February 29, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc MS Gait Analysis Identifies 2 New and Highly Sensitive Markers of Disability and Fatigue Researchers analyzing gait in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) using wearable inertial sensors have established two new and highly sensitive observer-independent measures of disability that strongly correlate with fatigue and patient-perceived health status. Their article, titled “Disability and Fatigue Can Be Objectively Measured in Multiple Sclerosis,” was published in the journal PLOS…
February 26, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc MS Researchers Create a Nanoparticle Drug Able to Stop Inflammation and Autoimmune Attacks in Mice Researchers, working on an animal model and human cells, discovered a mechanism to halt autoimmune disease damage and developed of a novel class of drugs that triggers the mechanism, and which has the potential to treat autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS) without impairing the normal and necessary activities of the…
February 25, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc Biogen’s ‘1MSg Campaign’ Encourages MS Patients to Better Manage Their Disease, Engage with Specialists Biogen is launching an initiative developed with the assistance of clinical experts — the 1MSg campaign — to educate and encourage multiple sclerosis (MS) patients to make disease management decisions that are well-informed and based on the latest scientific research. The campaign’s motto is “Take control, known your choices,” and one of its main…
February 19, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc Research on Progressive MS to Be Funded by International Progressive MS Alliance Dr. Timothy Coetzee from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society will present an overview of the objectives and achievements of the International Progressive MS Alliance (PMSA), an organization dedicated to facilitating and funding research on progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), a form of MS especially lacking effective therapeutic options. Coetzee…
February 19, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc ACTRIMS 2016 Talk Weighs Clinical Differences, Similarities in 2 Major Forms of MS Dr. Wayne Moore, from the University of British Columbia and the Vancouver General Hospital, will present an overview and analysis of the major histology and pathology aspects that characterize and differentiate relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and progressive forms of the disease, primary progressive MS (PPMS) and secondary progressive MS (SPMS).
February 18, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc Effects of Specific Antibodies on MS Neurodegeneration to Be Presented at ACTRIMS Forum Researchers from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center plan to present the results of a study investigating the contribution of specific antibodies to the neurodegeneration and neuronal dysfunction observed in multiple sclerosis (MS). The study’s results are to be reported today, Feb. 18, at the Americas Committee for Treatment and…
February 18, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc NIH Study into Progressive MS Biomarkers to Be Presented at ACTRIMS 2016 Scientists from the Neuroimmunological Diseases Unit at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will present results of a study investigating several biomarkers that might lead to a more sensitive and accurate diagnostic test of central nervous system (CNS) inflammation, a key aspect of progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). The data is being reported today, Feb.18, at the…
February 18, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc Anavex Life Sciences to Present Preclinical Data on Lead MS Drug Candidate at ACTRIMS 2016 Anavex Life Sciences Corp., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of new therapies for neurodegenerative and central nervous system (CNS) diseases, among others, recently announced the presentation of preclinical data for one of its lead drug candidates, ANAVEX2-73, as a multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment. The preclinical study’s lead investigator,…
February 12, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc RedHill’s Experimental MS Therapy, RHB-104, Receives Notice of Allowance on U.S. Patent RedHill Biopharma, Ltd., an Israeli biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of oral-administered small-molecule medicines for the treatment of inflammatory and gastrointestinal diseases, recently announced it has received a Notice of Allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for a new patent covering its…
February 9, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc MS Patients’ Diminished Sense of Taste Linked in Study to Severity of Brain Lesions Taste deficits are considerably more prevalent in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients than previously thought, and correlate directly with the severity of MS-related brain lesions, researchers report in an article titled “Taste dysfunction in multiple sclerosis,” published in the Journal of Neurology. Sensory problems are common MS symptoms, with…
February 8, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc Experimental RRMS Therapy, Trimesta, Fails to Demonstrate Efficacy in Review of Clinical Trial Synthetic Biologics, Inc., a clinical stage company focused on the development of therapeutics to protect the microbiome and to target disease-causing pathogens, recently announced disappointing results from an independent third-party analysis of a Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating Trimesta as a treatment for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) in women.
