September 28, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Lemtrada controlled RRMS disease activity more than a decade Over more than a decade of treatment with Lemtrada (alemtuzumab), relapse rates were low and about half of people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) remained free of confirmed disability worsening, according to final results from the open-label TOPAZ clinical trial. “To our knowledge, this report represents the longest…
September 27, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Neurologists share treatment preferences for older adults with MS For older adults with multiple sclerosis (MS) who have highly active disease, most neurologists recommend starting treatment with a high-efficacy therapy, according to a survey study. Neurologists also generally agreed that patients with MS should continue on treatment into the latter decades of life, and that older MS patients…
September 26, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS MS symptoms can fluctuate with Ocrevus, but ‘wearing off’ not likely People with multiple sclerosis (MS) under treatment with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) commonly experience fluctuations in the severity of their symptoms — but these changes aren’t related to the timing of Ocrevus infusions, a study reports. Although many patients on Ocrevus report a ‘wearing off’ effect between infusions, findings suggest…
September 25, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Specific genes allow immune T-cells to infiltrate the brain, study finds Researchers have identified nearly two dozen genes that help to control the movement of immune cells into the brain and spinal cord during multiple sclerosis (MS). Findings may form the basis for the further development of MS treatments that aim to reduce disease activity by blocking the infiltration…
September 19, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Taking sugar molecule supplements may help ease inflammation in MS Taking supplements of the sugar molecule N-acetylglucosamine, known as GlcNAc, was found to decrease markers of inflammation in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in a small clinical trial. Moreover, nearly a third of trial participants reported less severe disability following a month of daily GlcNAc supplements. However, because this…
September 14, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS ‘Inverse vaccine’ approach lowers disease in MS mouse model Note: This story was updated Sept. 15, 2023, to clarify ANK-700 was developed based on the preclinical work described in the study. An “inverse vaccine” that’s designed to teach the immune system not to attack a specific target, effectively reduced disease activity in mouse models of multiple sclerosis (MS),…
September 11, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS New method may be better at measuring disability improvement A new statistical method could help to more accurately capture changes in disability severity for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and monitor the impact of MS treatments. “With the use of this new statistical methodology, it is possible to estimate the time to improvement as well as the…
September 8, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Study finds new molecular mechanism involved in myelin repair A protein called Daam2 helps to regulate the activity of cells in the brain that make myelin, the fatty covering around nerve fibers that’s damaged in multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study shows. By uncovering how that protein functions in the brain to boost myelin repair, researchers have discovered…
September 6, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Octave’s blood test accurately captures MS disease activity: Study A test that assesses the levels of 18 proteins in the blood and uses artificial intelligence algorithms can help to measure the level of new disease activity in multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new study. The test, developed by …
September 1, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Is Aubagio still ethical to use as comparator in MS trials? Noting that Aubagio (teriflunomide) continues to have “a robust impact on disability progression” in multiple sclerosis (MS) despite being eclipsed by newer MS treatments in trials, an international team of researchers are now arguing that it is, in fact, still ethical to use the older therapy as a…
August 30, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS New MRI technique effectively maps myelin content in MS brains A new system that can use MRI scans to effectively measure myelin content in brain tissue may help assess the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS) and evaluate the effectiveness of treatments. The technique was described in “Quantitative magnetic resonance mapping of the myelin bilayer,” which…
August 29, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Diagnosing primary progressive MS difficult, despite guidelines Diagnosing primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) can be challenging, with obstacles ranging from ruling out other disorders to differentiating between PPMS and other types of multiple sclerosis (MS). These difficulties were highlighted in the study, “Real-world challenges in the diagnosis of primary progressive multiple sclerosis,” published…
August 29, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Memory problems in MS tied to lesions in brain’s ‘memory circuit’ The presence of lesions, or regions of damage, in a brain circuit tied to memory in stroke patients also associate with memory problems in multiple sclerosis (MS), a study shows. Findings may help to determine which lesions are likely to cause memory issues in people with the neurodegenerative condition,…
August 28, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Sugar molecule found to promote myelin repair in cell model Treatment with polysialic acid, a sugar molecule naturally made in the body, may be a promising approach to boost myelin repair in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new study in lab-grown brain samples. Findings show that the molecule increased myelin repair, or remyelination, in the cell…
August 24, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Aubagio reduces MS risk in people with disease-like signs: Phase 3 trial Aubagio (teriflunomide) can significantly reduce the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) among adults with signs of MS-like brain damage who don’t yet have any disease symptoms, according to findings from a clinical trial. The results were presented earlier this year at the American Academy of Neurology…
