Marisa Wexler, MS, senior science writer —

A model based on genetic factors could help predict the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) in people with optic neuritis, an eye disorder that can be an early sign of MS, according to new research. “As a doctor caring for many patients with optic neuritis, I’m excited by…

Convelo Therapeutics is developing two experimental oral treatments to promote myelin repair in multiple sclerosis (MS) and both have shown promise in preclinical models. The company is in the final stages of safety studies in large animals. Once those studies are done, it plans to start studies that…

The experimental BTK inhibitor evobrutinib was no better than Aubagio (teriflunomide) at preventing relapses, reducing brain lesions, or slowing disability progression in people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to data from two Phase 3 trials. Both medications had generally similar safety profiles, although increases…

Repeated treatment with the mesenchymal stem cell therapy NG-01 led to gains in mobility and cognition, along with patient-reported quality of life, for most people with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) in an extension study. Markers of nerve damage were also reduced, indicating significant nerve-protecting effects. Dimitrios Karussis, MD,…

Treatment with Immunic Therapeutics‘ experimental oral therapy vidofludimus calcium (IMU-838) lowered the levels of a nerve damage marker in people with all subtypes of progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), including those without recent inflammatory activity. That’s according to an interim analysis of data from a Phase 2 study,…

About two-thirds of people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) remained completely free from relapses over six years of treatment with Zeposia (ozanimod) in the DAYBREAK clinical trial. Most also saw no sustained disability progression during that period and the mean number of new or enlarging lesions…

Supplements of indole 3-lactate (ILA), a molecule made by gut bacteria, significantly reduced disease severity and promoted myelin repair in mouse models of multiple sclerosis (MS). That’s according to new findings presented by Larissa Jank, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher at Johns Hopkins University, at the Americas Committee for Treatment…

An association between the proteins IgG1 and CXCL10 in the fluid around the brain may help predict the risk of future disease activity for people in the early stages of multiple sclerosis (MS). That’s according to “CXCL10/IgG1 Axis in Multiple Sclerosis as a Potential Predictive Biomarker…

An imaging feature called the T1-dark rim, which is visible on standard MRI scans of people with multiple sclerosis (MS), could help to identify paramagnetic rim lesions (PRLs), a study suggests. PRLs are regions of chronic active inflammation that cause ongoing nerve damage. They’re associated with disease activity and…

Children with multiple sclerosis (MS) who start on high-efficacy therapies experience fewer relapses and reduced MRI disease activity in the following years, compared with those who are treated first with moderate-efficacy therapies, according to a new study. Rates of severe side effects are similar for both groups, but the…

Treatment options for progressive types of multiple sclerosis (MS) have expanded dramatically over the past decade, and several promising experimental therapies are in late stages of clinical development, a new review paper highlights. The study, “Clinical trials for progressive multiple sclerosis: progress, new lessons learned, and…

COMPASS, a digital tool that provides support for managing the daily challenges of living with a long-term health condition such as multiple sclerosis (MS), significantly reduces psychological distress and improves mental health in these patients, data from a randomized clinical trial show. The intervention consists of multiple online modules…

Few multiple sclerosis (MS) clinical trials have used a so-called pragmatic design, which evaluates the effectiveness of interventions in real-life routine practice, a study has found. Because such trials are better able to emulate conditions in real-world clinical practice and provide solid and more actionable evidence to inform treatment…

An international team of scientists has created a computational model that seeks to give a picture of multiple sclerosis (MS) at multiple biological scales, from tiny molecules to whole cells to organs and its effects on the body overall. “In this study we have…

In neurological inflammatory conditions like multiple sclerosis (MS), inflammatory immune cells may enter the brain through arachnoid cuff exit (ACE) points — newly discovered structures that normally seem to serve as a type of sewer system in the brain, helping to move out waste. Figuring out exactly how immune…

Scientists at The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) have developed a novel non-opioid compound, called FEM-1689, that is able to reduce pain related to nerve damage in animal models. Neuropathic pain, or pain caused by damage to nerves, is a common symptom of multiple sclerosis (MS)…

Scientists have developed a technique to more precisely map the myelin sheath, the fatty covering around nerve fibers that is damaged in multiple sclerosis (MS), in people undergoing an imaging scan. While further work is needed, its use “produced promising initial results,” the scientists wrote, noting that this…

Real-world data collected from a registry can be used to reliably compare the effectiveness of different multiple sclerosis (MS) treatments, so long as appropriate methodologies are employed to account for the messiness — what researchers call confounding bias — of real-world data, according to a new study. While registries…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who received a university-level education are more likely to be on disease-modifying treatment (DMT) in regions with a publicly funded healthcare system, a U.K.-based study suggests. Advanced education was also linked to treatment starting faster and high-efficacy…

People in the early stages of multiple sclerosis (MS) who have more spontaneous myelin repair in the cortex — the outermost layer of the brain that’s critical for higher cognitive abilities — are less likely to experience worsening disability, a new analysis suggests. These findings have important implications for…

New guidelines from the Spanish Society of Neurology emphasize the importance of early diagnosis and prompt treatment in the management of people with multiple sclerosis (MS). These guidelines also highlight a need to move beyond traditional views of “first line” and “second line” MS treatments, suggesting instead a…

In the U.S., pregnant people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who are Black or Hispanic tend to have more severe disability than their white counterparts, along with fewer socioeconomic resources, a new study indicates.  “What we are seeing is that underrepresented women with MS start their…

In people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who have previously received a stem cell transplant, a second transplant can be performed safely and may help stabilize disability. That’s according to the study “Second Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in Multiple Sclerosis: A Single-Center Prospective Experience,” which…

Problems with the workings of a protein called hnRNP A1 drives nerve death in multiple sclerosis (MS) by affecting how nerve cells process RNA, a study reports. RNA is an intermediary molecule that’s produced when genes are “read,” and it is used as a template for protein production. Abnormalities…

Genetic changes that predispose people to developing multiple sclerosis (MS) first emerged among herding populations who migrated to Eastern Europe thousands of years ago and then spread across the continent, new research has found. Researchers think these genetic variations may have helped turbocharge the immune system, making it easier…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) have high levels of T-cells in their spinal fluid that specifically target cells infected with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), according to a new study. These T-cells were found in samples collected from patients during their diagnostic workup in the early stages of…

In people with multiple sclerosis (MS), disability worsening independent of relapse activity — commonly known as “silent progression” — tends to be accompanied by greater atrophy, or shrinkage, in the spinal cord, as well as a higher number of lesions with chronic inflammation, known as paramagnetic rim lesions or…

In people with a family history of multiple sclerosis (MS), exclusive breastfeeding in the first months of life may reduce the risk of developing the disease later on, whereas use of cow’s milk or formula may increase MS risk. That’s according to a new study on the potential impact…

An analysis of data covering nearly 200 people with multiple sclerosis (MS) found no association between dairy or gluten consumption and MS disease activity. While some specific diets for MS tend to restrict gluten and/or dairy, this study found that people who ate these dietary products were as…

Throughout 2023, Multiple Sclerosis News Today brought consistent coverage to our readers of the latest scientific research, developments in treatment, and clinical trials for multiple sclerosis (MS). Here is a list of the top 10 most-read stories we published last year, along with a brief description. We look…