February 5, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc MS-related Inflammation May Be Reduced With Natural Protein, Study Shows In a new study using several mouse models of human immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS), researchers found that increased levels of an endogenous protein called tristetraprolin (TTP) resulted in protection against pro-inflammatory diseases. The results suggested that this natural protein might constitute a valuable therapeutic strategy to reduce…
February 4, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc Experimental MS Therapy Seen to Promote Myelin Regeneration in Preclinical Study RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., announced the publication of a research article detailing the process by which Thymosin beta 4 (Tβ4), the company’s novel therapeutic peptide, effectively promoted the remyelination process in two separate animal models commonly used for multiple sclerosis (MS) research. The article, “Thymosin beta4 promotes oligodendrogenesis in the demyelinating…
February 2, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc Multiple Sclerosis Lesions Quickly Detected with New MRI Technique Researchers developed a new way of using MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) to better distinguish multiple sclerosis (MS)-related “white spots” from similar brain lesions that corresponding to other conditions. Their article, “Imaging central veins in brain lesions with 3-T T2*-weighted magnetic resonance imaging differentiates multiple sclerosis from microangiopathic brain lesions,” was…
February 1, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc MS Cognitive Impairment Traced to Synapse Damage in Hippocampus Researchers identified a new mechanism in the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS) that might explain the cognitive impairment and decline observed in these patients — a decline not directly associated with disease’s hallmarks of motor control loss, and one not currently addressed by the immunosuppressive drugs used to treat MS. The study, published…
January 28, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc MS Researchers Watch as Myelin-producing Cells Migrate and Mature Researchers have described the mechanisms by which cell precursors of oligodendrocytes — the cells responsible for the generation of myelin in the central nervous system — migrate from their birthplace to their workplace during brain and spinal cord development, and begin to mature and wrap about nerve fibers. The finding, the authors…
January 27, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc New MS Treatments May Come from Study of Immune System Protein Researchers have discovered a protein regulator that leads to autoimmune inflammation in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, a possibly important discovery because potential therapeutic targets for diseases like MS are believed to lie in this cascade of inflammatory events. The researchers, in fact, suggest that the regulator, called Trabid, is one of…
January 25, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc Mode of Action for MS Drug Showing Promise in Phase 3 Clinical Trials Uncovered In a new study, researchers at the Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) uncovered the molecular mechanisms behind the perceived clinical efficacy of a specific drug type, sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1PR1) agonists, to diminish the harmful immune response that leads to autoimmunity in multiple sclerosis (MS) and other diseases, while still preserving the immune system’s…
January 18, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc MS Research Brought New Insights into Disease Triggers and Potential Therapies in 2015 The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada recently published a report documenting and summarizing the most important developments in multiple sclerosis (MS) research during 2015. In early 2015, a Society-funded clinical trial was initiated to study the potential abilities of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to treat MS. The MEsenchymal Stem cell therapy…
January 13, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc MS Patients Treated in Clinical Practice with Fingolimod Show Benefits New research evaluating fingolimod’s clinical efficacy, safety, and tolerability in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) largely supported its use, finding that the oral drug’s efficacy in a real-world setting was comparable to results observed in Phase 3 clinical studies. The research article, “Efficacy and Safety of Fingolimod in an Unselected…
January 8, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc Rise in MS and Autoimmune Disease Linked to Processed Foods In a new study, researchers found that additives common to processed foods can damage the tight junctions that protect the intestinal mucosa, and which are essential to the intestinal tolerance and immunity balance that works to prevent autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). The article, titled “Changes in…
January 4, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc Pilot MS Study Suggests High-Dose Vitamin D Supplements Are Safe and Beneficial Results from a small pilot study indicated that high-dose vitamin D supplementation is safe and tolerable in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), and that it can reduce the presence of autoimmunity-causing immune T cells. Patients are now being recruited for a larger clinical trial. The study, entitled “Safety and immunologic…
December 22, 2015 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc MS Patients Show Better Gait and Balance with Dalfampridine Treatment In a new study, researchers evaluated the effect of dalfampridine treatment in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and observed significant improvements in not only walking speed and distance, but also in gait and balance. The paper, titled “Dalfampridine Effects Beyond Walking Speed in Multiple Sclerosis,” was published in the…
December 21, 2015 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc MS Researchers to Be Among 200 Specialists at January Symposium on Glial-Neuronal Interactions The upcoming 9th annual “Glial-neuronal Interactions in Health and Disease” symposium will bring together nearly 200 neuroscientists — focused on neuron and glial cell interaction and its affect on diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) — to discuss the latest findings in this area of brain research. The daylong symposium is to be held…
December 17, 2015 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc MS Study Uncovers a Process Leading to Neuroinflammation in the Brain In a new study, researchers from the University of Toronto, Canada, uncovered the process behind the formation and maintenance of tertiary lymphoid tissues (TLTs), structures found in the meninges in the brains of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Their findings, reported in the article “Integration of Th17- and Lymphotoxin-Derived Signals Initiates…
December 15, 2015 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc Potential Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Seen in Addex’s mGluR4 Modulator Addex Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company developing novel small molecule allosteric modulators for neurological disorders, recently announced the publication of positive results from studies evaluating the therapeutic effect of ADX88178, a metabotropic glutamate receptor 4 (mGluR4) modulator, in an animal model of multiple sclerosis. The research article, titled “Allosteric modulation…
December 11, 2015 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc Cellular ‘On-Off’ Switch May Activate MS Inflammatory Response In a new study, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Texas and The Scripps Research Institute in California discovered that the enzyme NEK7, vital to cell division, plays a crucial role in the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, essential to the onset of inflammation. This discovery may have a significant impact…
December 2, 2015 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc MS Researchers Gather in Texas to Share Findings, Advance Ideas The Fifth Tykeson Fellows Conference brought senior multiple sclerosis (MS) scientists together with nearly 100 young research and clinical fellows from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, MS Society of Canada, and MS International Federation to promote collaboration, networking, and the sharing of research data with the goal of improving patients’ lives and developing…
December 1, 2015 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc Multiple Sclerosis-like Disorder Blocked in Mice Study Researchers demonstrated a process that prevented an induced autoimmune disease from taking hold in the central nervous system of mice, and think it has the potential of being translated into a multiple sclerosis (MS) therapy. The study detailing the method and its promising results is entitled “Infusion of Sulfosuccinimidyl-4-[N-maleimidomethyl]cyclohexane-1-carboxylate-Conjugated MOG35–55-Coupled…
November 20, 2015 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc Myelin Dysfunction in MS and Other White Matter Diseases Found to Be Linked to Specific Gene Mutations In a new study, researchers have revealed the previously unknown function of the FAM126A gene in supporting myelination (the formation of the myelin sheath that protects neurons), a critically important process in the development and recovery of acute exacerbations in multiple sclerosis (MS). The research paper, entitled “The leukodystrophy protein…