Marisa Wexler, MS, senior science writer —

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…

A 20-week talk therapy program led to significant reductions in fatigue for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) — benefits that were sustained to the end of the year-long trial regardless of whether patients participated in additional booster sessions. Such sessions were offered two and four months after the end…

Natural killer (NK) cells, a type of immune cell, are critical for preventing an immune response against an infecting virus from triggering multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study shows. “Our study demonstrates that the main protective factors against MS are distinct cytotoxic [cell-killing] NK cell responses,” the researchers wrote…

The molecular process that brings vitamin B12 into the brain can also transport Gilenya (fingolimod), an approved treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new study. The finding “supports creating brain-targeted B12 formulations” for MS, said Jerold Chun, MD, PhD, co-author of the study at Sanford Burnham…

A novel compound that can lessen toxic overactivation of nerve cells was found to significantly reduce disease activity and restore lost myelin in two mouse models of multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study reports. Researchers say the compound, ZCAN262, may be a potential new treatment for MS should future…

Elderly adults with multiple sclerosis (MS) who adhere more to a Mediterranean diet tend to have less severe disability and fewer mental health, sleep, and cognitive problems, according to a new study. “This study has provided evidence that adopting [a Mediterranean diet] at higher levels was associated with lower…

The Phase 3 EVOLUTION clinical trials have failed to demonstrate that evobrutinib is more effective than the approved medication Aubagio (teriflunomide) at preventing disease flares in people with relapsing types of multiple sclerosis (MS). The findings, which were shared by the drug’s developer Merck KGaA (known…

Treatment with essential oils derived from green tea or pumpkin reduced brain damage in a rat model of multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study reports. The oils also helped to restore the abnormal levels of neurotransmitters — chemical messengers that nerve cells use to communicate — and reduce markers…

A new clinical trial in Australia, called PLATYPUS, will simultaneously test two medications that have already been approved for other conditions in people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). The study, expected to launch in January, will use an adaptive design, meaning data will be analyzed as…

A novel therapy in which neural stem cells are injected into the brain was well tolerated by 15 people with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) in a pilot clinical trial. Participants’ disability levels and cognition, as well as markers of inflammation and nerve damage, all remained stable for up…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who discontinue a disease-modifying treatment are more likely to have greater long-term disability than patients who continue with such therapies or go untreated, a registry database study reports. Findings also suggest that patients who self-report better mobility early in their disease course also…

Pixyl.Neuro, a next-generation software that uses artificial intelligence (AI) in analyzing MRI scans to help detect and monitor multiple sclerosis (MS) disease activity, has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for clinical use. 510(k) clearance is required for medical devices used in the…