Margarida Maia, PhD, science writer —

Treatment with an autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (aHSCT) seems to reboot the immune system in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients for at least three years, a small study found. The study, “Sustained immunotolerance in multiple sclerosis after stem cell transplant,” was published in Annals of Clinical and…

This year’s Harry Weaver Neuroscience Scholar Award, funded by the National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society, has gone to a Yale University researcher who is searching for biomarkers of radiologically isolated syndrome (RIS) in children. RIS occurs when imaging findings on MRI scans are similar to those seen in people…

Tevogen Bio is planning to make use of its virus-fighting immune cell technology and turn it against Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a common virus thought to greatly increase the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS). The technology employs off-the-shelf cytotoxic T-cells — a type of white blood cell that can…

Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate) appears to have similar benefits to Gilenya (fingolimod) in preventing relapses and the loss of motor function and cognition in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a study with real-world data found. The two medications also led to similar findings on MRI scans, including in…

Long-term treatment with Gilenya (fingolimod) in routine clinical practice is safe and effective for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), a five-year study in Germany of more than 4,000 patients reported. Over time, relapses in the majority of study patients who continued with Gilenya became less common and less severe,…

Cognition-targeting exercise, when combined with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) — a type of talk therapy — may further ease fatigue and other symptoms in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a study found. The study, “The added value of cognition-targeted exercise versus symptom-targeted exercise for multiple sclerosis fatigue: A randomized…

Donations to the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada through the end of this year will be double matched, meaning each donation will go three times as far in supporting Canadians with multiple sclerosis (MS) and in advancing research into the disease. All donations received until midnight on Dec.

People with a higher genetic risk for multiple sclerosis (MS) are significantly more likely to develop the disease at an earlier age, a large study found. Specifically, those with the highest genetic risk were on average five years younger at the time their symptoms started than those with the…

Cortrophin Gel (repository corticotropin injection), an injectable gel medication approved for acute flares in multiple sclerosis (MS) and other chronic autoimmune diseases, is now available through the AllianceRx Walgreens Prime specialty pharmacy to patients living in the U.S. First approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)…

Sensorimotor exercise, which aims to improve the neuromuscular system with reduced pressure interventions, such as robotic-assisted training or aquatic exercises, was found to have the greatest total benefits on both mental and physical health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among people with multiple sclerosis (MS). However, aerobic exercises — such…

Taking the hormone melatonin may increase overall sleep quality in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a clinical trial found. The compound, available as an over-the-counter dietary supplement, was particularly effective at extending sleep time in patients. Of note, sleep time decreased with age, meaning that “younger participants may have…

Mynd Diagnostics is launching a clinical study to test the ability of a blood biomarker, which the company coined Mynd anti-inflammatory peptide (MAP), to help in the diagnosis and monitoring of multiple sclerosis (MS). Starting in the first quarter of 2022, the company will collect blood samples from diagnosed patients…

Side effects upon receiving the COVID-19 vaccine in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) are similar to those reported in the general population, and patients on certain disease-modifying therapies are less likely to have vaccine reactions, a survey-based study found. The findings provide “a reassuring picture” for those who feel hesitant about…

Acthar Gel (repository corticotropin injection) was found to be a cost-effective treatment for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) experiencing a relapse, according to an economic analysis. Notably, the economic value of Acthar Gel was greater than that of alternative treatments — plasmapheresis and intravenous immunoglobulin — from the…

Owlytics Healthcare, in partnership with Tel-Aviv Medical Center in Israel, has taken its smartwatch — designed to monitor symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) from afar — through a first stage of validation. The smartwatch, worn on the wrist, collects a continuous stream of personal health data that are sent to…

Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is giving a total of AU$6.75 million (about $5 million) in grants to advance research into multiple sclerosis (MS), including risk factors for the disease, preventing falls, and harnessing viral-immune system interactions to improve patients’ lives. The three investigator grants,…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) are not at greater risk for severe COVID-19 outcomes, according to a study of more than 150,000 hospitalized people in Germany. The study, “Multiple sclerosis is not associated with an increased risk for severe COVID-19: a nationwide retrospective cross-sectional study from Germany,” was…

A six-week program, called vibration training — in which people stand on a vibrating platform for short periods of time — eased disability and improved cognitive abilities and quality of life in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a small randomized study found. The program was also well accepted and…

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society will host the second edition of its Black MS Experience Summit, a virtual event to help forge connections among those who understand the experience of living with multiple sclerosis (MS) as a Black person. Register here to join the interactive, two-day…

Sativex (nabiximols), a cannabis-based oral spray approved in the U.K. to ease spasticity — or muscle stiffness and spasms — in adults with multiple sclerosis (MS), remains unavailable to many patients there, according to a report by the MS Society UK. Sativex is the only licensed…

People who develop multiple sclerosis (MS) in childhood have more difficulty recognizing words and faces than healthy individuals, a small study found. The volume of certain structures of the limbic system — a part of the brain involved in memory and emotion — is smaller in those with MS,…

Skin reactions are common among relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients being treated with oral Mavenclad (cladribine), affecting about one-third of the people evaluated in a real-world study in Germany. These findings suggest the need for careful clinical surveillance to rapidly diagnose and possibly treat skin problems stemming from Mavenclad’s use,…

Blacks with multiple sclerosis (MS) have more severe disease and greater disability at their first visit than white patients, even when differences in socioeconomic status are taken into account, a large U.S. study found. The data showed that Black patients with MS had lower scores on some measures of…

Alan Thompson, dean of the Faculty of Brain Sciences at University College London (UCL), has won the 2021 Charcot Award, a prize given once every two years for a lifetime of achievement in research into the understanding and treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). “The Charcot Award is viewed by…

Abata Therapeutics has opened with $95 million in financing, and plans to use regulatory T-cells to treat autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, starting with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). Money raised will be used to support work for three clinical trials it plans to initiate in 2025, including…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) may not be entirely aware of the decline in their cognitive abilities with cannabis use, which may explain why many choose to continue with it, a small study in patients who are long-term cannabis users reported. The study, “Impaired awareness: Why people with…

Medical cannabis made by Panaxia Labs Israel will be marketed and distributed in Greece by Leriva Group, under a recent agreement between the two companies and pending a marketing authorization in the country. The product will be sold under the brand name Panaxir. The companies expect to start…

Impaired social cognition — lacking the ability to understand and process others’ emotions — may affect how people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) feel on a day-to-day basis, a small, three-year study has found. RRMS patients with such difficulties were “characterized at follow-up by a higher level of depression…

AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine appears to be reasonably safe for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a small study of its use in the U.K. Vaccine side effects were in line with those experienced by the general population, its researchers said, such as flu-like symptoms and sore arms.

The Red Songbird Foundation welcomes people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who are struggling with issues relating to mental health or substance abuse to apply for its Jason Davis Scholarship. The award will cover the costs of a full treatment, given in California, addressing a serious mental health or substance use…