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…
Articles by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD
ACTRIMS 2023: Astrocyte receptors may help to ease MS cognitive issues
Activating certain receptors on astrocytes — a type of nerve support cell — may offer a way of treating cognitive…
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…
ACTRIMS 2023: Loss of myelin in spinal cord tied to MS disability
A greater loss of myelin — the protective coating around nerve fibers — in the part of the spinal…
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…
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…
Mitochondria changes found early on in progressive MS: Mouse study
Changes in mitochondria — cells’ energy production centers — are evident in early disease stages in a mouse model of…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Global Experts Agree on Criteria to Diagnose Optic Neuritis
Researchers have developed a set of criteria to diagnose optic neuritis (ON) — inflammation in the nerve fibers sending…
Ocrevus Limits Progression Equally in Black, White People With RRMS
Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) seems to be equally effective at stabilizing disease activity in Black and white patients with relapsing-remitting…
Smoking Linked to Depression and Anxiety in MS: Review Study
Smoking tobacco products is associated with a higher prevalence of depression and anxiety among multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, according…
Tascenso ODT, a Gilenya Alternative, Wins New FDA Approval in MS
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Tascenso ODT, a bioequivalent formulation of the multiple sclerosis (MS)…
Therapeutic Target for Inflammation Driven by Astrocytes Seen
Using a new approach, researchers have identified new signaling molecules that regulate the activation of certain subsets of astrocytes thought…
Program Bringing PoNS Device to MS Patients at Lower Cost Extended
Helius Medical Technologies has extended by six months a program that allows multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in…
EDSS Score Drop of 1 Point Seen in 2nd SPMS Patient on Foralumab
A second person with non-active secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) treated with foralumab nasal spray in a single-patient access…
FDA OKs Phase 3 Trial of Masitinib for Progressive Forms of MS
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared AB Science to initiate a Phase 3 clinical trial of…
Ublituximab, Now Briumvi, Approved in US for Relapsing Forms of MS
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved TG Therapeutics‘ B-cell-depleting therapy ublituximab under the brand name Briumvi…
Walking Difficulties Improve for MS Patients With Natural Supplement
Daily use of MS14, a natural product derived from Persian medicine, safely led to gains in physical activity and walking…
Review Study Highlights Potential of NfL as MS Prognosis Biomarker
Levels of neurofilament light chain (NfL), a biomarker of nerve cell damage, may help predict multiple sclerosis (MS) prognosis…
Alcohol May Interfere With Tecfidera Metabolism, Study Finds
Consuming alcohol around dosing time could limit the effectiveness of Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate) for multiple sclerosis patients, a…
Antidepressant Bupropion Found to Ease Sexual Dysfunction in MS
Daily treatment with an oral antidepressant called bupropion — marketed as Wellbutrin and Zyban, among others — significantly improved…
Climate Change Risk to MS Patients: Worse Symptoms, More Relapses
Temperature variability and increasing exposure to airborne pollutants — both consequences of climate change — can worsen disease symptoms and…
Human EBV Antibodies May Help Inform Vaccine Development
Scientists have identified a number of antibodies that can bind to the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) — a major risk…
Tiziana Planning 2023 Launch of Phase 2 Foralumab Trial in SPMS
Tiziana Life Sciences plans to request a meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) later this year…