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 21, 2020January 24, 2020

Mayzent Approved in Europe as First Oral Treatment for Active Secondary Progressive MS

News, SPMS

The European Commission has approved Novartis‘s Mayzent (siponimod) as the first oral treatment for adults with active secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). Active SPMS is defined by the presence of evident relapses or the ... Read more

January 15, 2020January 15, 2020

Almost Half of MS Patients Change or Stop DMT Due to High Financial Burden, Survey Shows

News

The high cost of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for multiple sclerosis (MS), and the challenging process of insurance approval, lead to treatment gaps or alterations, increased symptoms, and sacrifices in ... Read more

January 14, 2020January 14, 2020

MS Progression Affected by Degree of Relapse Recovery and Timing of DMT Use, Study Says

News

Recovering well after a first relapse and starting a disease-modifying therapy (DMT) immediately afterward considerably increases the likelihood of slowing progression in multiple sclerosis (MS), a study suggests. Its findings ... Read more

January 8, 2020January 8, 2020

Study Links FTO Gene Mutation to Obesity, Increased Disability in MS Patients

News

A common mutation in the fat-mass obesity (FTO) gene is associated with obesity and increased disability in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a Kuwaiti study. The data, which ... Read more

January 7, 2020January 7, 2020

Probiotics Show Potential to Prevent, Delay Development of MS, Study Finds

News

Probiotics show potential to prevent and delay the development of multiple sclerosis (MS) by changing immune and inflammatory responses, according to a review study. Data further support the link ... Read more

November 20, 2019November 20, 2019

Pregnancy Does Not Change Long-term Course of MS, New Data Suggest

News

Pregnancy does not lead to long-term changes in the disease course of multiple sclerosis (MS), new research suggests. This work, which emphasizes the importance of careful data analysis, supports studies disputing ... Read more

November 12, 2019November 12, 2019

Long-term IFN-Beta Treatment Normalizes Immune Balance in RRMS, Study Shows

News

Long-term treatment with interferon beta (IFN-beta) corrects the defective immune balance characteristic of people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), a study has found. The study also identified more than 200 genes ... Read more

November 6, 2019November 6, 2019

Specific FOXP3 Mutation Linked to Greater Likelihood of MS in Brazilian Women, Study Reports

News

A specific mutation in the FOXP3 gene, one already linked to multiple sclerosis in the Iranian population, was now also seen to increase the risk of MS in Brazilian women, a ... Read more

October 30, 2019October 30, 2019

Unemployment Risk Factors in MS Vary with Age, Study Suggests

News

Physical symptoms and poorer coping mechanisms are major risk factors for unemployment in younger and older people with multiple sclerosis (MS), while psychological problems have the greatest impact in ... Read more

October 25, 2019October 25, 2019

Higher Intellectual Ability, Early-life Physical Activity May Protect Against Cognitive Impairment in MS, Study Suggests

News

Higher intellectual ability and physical activity during childhood and adolescence may help protect against the development of cognitive impairment in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), an Italian study suggests. ... Read more

October 22, 2019October 22, 2019

Endothelin-1 a Potential Biomarker of Severity and Recovery from Optic Neuritis in MS, Study Suggests

News

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) — a molecule with potent blood vessel-narrowing (vasoconstrictive) properties — may be used as a biomarker of severity for optic neuritis in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), ... Read more

October 10, 2019October 10, 2019

Blocking LRP1 May Halt Inflammation, Promote Remyelination, Mouse Study Suggests

News

Blocking production of the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1) — involved in inflammatory and immune responses — specifically in myelin repair cells halts neuroinflammation and promotes myelin repair, a ... Read more

September 9, 2019September 10, 2019

Inflammation Hijacks Myelin Repair Cells to Promote Immune Attacks, Study Shows

News

Brain inflammation in multiple sclerosis (MS) hijacks immature myelin repair cells, not only preventing myelin restoration but also promoting sustained inflammation and immune attacks against myelin, a preclinical study shows. The ... Read more

September 4, 2019September 4, 2019

Targeting Inflammatory Th17 Cells to Slow MS Disability Possible with Fewer Side Effects, Study Suggests

News

Scientists may have found a way to manipulate T-helper 17 (Th17) cells so as to lower their ability to trigger inflammation, delaying the onset of multiple sclerosis (MS) in a mouse ... Read more

August 26, 2019September 3, 2019

Persistent MS-related Fatigue Linked to Damage in Specific Brain Regions, Study Finds

