Posts by: Patricia Inacio, PhD

Patricia Inacio, PhD

Patricia holds her Ph.D. in Cell Biology from University Nova de Lisboa, and has served as an author on several research projects and fellowships, as well as major grant applications for European Agencies. She also served as a PhD student research assistant in the Laboratory of Doctor David A. Fidock, Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University, New York.

March 8, 2019March 12, 2019

Daily Cup of Flavonoid-rich Cocoa May Help Ease MS Fatigue

News

A daily cup of flavonoid-rich cocoa may help ease fatigue in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), according to the results of a small clinical trial. The study “A ... Read more

March 6, 2019March 6, 2019

#ACTRIMS2019 – Women Lack Guidance About Pregnancy After MS Diagnosis, Survey Says

News

Women diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) say they lack guidance regarding family planning, pregnancy, and breastfeeding, according to a survey. Sixteen percent of those women also reported they didn’t ... Read more

March 5, 2019March 11, 2019

#ACTRIMS2019 – TG Therapeutics’ Investigational Therapy Ublituximab Posts Positive Data in MS Phase 2 Clinical Trial

Aubagio, News

Full results of a Phase 2 clinical trial testing TG Therapeutics’ lead candidate ublituximab (TG-1101) for relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) showed that treatment for 48 weeks resulted in a marked reduction ... Read more

March 4, 2019March 4, 2019

#ACTRIMS2019 – Evobrutinib Significantly Reduces Brain Lesions in Relapsing MS, Phase 2 Trial Shows

News

Evobrutinib, Merck KGaA’s oral candidate for relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), is safe and can significantly reduce active brain lesions over 24 weeks of treatment, results of ongoing Phase 2 study ... Read more

February 25, 2019February 25, 2019

Podocalyxin Helps Protect Blood-brain Barrier During Inflammation, Mouse Study Shows

News

Podocalyxin, a protein found in cells lining the interior of blood vessels, is key for maintaining the integrity of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in mice with systemic infection, suggesting ... Read more

February 20, 2019March 11, 2019

Early Use of High-efficacy DMTs of Long-term Benefit to MS Patients, Real-world Study Reports

Aubagio, News

Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients given intensive disease-modifying therapies early in their disease course have more favorable long-term outcomes than those treated with an escalating regimen, real-world data shows. The ... Read more

February 6, 2019February 6, 2019

New Research About RhoE Protein Sheds Light on Two Problematic Processes in MS

News

The RhoE protein has been identified as being important for axons’  myelination and extension in the central nervous system, two processes that go awry in diseases like multiple sclerosis ... Read more

February 5, 2019February 6, 2019

Genetic Variants in Inflammasome Genes Influence MS Severity, Progression, Study Suggests

News

Genetic variants that enhance the activity of the NLRP3 inflammasome or the interleukin-1 beta cytokine are linked to higher severity and progression of multiple sclerosis, a study suggests. Previous studies ... Read more

January 30, 2019February 5, 2019

Brain Cells Key to Myelin Grown in Lab and Show Long-Term Survival Essential to Research, Study Reports

News

Stem cells tweaked in the laboratory have allowed researchers, reportedly for a first time, to generate and maintain ball-shaped cultures — called spheroids — of human brain cells in ... Read more

January 29, 2019March 6, 2019

Gilenya Better at Lowering Relapse Rate than Tecfidera or Aubagio, Study Suggests

Aubagio, News

Gilenya is linked to significantly lower annualized relapse rates in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients compared to Tecfidera or Aubagio, a study suggests. All three therapies showed similar effects on disability ... Read more

January 24, 2019January 24, 2019

Study of Myelin Debris Sheds Light on Brain Inflammation in MS

News

Endothelial cells, those lining the inside of small blood vessels, promote clearance of myelin debris — a common detrimental outcome of demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) or ... Read more

January 18, 2019January 24, 2019

Blood Stem Cell Transplant Better than DMTs at Reducing Risk of Disease Progression in RRMS

News

Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant is better than disease-modifying therapies (DMT) at reducing the risk of disease progression in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), results from the MIST ... Read more

January 14, 2019January 14, 2019

Typhoid Vaccine Treats MS by Promoting Regulatory T-cells, Mouse Study Reports

News

Treating a common animal model of multiple sclerosis (MS) with a typhoid vaccine eased disease symptoms by prompting T helper cells to stop production of a pro-inflammatory factor — interleukin (IL)-17 ... Read more

January 10, 2019January 10, 2019

Common Fungal Infection Can Breach the Brain and Impair Memory, Mouse Study Shows

News

Blood infection with the yeast Candida albicans, a type of fungus, can reach the brain and trigger an immune response, a new mouse study shows. Although the fungus can be cleared within ... Read more

January 8, 2019January 10, 2019

Immune Cells in the Gut Can Suppress Brain Inflammation in MS, Pre-clinical Study Finds

News

Immune cells in the intestine may reduce neuroimflammation in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, a pre-clinical study suggests. Moreover, the augmented number of these cells was sufficient to suppress brain ... Read more

