Posts by: Marta Figueiredo

Marta Figueiredo

Marta Figueiredo holds a BSc in Biology and a MSc in Evolutionary and Developmental Biology from the University of Lisbon, Portugal. She is currently finishing her PhD in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Lisbon, where she focused her research on the role of several signalling pathways in thymus and parathyroid glands embryonic development.

January 27, 2021January 27, 2021

Mouse Study Links Cortical Inflammation to Immune Cell Destruction

News

Multiple sclerosis (MS)-associated inflammation in the cerebral cortex — the outermost layer of the brain that is involved in cognitive function — prompts the destruction of neural connections by ... Read more

January 26, 2021January 26, 2021

Innodem to Advance Way of Diagnosing, Tracking MS via Eye Movement

News

Innodem Neurosciences received $6 million to advance its digital biomarker eye-tracking technology as a possible way of diagnosing and monitoring neurodegenerative diseases. The technology is now being tested in people ... Read more

January 22, 2021January 22, 2021

#ACTRIMS2021 – Forum to Focus on Several MS-related Spectrums

News

The upcoming Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) 2021 Forum will focus on the spectrums of multiple sclerosis (MS), related inflammation, disease severity, and the latest ... Read more

January 22, 2021January 22, 2021

SERPINA3 Nerve Injury-induced Protein May Be Biomarker of PPMS

News

People with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) have significantly higher levels of a nerve injury-induced protein, called SERPINA3, in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) than do those with relapsing-remitting MS ... Read more

January 19, 2021January 19, 2021

Ocrevus Targets Pro-inflammatory T-cells, Not Just B-cells, in PPMS, Study Finds

News, Ocrevus

In addition to significantly reducing subsets of B-cells — its main immune cell target — Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) lessens pro-inflammatory immune T-cells in people with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS), a ... Read more

January 18, 2021January 18, 2021

Tonix Files for Patent for TNX-1500 to Treat Autoimmune Diseases

News

Tonix Pharmaceuticals has filed a patent application with the World Intellectual Property Organization covering the use of TNX-1500 — its third-generation anti-CD154 antibody — for the prevention and treatment ... Read more

January 15, 2021January 15, 2021

Sexual Dysfunction Common in Men with MS, Review Finds

News

Sexual dysfunction affects more than 60% of adult men with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a review study. The data add to previous findings showing that more than two-thirds ... Read more

January 14, 2021January 14, 2021

New Technique May Help Isolate, Characterize T-cells in MS Research

News

Scientists at the UCLA Broad Stem Cell Research Center have developed a technique able to more efficiently isolate specific T-cells — immune cells involved not only in the fight ... Read more

January 11, 2021January 14, 2021

BioNTech Vaccine Treats MS in Mice Without Dampening Immune System

News

BioNTech’s experimental non-inflammatory vaccine — designed to dampen the abnormal immune responses seen in multiple sclerosis (MS) against myelin — delayed the onset and lessened the severity of symptoms ... Read more

December 29, 2020January 4, 2021

Dosing Finishes in Trial of NurOwn Cell Therapy for Progressive MS

News

Patient dosing has finished in a Phase 2 clinical trial testing NurOwn, BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics’ investigational cell-based therapy for people with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), the company announced. The trial’s ... Read more

December 18, 2020December 21, 2020

Mayzent Aids Cognitive Processing Speed in SPMS Patients, Trial Suggests

News

Mayzent (siponimod) significantly improved cognitive processing speed in people with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) compared with a placebo, according to additional analyses of two-year data from the EXPAND Phase ... Read more

December 15, 2020December 15, 2020

FDA Approves Shorter Infusion Time for MS Therapy Ocrevus

News

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a shorter infusion time of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) for treating relapsing or primary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). Infusion refers to the slow ... Read more

December 14, 2020December 14, 2020

Ublituximab Superior to Aubagio at Lowering Relapse Rates, Phase 3 Data Show

News

Ublituximab, an investigational anti-CD20 antibody, outperformed Aubagio (teriflunomide) in lowering the frequency of relapses among people with active, relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to top-line data from ... Read more

