingolimod) be approved to treat children ... Read more

September 24, 2018September 28, 2018

Oligodendrocytes, Cells That Produce Myelin, Can Be Generated from Astrocytes, Study Reports

News

A molecule known as Sox10 enables brain cells called astrocytes to convert into myelin-forming oligodendrocytes, a new study in mice reports. The findings suggest an approach ... Read more

September 18, 2018September 20, 2018

Ibudilast Slows Brain Shrinkage 48% in Progressive MS Patients in Phase 2 Trial; Lead Researcher Says Finding is ‘Remarkable’

News

Progressive multiple sclerosis patients — with primary or secondary progressive disease — treated with high doses of oral ibudilast in a Phase 2 clinical trial showed a 48 ... Read more

September 13, 2018September 17, 2018

Ocrevus Increases Proportion of PPMS Patients with No Disease Progression or Activity, Phase 3 Trial Shows

News, Ocrevus

Treating primary progressive multiple sclerosis patients with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) led to a three-fold increase in the proportion of those showing no evidence of disease progression and no signs of inflammatory ... Read more

September 4, 2018September 4, 2018

Smoking Aggravates Respiratory Complications, Increases Sedentary Lifestyle in MS Patients, Study Reports

News

Cigarette smoking worsens shortness of breath and fatigue, increases the rate of hospital admissions, and fosters a sedentary lifestyle in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), according ... Read more

August 29, 2018August 31, 2018

Poor Sleep Common in MS, Linked to Fatigue, Depression, and Anxiety, Study Reports

News

Poor sleep quality is very common among patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) or clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), and is associated with a lower quality of ... Read more

August 24, 2018August 24, 2018

Work Showing Potential of EHP-101 in MS Earns Research Award

News

Carmen Navarrete, PhD, has been granted a Scientific Innovation Award for her post-doctoral presentation suggesting that the multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment candidate EHP-101 is anti-inflammatory and may boost remyelination, Emerald Health ... Read more

August 22, 2018August 28, 2018

Swallowing Problems Lower Multiple Sclerosis Patients’ Quality of Life

News

Dysphagia, or problems with swallowing, is common in patients with multiple sclerosis and significantly reduces their quality of life, according to a new Australian study. Symptoms ... Read more

August 13, 2018August 13, 2018

Treating Patients’ Perceived Stress and Poor Sleep Important as Both Fuel Depression, Study Reports

News

Patients’ perceptions of stress and sleep quality are both linked to their sense of cognitive difficulties and depression, and focusing on these perceptions may be a ... Read more

August 10, 2018August 10, 2018

Hair Loss Seen in RRMS Patients Using Aubagio Often Temporary and Mild, Study Says

News

Hair thinning in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients using Aubagio is usually mild and temporary, and does not require stopping treatment, a small real-world study reports. The research, ... Read more

August 6, 2018August 6, 2018

Loss of Specific microRNA Seen to Lessen Disease Severity and Myelin Loss in MS Mouse Model

News

Removing a specific microRNA molecule — miR-150 – eased disease severity, inflammation, and loss of myelin in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS), researchers report. ... Read more

July 30, 2018July 30, 2018

African-Americans Show Better Adherence and Satisfaction with Gilenya Than Injectable DMTs, Phase 4 Study Finds

News

African-Americans with relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) show higher adherence and greater satisfaction when treated with oral Gilenya (fingolimod, by Novartis) than with injectable therapies, according to a ... Read more

July 25, 2018July 26, 2018

Immune Response Promotes Remyelination in MS Mouse Model

News

Activation of the immune response mediated by cells called microglia favors remyelination and myelin repair in multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new Canadian study using ... Read more

July 19, 2018July 19, 2018

Blocking Protein Receptor Called M3R Seen to Promote Remyelination in Mice Model, Study Reports

News

Blocking a protein receptor called muscarinic type 3 (M3R) could be an effective way to promote remyelination in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, according to a State University ... Read more

July 11, 2018July 18, 2018

Rate of Brain Volume Loss Not Adequate as Marker of Treatment Effectiveness in MS Patients, Study Reports

News

Brain volume loss takes place at a faster rate in the first five years of multiple sclerosis than later in disease course, researchers report in a study ... Read more

July 9, 2018July 10, 2018

NICE Agrees to Add Ocrevus to NHS for RRMS Patients in England and Wales, But Scotland Will Not

News

Relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients with active disease may now be treated with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab, developed by Genentech) within the National Health Service (NHS) — the subsidized ... Read more

July 9, 2018July 11, 2018

#EAN2018 – Spinal Cord Atrophy Better Marker of Physical Disability in SPMS Than Brain Volume Loss, Study Reports

News

Atrophy seen in areas of the spinal cord is a better predictor of physical disability in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) patients than loss of brain ... Read more

July 6, 2018July 10, 2018

Medical Cannabis Favored to Treat MS Spasticity and Other Ills by Doctors in Australia, Survey Finds

News

Most general practitioners in Australia favor prescribing medical cannabis to treat spasticity in multiple sclerosis (MS) or pain in select other diseases, but are not allowed to ... Read more

July 5, 2018July 5, 2018

Cannabidiol Compound, EHP-101, Seen to Prevent Nerve Cell Damage in MS Mouse Model

News

An investigational cannabidiol-derived compound called EHP-101 may help to boost remyelination, prevent nerve cell damage and lower the reactivity of microglia cells — immune cells of ... Read more

June 11, 2018June 11, 2018

Vagus Nerve Signals Could Work as ‘Early Warning System’ for Inflammation in MS and Other Disease, Study Says

News

A new way of interpreting inflammatory signals using the vagus nerve — which carries such signals from throughout the body to the brain — has been ... Read more

June 7, 2018June 8, 2018

Atrophy of Brain Lesions Predicts Disability in MS, 10-year Study Finds

News

Atrophy (shrinkage) of brain lesions correlates with physical disability in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), new research reports. The study, “Atrophied Brain Lesion Volume: A New ... Read more

June 1, 2018June 7, 2018

Chemical that Stimulates Estrogen Receptors Seen to Promote Myelin Repair Through ‘Good’ Inflammation in Mouse MS Model

News

A chemical compound called indazole chloride promotes repair of myelin, the protective layer of nerve fibers, through “beneficial” inflammation in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis ... Read more

May 25, 2018May 25, 2018

2 Common Tests Used to Assess Deficits in MS Produce Different Results, Study Finds

News

Learning impairments in multiple sclerosis (MS) are detected differently by the two most commonly used neuropsychological tests, a new study by the Kessler Foundation shows. The ... Read more

May 24, 2018May 24, 2018

Brain Stimulation Done at Slower Rates May Be Best for MS and Other Patients as Neurons ‘Tire,’ Study Says

News

A non-invasive procedure using magnetic pulses to stimulate the brain may be more effective in treating multiple sclerosis (MS) and other patients if the rate of stimulation is ... Read more

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