January 3, 2019January 4, 2019

Excess of Single Transcription Factor Appears to Hinder Myelin Repair by Oligodendrocytes, Study Finds

News

Unusually high levels of a transcription factor called paired related homeobox protein 1 (PRRX1) in human oligodendrocyte progenitor cells hinders their ability to respond to the loss of myelin ... Read more

December 21, 2018December 21, 2018

Stem Cell Transplant Lessens Disability and Relapses in RRMS Patients, Phase 2 Trial Shows

News

Treatment with autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (aHSCT) led to a sustained decrease in disability and almost no clinical relapses in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) who had failed to respond to prior ... Read more

December 20, 2018December 20, 2018

Genetic Variant Linked to MS Affects More Than Immune Cells, Study Finds

News

A genetic variant associated with an increased risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) due to its impact on certain immune system cells can also affect brain cells called astrocytes, a ... Read more

December 10, 2018January 11, 2019

Microglia Cells Diverse with Distinct Subtypes and Certain Ones May Contribute to Inflammation, Study Finds

News

Microglia, the resident immune cells of the brain, were seen to change throughout the lifespan of mice in a study — and to be diverse, with distinct cell subtypes. ... Read more

December 6, 2018December 6, 2018

Fat Spheres Can Deliver DNA into Cells of Central Nervous System, Hold Therapeutic Potential

News

Non-viral vehicles, called niosomes, can deliver DNA to glial cells in the central nervous system, a new study shows. The findings open new avenues for gene therapy and the ... Read more

December 5, 2018December 7, 2018

Aspirin Suppresses MS Symptoms by Preventing Loss of Regulatory T-cells, Mouse Study Shows

News

Aspirin, administered orally at low doses, was sufficient to suppress multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms in a mouse model of relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) and chronic MS, a study reports. The ... Read more

December 4, 2018December 7, 2018

Small Molecule Linked to Cells That Control Myelin Production and Repair in Study

News

The formation of new myelin sheaths by oligodendrocytes is impaired in the absence of a small molecule, called Vav3, that oversees pathways regulating the shape of oligodendrocytes, new study ... Read more

November 29, 2018December 4, 2018

Adult Oligodendrocytes May Replenish Myelin Production in MS, Study Suggests

News

Mature, adult oligodendrocytes can reacquire their ability to produce myelin to replace the ones lost in diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS) without undergoing a stem cell-like state, a new ... Read more

November 28, 2018December 4, 2018

High Lipid Levels Associated with Increased Disability, Inflammation in RRMS Patients, Study Shows

News

High levels of certain lipids, or fat, in the blood are linked to increased disability scores and high levels of pro-inflammatory markers in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients, a small ... Read more

November 21, 2018November 21, 2018

Phase 1 Trial of ATA190 Cell Therapy Shows Promise in Treating Progressive MS

News

Atara Biotherapeutics’ investigational ATA190, a cell therapy that wipes out immune B-cells infected with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), led to neurological improvements and reduced symptoms in patients with primary ... Read more

November 20, 2018November 28, 2018

RRMS Diagnosed Most Often in Younger Women and PPMS in Older Men, European Study Reports

News

Women with multiple sclerosis are being diagnosed at younger ages and in greater numbers than men, except for those with primary progressive disease (PPMS), where men 50 or older tend ... Read more

November 13, 2018November 13, 2018

Inflammatory Th17 Cells Seen to Trigger Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in MS Mouse Model

News

The pro-inflammatory Th17 cells that characterize multiple sclerosis (MS) may also underlie symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), results of a mouse study show. The study, “Auto-Reactive Th17-Cells Trigger Obsessive-Compulsive-Disorder ... Read more

November 8, 2018November 13, 2018

Blocking Protein Called SARM1 Seen to Protect Nerve Cells from Damage Linked to MS

News

Blocking SARM1, a protein identified as a central mediator of nerve cell degeneration, works to prevent damage to axons — nerve cell fibers essential in cell-to-cell communication — and ... Read more

November 6, 2018November 6, 2018

Diabetes, Hypertension, Smoking Linked with Brain Shrinkage in MS Patients

News

Diabetes, hypertension, and active smoking correlate with more brain shrinkage in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, a new study shows. The study, “Assessing the burden of vascular risk factors on ... Read more

October 31, 2018November 6, 2018

National MS Society Invests in Clinical Development of Human Antibody for Progressive Forms of MS

News

Fast Forward, a nonprofit subsidiary of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, will invest up to $330,000 to advance the clinical development of an antibody that was shown to lessen inflammation ... Read more

October 26, 2018November 2, 2018

Infection with Common Herpes Virus Speeds MS-like Disease Onset and Progression in Primate Model, Study Reports

News

Infection with the most common member of the herpes virus family, called HHV-6, may pass unnoticed and without symptoms, but the very act of being infected significantly accelerated the development ... Read more

October 3, 2018November 16, 2018

Risk of Kidney Deterioration Low in MS Patients, