May 17, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Pro-inflammatory diet linked to relapses after 1st MS attack: Study A more pro-inflammatory diet is associated with a higher risk of relapses and more inflammatory brain lesions for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in the years following their first disease attack, according to a recent study. However, dietary intake did not impact disability progression or the volume of lesions with…
May 10, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Surgery found successful for some MS patients with facial pain Surgical procedures to treat trigeminal neuralgia ā a type of nerve damage that causes facial pain ā may be successful for some people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who fail to respond to medications, a new study found. A more invasive procedure called microvascular decompression, or MVD, had slightly…
May 8, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Home-based walking program may boost cognition in MS: Pilot study A four-month home-based aerobic walking program was feasible and may help improve cognitive function for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, according to data from a recent pilot study funded by the Kessler Foundation. Findings from this small study support the design of a randomized, controlled clinical trial to evaluate…
May 4, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Tysabri found to be safe and effective in real-world Danish study Tysabri (natalizumab) is generally safe and effectively lowers disease activity in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a real-world study of patients over a 13-year period in Denmark. “Most patients treated with [Tysabri] are clinically stable with few adverse events,” researchers wrote. In more recent years, doctors…
May 3, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Antibody clumps in blood could drive nerve cell death in MS Clusters of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies in theĀ blood of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients appear to contribute to the nerve cell death that marks the neurodegenerative disease, according to a recent study. IgG antibodies harvested from the blood of MS patients drove nerve cell death in cell cultures, whereas antibodies…
April 26, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD AAN 2023: Tolebrutinib safely lowers relapse rates over 2.5 years About 2.5 years of treatment with tolebrutinib was associated with low relapse rates and stable disability levels among people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to data in an ongoing, open-label extension of a Phase 2b trial. The oral treatment also continued to show a “favorable”…
April 19, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Greater psychological resilience tied to better outcomes in MS: Study Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with greater psychological resilience ā a better ability to cope with and recover quickly from problems and difficulties ā tend to have higher levels of social and occupational functioning, a new study found. Resilience was linked to a number of functions, including relationships, communication, social…
April 10, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Immune regulation treatment for MS found safe in 1st human study OCH, a molecule designed to have beneficial effects on immune regulation in multiple sclerosis (MS), led to increases in regulatory immune cell subsets and immunomodulatory gene activity in healthy volunteers and MS patients. That’s according to data from a first-in-human study of the compound, which also found the immune…
April 7, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD OCS-05 neuroprotective therapy for MS shows good safety profile OCS-05, a neuroprotective treatment candidate being developed by Oculis for multiple sclerosis (MS) or other causes of optic nerve inflammation, demonstrated a favorable safety and pharmacological profile in healthy volunteers, according to Phase 1 trial data. AĀ Phase 2 trial (NCT04762017), called ACUITY, is now evaluating OCS-05’s…
April 3, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Sativex eases MS spasticity and related symptoms in real-life study Real-world use of nabiximols, an oral spray cannabinoid treatment, was associated with a self-reported easing of spasticity and related symptoms for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a recent study in Austria. Most patients (87.5%) said they were at least partly satisfied with the therapy ā available…
March 30, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Bacterial toxin epsilon in gut may be environmental driver of MS A bacterial toxin in the gut ā specifically, the epsilon toxin produced by Clostridium perfringensĀ bacteria in the intestinal tract ā may be a key environmental driver of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a recent study. After finding the toxin at a higher abundance in the fecal samples of MS…
March 29, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Orelabrutinib reduces brain lesions in RRMS by 90% in Phase 2 trial Treatment with InnoCare Pharma’s orelabrutinib ā an experimental inhibitor of the Brutonās tyrosine kinase (BTK) enzyme ā led to significant reductions in new active brain lesions among people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). That’s according to the results of a 12-week interim analysis of a global Phase 2…
March 9, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Icobrain MS, an AI tool for assessing MRI scans, being tested in UK An upcoming study will investigate how well icobrain MS, anĀ artificial intelligence (AI)-based technology,Ā can interpret MRI dataĀ from people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and how its use might influence patient care. The project, called AssistMS and led by IcometrixĀ ā the technology’s developer ā and Queen Mary University of London…
March 8, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Study may help explain protective effects of pregnancy in MS A new study of women with multiple sclerosis (MS) who had previously given birth may have identified one of the mechanisms behind the lasting protective effects of pregnancy seen in MS patients. Patients who’d had children were found to have a number of differences in methylation, a type of…
March 7, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD ACTRIMS 2023: GA Depot found to ease MS disability in Phase 3 trial GA Depot, an experimental long-acting version of glatiramer acetate, significantly reduced relapse rates and prevented the development of new lesions among people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis, according to new data from a Phase 3 clinical trial. Disability levels also were significantly reduced with the treatment, given…