News

Persistent fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with damage in specific areas of the brain, regardless of depression symptoms, a study shows. The study, “Microstructural fronto-striatal ... Read more

August 6, 2019August 6, 2019

Phase 1 Study Finds T20K, Plant Protein-derived Compound for MS, Safe and Tolerable, Cyxone Says

News

A Phase 1 clinical trial found T20K, Cyxone’s investigational plant protein-derived treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS), to be safe and well-tolerated in healthy men, and raising the possibility that it might work ... Read more

September 6, 2018September 6, 2018

Tysabri Seen to Improve Cognition in RRMS Patients Over 2 Years in Retrospective Study

News

Tysabri (natalizumab) was reported in a small retrospective study to significantly improve cognitive abilities in people with relapsing-remitting MS patients (RRMS) over two years of use. The study, “Improvement in Cognitive ... Read more

September 4, 2018September 6, 2018

Spasticity Scales May Not Be Sufficiently Informative of Sativex Benefits in MS Patients, Small Study Suggests

News

Spasticity scales may be insufficient to reflect the actual benefits of Sativex (nabiximols) treatment on spasticity symptoms in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a small case series ... Read more

August 30, 2018September 3, 2018

Tecfidera, Gilenya Equally Effective, But More MS Patients Stop Tecfidera, Real-World Study Shows

News

Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate) and Gilenya (fingolimod) are equally effective in treating multiple sclerosis (MS), but Tecfidera shows higher rates of discontinuation, according to a real-world study. The study, “Discontinuation and comparative effectiveness ... Read more

August 17, 2018August 24, 2018

Most MS Patients OK With Intravenous Treatment Conditions, Study Suggests

News

Most patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) are satisfied with the conditions of their intravenous therapy (administered directly into the bloodstream) and are very aware of the therapy’s safety, according to ... Read more

August 3, 2018August 7, 2018

Blood Levels of IgG3 Antibodies May Predict Faster Shift to MS in Clinically Isolated Syndrome Patients, Study Says

News

Higher-than-usual levels of specific antibodies in the blood of patients with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) may predict a faster progression to multiple sclerosis, an Australian study reports. The specific antibody is known ... Read more

August 1, 2018August 9, 2018

Ozanimod Effectively Lowers Relapse Rates in MS Patients, Data from 2-Year Extension Study Show

News

Being treated with ozanimod consistently reduced disease activity in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), according to results of a two-year extension of a Phase 2 trial. These benefits were ... Read more

April 24, 2018April 24, 2018

Compound Produced by Immune Cells May Hold Promise for Multiple Sclerosis

News

A compound produced by immune cells is able to treat psoriasis – a skin disorder – in mice, and may be effective against other autoimmune diseases, such as multiple ... Read more

December 27, 2017December 20, 2017

U.K. Survey Supports Likelihood of Link Between Chicken Pox-Shingles Virus and MS

News

A large U.K. survey assessing the frequency of chickenpox and shingles in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients suggests a link between these diseases and MS, researchers report, suggesting their findings ... Read more

December 5, 2017December 5, 2017

Laquinimod Fails to Slow Brain Atrophy and PPMS Progression, Says Developer Active Biotech

News

Sweden’s Active Biotech said its experimental therapy Laquinimod failed to meet the primary and secondary objectives of Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating the drug’s potential to treat primary progressive multiple sclerosis. Laquinimod, also known as Nerventra or ABR-215062, ... Read more

December 1, 2017December 2, 2017

Mayo Clinic Develops Test to Distinguish Other Demyelinating Diseases from MS

News

The Mayo Clinic has developed a test that allows doctors to distinguish other inflammatory demyelinating diseases from multiple sclerosis in the early stages of a disorder. The test, the ... Read more

November 22, 2017November 22, 2017

Smoking Alters DNA-based Mechanism That Influences Gene Activity in MS, Study Confirms

News

Smoking changes a DNA-based mechanism that influences multiple sclerosis patients’ gene activity, a Swedish study confirms. Another finding was that MS appears to aggravate the harmful effects of smoking. ... Read more

November 9, 2017November 14, 2017

Survey Helps Improve Communication Between Women with MS and Healthcare Providers

News

A national survey in the U.S. revealed that 98% of women newly diagnosed with multiple sclerosis struggle to discuss important personal concerns with their healthcare team. The survey was conducted ... Read more