December 11, 2020December 11, 2020

Inflammatory Environment in MS Impairs Myelin Debris-clearing by Immune Cells

News

The pro-inflammatory environment characteristic of multiple sclerosis (MS) reduces the levels of PPAR-gamma — a receptor protein whose activation dampens inflammation — and impairs myelin processing in immune cells that ... Read more

December 9, 2020December 9, 2020

Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplant With NG-01 Treatment Shows Promise in Progressive MS

News

Treatment with NG-01 — an approach that uses patients’ own mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) — safely and effectively delayed disease progression in people with active, progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), according ... Read more

December 1, 2020December 1, 2020

Virtual Reality-based Rehabilitation May Improve Upper Limb Function in MS Patients, Review Finds

News

Motor rehabilitation using virtual reality (VR) may improve hand and arm function in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a review study. Evidence of its beneficial effect is, ... Read more

December 1, 2020December 1, 2020

MS Patients at Higher Risk of Bladder Cancer, But Not Breast, Colorectal Cancer

News

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) are at a higher risk of developing and dying from bladder cancer than people without the neurodegenerative disorder, according to a Canadian population-based study. However, ... Read more

November 30, 2020December 2, 2020

Novartis, iHeartRadio Partner to Launch 1st Streaming Station for MS Community

News

Novartis has partnered with iHeartRadio to launch the first free on-demand streaming radio station dedicated to the multiple sclerosis (MS) community. Named MS Vibes, the station is focused “on popular music, ... Read more

November 25, 2020November 26, 2020

Gut Immune Cells That Travel to Brain May Help Resolve MS Disease Relapses

News

A particular type of gut microbiota-reactive immune cells, called IgA-producing B-cells, travels to the brain of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients during relapses, where they produce anti-inflammatory molecules, a study ... Read more

November 23, 2020November 23, 2020

Early Use of Ocrevus Best for Slowing PPMS Progression, Long-term Data Show

News

Early and continuous use of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) significantly slows disability progression and delays the time until wheelchair reliance in people with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS), new Phase 3 data spanning ... Read more

November 20, 2020November 20, 2020

Smartphone Typing Patterns May Be Tool for Monitoring MS Progression, Study Finds

News

Typing patterns in daily smartphone use show clinically relevant changes over time in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), but not among healthy individuals, a study shows. Notably, these variations ... Read more

November 20, 2020November 20, 2020

MS Patients With Depression Symptoms Have More Difficulty Multitasking, Study Shows

News

Patients in the early stages of multiple sclerosis with mild to moderate symptoms of depression performed worse on cognitive tests related to multitasking than on those focused on single ... Read more

November 20, 2020November 20, 2020

Autoimmune Registry Releases Comprehensive US List of These Diseases

News

The nonprofit Autoimmune Registry (ARI) has published its first comprehensive list of autoimmune diseases, with information addressing more than 150 disorders, their subtypes, and prevalence in the U.S. This list ... Read more

November 17, 2020November 17, 2020

TEPP-46 Might Worsen MS Rather Than Treat It, Study Suggests

News

Using a small molecule called TEPP-46 to block the non-metabolic function of the enzyme pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) in T-helper (Th) immune cells did not lessen disease severity and ... Read more

November 11, 2020November 11, 2020

Additional Group of RRMS Patients Sought to Take Lower Dose of IMU-838 in Phase 2 Trial

News

Immunic Therapeutics is seeking 60 more adults with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) to test a lower dose of IMU-838, its leading oral experimental therapy, in its ongoing Phase 2 EMPhASIS ... Read more

November 10, 2020November 11, 2020

Stem Cell Transplant More Effective Than Lemtrada in Treating RRMS, Study Suggests

News

An autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (AHSCT) is more effective than Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) at achieving no evidence of disease activity and preventing relapses in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), a real-life ... Read more

November 2, 2020November 15, 2020

Ocrevus Still Reigns for Progressive MS, Spherix Reports, But Challenges Noted

News

Genentech’s Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) continues to be the most prescribed treatment for people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) among U.S. neurologists, according to the latest Spherix Global Insights’ report. However, Novartis’ Mayzent (siponimod) “is beginning ... Read more

October 30, 2020October 30, 2020

Adults With MS Wanted for 12-week Trial Assessing Health Benefits of Tele-exercise

News

Adults with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological disorders are being recruited to take part in a 12-week clinical trial that aims to assess the health benefits of home-based ... Read more

October 29, 2020October 29, 2020

MD1003 Fails to Prevent Disability Progression in Progressive MS Patients, Trial Shows

News

MD1003, MedDay Pharmaceuticals’ high-dose biotin therapy, failed to significantly improve functional ability or walking speed in people with non-active progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), according to data from a Phase 3 ... Read more

October 27, 2020November 14, 2020

Metabolic Enzyme PKM2 a Potential Therapeutic Target for MS, Preclinical Study Suggests

News

Suppressing pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) — an enzyme involved in cellular metabolism — in T-helper (Th) immune cells lessened myelin loss and disease severity in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS). Myelin, the ... Read more

October 26, 2020October 26, 2020

Biogen Discontinues Development of Opicinumab for MS

News

Biogen is discontinuing the clinical development of opicinumab, its experimental treatment candidate for multiple sclerosis (MS), based on data from the Phase 2 AFFINITY clinical trial. The announcement, amid a third-quarter report, indicated ... Read more

October 23, 2020October 26, 2020

New Genetic Variants Found in African Americans of European Ancestry at Higher MS Risk

News

Two genetic variants have been identified by researchers within a genome region previously reported to drive a 1.44-times increased risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) in a group of African ... Read more

October 22, 2020October 22, 2020

Impact of Gut Microbiota in MS More Complex Than Thought, Study Shows

News

The presence of a particular gut bacterium widely used in probiotics, called Lactobacillus reuteri (L. reuteri), was sufficient to increase disease severity in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis ... Read more

October 21, 2020December 10, 2020

Immune Cells’ Ability to Clear Myelin Debris Is Potential Therapeutic Approach for MS, Mouse Study Shows

News

Oral administration of trehalose — a sugar molecule found in plants and fungi and reported to have neuroprotective effects — eased symptoms and halted disease progression in a mouse model of multiple ... Read more

October 20, 2020October 20, 2020

Majority of MS Patients in US Report Mistreatment by Caregivers in Survey

News

In a nationwide survey of caregiver abuse and neglect among Americans with advanced multiple sclerosis (MS), more than half of respondents reported some form of mistreatment, with psychological and financial abuse ... Read more

October 9, 2020January 18, 2021

Simple Sugar Molecule May Be Potential Myelin-repairing Therapy for MS

News

Oral administration of N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) — a natural simple sugar sold as a dietary supplement — prevents myelin degeneration and loss of motor function in a mouse model of multiple ... Read more

September 30, 2020September 30, 2020

Iron Deficiency May Be Linked to Depression and Poorer Life Quality

News

Low blood levels of ferritin — the main form of iron stored in cells — are significantly associated with more severe depressive symptoms and poorer quality of life in ... Read more

September 24, 2020September 24, 2020

Older Age at DMT Discontinuation Linked to Sustained NEDA in CIS Patients

News

Older age at disease-modifying therapy (DMT) discontinuation is the main predictive factor of sustained “no evidence of disease activity” (NEDA) in people starting DMT immediately after being diagnosed with ... Read more

September 22, 2020September 22, 2020

NIH Awards $2.3M to Bioengineer to Advance Diagnosis, Treatment of Autoimmune Diseases

News

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded a $2.3 million grant to a bioengineer at Indiana University’s Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering to improve diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune diseases, ... Read more