March 7, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD ACTRIMS 2023: RRMS treatment may ‘give patients a better choice’ New data from a Phase 2 clinical trial testing vidofludimus calcium, Immunic Therapeuticsā novel oral treatment candidateĀ for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), show promising safety and efficacy, according to the company’s chief medical officer. The therapy was found to safely reduce brain lesions and prevent disability progression in…
March 2, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD ACTRIMS 2023: Documentary offers hope for the Black MS community Multiple sclerosis (MS) has long been considered a disease that mostly affects white women. But in the U.S., the numbers indicate that Black people, particularly Black women, may be more likely to develop the neurodegenerative disease than people of other racial and ethnic backgrounds. For Black individuals, this misunderstanding…
February 28, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD ACTRIMS 2023: Astrocyte receptors may help to ease MS cognitive issues Activating certain receptors on astrocytes ā a type of nerve support cell ā may offer a way of treating cognitive problems in multiple sclerosis (MS), according to recent research. MS mouse models genetically engineered to lack these receptors, called TNFR2, showed signs of greater cognitive problems, whereas cognitive gains…
February 28, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD ACTRIMS 2023: Intermittent fasting shows potential to lessen MS severity Limiting calorie intake over two days of each week for three months led to beneficial immune and metabolic changes, as well as improvements in cognitive function, among people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), a study found. A restrictive diet also promoted a better body composition, namely a reduction in…
February 27, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD ACTRIMS 2023: Loss of myelin in spinal cord tied to MS disability A greater loss of myelin ā the protective coating around nerve fibers ā in the part of the spinal cord found in the neck was associated with worse disability in people with multiple sclerosis, data from a new study showed. More substantial myelin loss in this region, known…
February 27, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD ACTRIMS 2023: ‘Bacteria X’ in gut microbiome may drive inflammation A certain bacterial species is enriched in the gut of people with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) and may promote neuroinflammation and drive disability progression in these patients, a study found. When isolated from SPMS patients and given to a mouse model, this strain led to more pronounced neurological…
February 24, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD ACTRIMS 2023: Anxiety, depression more common in MS before onset Psychiatric symptoms such as depression and anxiety are more common among multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in the five years leading up to disease onset than in people from the general population, according to a recent analysis. Individuals who would later go on to develop clinical signs of MS also…
February 23, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Mitochondria changes found early on in progressive MS: Mouse study Changes in mitochondria ā cells’ energy production centers ā are evident in early disease stages in a mouse model of progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), but were not found in a model of relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), according to researchers. These changes, seen before symptoms of the disease started, were…
February 22, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Receptor may link gut microbiome to immune system in MS: Study The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) may facilitate or “tune” the crosstalk between the gut microbiome and the immune responses that have been implicated in multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study found. Deleting this receptor in a set of immune T-cells ā a suspected factor in MS onset and progression…
February 21, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD High salt disrupts anti-inflammatory immune cells’ energy production Eating too much salt can disrupt the energy metabolism of regulatory T-cells (Tregs), which normally work to control inflammation and fight autoimmunity, prompting them to adopt an inflammatory profile similar to what’s seen in multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune diseases, a study found. Even a short-term exposure to…
February 20, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD ACTRIMS 2023: Forum opens Thursday with theme of ‘going viral’ The multiple sclerosis (MS) community is gearing up for the eighth annual Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) Forum, taking place this week both virtually and in San Diego, California. The yearly meeting, occurring Feb. 23-25 at theĀ Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina, is bringing together…
February 15, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Tascenso ODT launches in US with patient support program Tascenso ODT, an approved alternative to Gilenya (fingolimod), is now available to multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in the U.S., where itās being marketed by Cycle Pharmaceuticals. The launch comes about a month after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a 0.5 mg dose of the…
February 7, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Swallowing problems are common for MS patients, review study finds Nearly half of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients experience swallowing difficulties, which is notably higher than rates seen in the general population, according to a recent review study and meta-analysis. Because swallowing problems, or dysphagia, can lead to serious, sometimes life-threatening, complications, it is important for patients to be routinely…
February 2, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Coconut Oil and Green Tea Lead to Gait, Balance Gains in MS Patients Supplementation with coconut oil and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a green tea extract, in combination with a Mediterranean-style diet, was associated with improvements in balance and gait in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Those were the findings of a small pilot study in Spain, which also found that all participants,…
January 31, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Rewind’s Remyelinating Therapy Pipeline Backed by New Investments Rewind Therapeutics has received new investments to support the development of its therapeutic candidates designed to promote remyelination in neurodegenerative diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS). Currently, the company is focused on advancing its lead candidate toward the clinic as it continues to build a pipeline of additional…