August 22, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Study shows mechanisms that help immune cells get into brain in MS Researchers have shed new light on the molecular mechanisms that help immune cells get into the brain to drive inflammation in multiple sclerosis (MS). Two proteins called MMP-9 and MMP-2 were found to break down some components of the barrier that keeps immune cells out of the brain, helping…
August 18, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Early treatment after first MS-like attack reduces long-term risk People who experience a first attack of multiple sclerosis (MS)-like disease are less likely to experience long-term disability progression if they start treatment within the first few months, a new study reports. “When it comes to MS treatment, the earlier the better,” Alvaro Cobo-Calvo, MD, PhD, co-author of the…
August 15, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Diet shows no association with relapses, disability progression A higher quality diet is associated with reductions in certain types of brain lesions in multiple sclerosis (MS), but no link was seen between a good diet and the risk of MS relapses or disability progression, a new study from Australia indicates. The study, “Higher…
August 14, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Immune cells in skull’s bone marrow appear to have unique profile Immune cells in the skull’s bone marrow show distinct molecular profiles from those of other bones throughout the body, and they may provide critical clues into how immune cells drive inflammation in neurological disorders like multiple sclerosis (MS) a study reports. “These findings carry profound implications, suggesting a far…
August 11, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Biomarker found for potential new disorder that’s been labeled as MS An antibody biomarker may help to distinguish people with a disease that resembles multiple sclerosis (MS), but may actually be its own clinical disorder, according to a new study. The biomarker was present in about 1% of MS patients and in 6% of those with a related demyelinating condition…
August 9, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS New PET imaging approach captures inflammation before lesions evident A new imaging technique was able to detect inflammation in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS) before disease symptoms appeared, and to monitor the animals’ responses to treatment, a study reports. “With this new non-invasive imaging approach, we can detect toxic inflammation that could help us better understand…
August 8, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Cognitive health likely to affect person’s sense of sexual satisfaction Estimates of the prevalence of sexual dysfunction with multiple sclerosis (MS), as well of its risk factors, differ depending on the specific cutoffs used to assess sexual health on a standardized test, a study highlights. Regardless of the cutoff given, however, findings suggest that patients with poorer cognition tend…
July 31, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Relapses found to drive disability worsening in 1st years of MS In people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), relapses that occur in the first few years after the disease develops have a strong impact on rates of disability worsening — but after about 2.5 years, more relapses don’t consistently result in a greater worsening of disability, according to…
July 28, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Gut bacteria may be key to activate immune cells that trigger MS Pro-inflammatory immune cells that can target the brain may be activated in a specific region of the intestine by certain gut bacteria before migrating to the brain, according to a new study done in mice. Researchers say these findings provide a proof of concept for how some immune cells may…
July 27, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Octave raises $30M to speed commercialization of care program Octave Bioscience has raised $30 million in financing to help accelerate commercialization efforts for its precision care program for people with multiple sclerosis (MS). “We have made significant progress in deploying our solution for multiple sclerosis patients,” William Hagstrom, founder and CEO of Octave, said in a…
July 26, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS AI model is able to predict MS risk years before disease onset A new artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm could help identify people at risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS). “Our model’s performance suggests that AI-based prediction models could identify the risk for multiple sclerosis years before neurological symptoms appear,” Raj Gopalan, MD, a scientist at Siemens Healthineers, Tarrytown, New York, said…
July 25, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS PB006, biosimilar of Tysabri, favored for approval in European Union The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), an arm of the European Medicines Agency, has recommended that PB006, a biosimilar version of Tysabri (natalizumab), be approved to treat adults with highly active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The recommendation comes about a year after the regulatory agency…
July 24, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Boosting energy production in nerve fibers may help treat MS In multiple sclerosis (MS), inflammation leads to less energy production in nerve fibers by reducing the levels of enzymes in a key molecular pathway, called the TCA cycle, that cells use to generate energy, a new study shows. These findings imply that boosting activity of the TCA cycle might…
July 20, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Phase 1 trial of bryostatin-1 in MS expected by year’s end Synaptogenix is teaming up with Cleveland Clinic for a Phase 1 clinical trial involving people with multiple sclerosis (MS) that will test the company’s lead candidate, bryostatin-1 — a therapy designed to prevent cognitive deficits in MS patients. “We are moving forward with our clinical development plans for…
July 19, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Can elderly MS patients safely stop treatment? Study aims to find out. A first-of-its-kind study is aiming to determine whether older adults with multiple sclerosis (MS) can safely stop taking disease-modifying therapies, also known as disease-modifying agents (DMAs). The project is being led by scientists at the new P-HOPER Center, officially the Population Health Outcomes and Pharmacoepidemiology Education and Research…