Özge Özkaya, PhD,  —

Researchers managed to retrain the immune system to ignore antigens that trigger an autoimmune reaction. This approach alleviated the symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) and type 1 diabetes in a mouse model.

Switching from Gilenya (fingolimod) to Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) triggers significant and unexpected disease activity in some patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study published in the scientific journal Neurology Neuroimmunology and Neuroinflammation.

Family members of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who are asymptomatic but at a higher risk of developing the disease themselves are more likely to have early signs of the disease, according to a study published in JAMA Neurology and titled "Assessment of Early Evidence of Multiple Sclerosis in a Prospective Study of Asymptomatic High-Risk Family Members". These people should therefore be closely monitored.

Genetically silencing the transcription factor Nrf2 in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS) results in visual deficits, inflammation of the optic nerve, and degeneration of the retinal ganglion cells (RGC), according to a study published in the scientific journal Molecular Vision.

Researchers showed that it could be possible to treat and cure inflammatory diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) by injecting a single dose of biodegradable polymer particles containing myelin self-antigen into the lymph nodes.

Multiple sclerosis seems to be less severe in people with higher levels of the minor adult hemoglobin variant A2 (HbA2) in their blood, according to a team of Turkish researchers. This could be due to this variant having a higher protective effect on the red blood cell membrane. The authors speculate that HbA2 could therefore be playing a role in reducing long-term neural injury in MS.

The 37th annual congress of The European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) will take place in London between 14 – 17 September 2016.

Gut microbiota (the ecological community of microorganisms that live in the gut) may be an important environmental risk factor for multiple sclerosis (MS). This suggests that strategies to correct the imbalance in the normal intestinal flora, also known as microbial dysbiosis may help treat or event prevent MS.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) might be an option to treat spasticity, one of the more common symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a literature review conducted by researchers from Universidad de Castilla la Mancha, Toledo and Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos de Toledo, in Spain.

While the amount of vitamin D supplements, that should be taken by people with MS is not clear, the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN), Vitamin D working group recently published a report recommending that everyone aged 4 and above should take 10 μg (400 IU) of vitamin D each day.

Biogen, announced that TYSABRI, a drug developed to treat people with multiple sclerosis (MS) has received a positive opinion from the European Medicine Agency (EMA) recommending its approval to be used in people with elapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).

A new study suggests a strong association in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients between high levels of fatigue and mental health, quality of life (QoL), and the ability to move about and participate in daily activities, although disability is not related to fatigue levels.  These findings are of importance and highlight the…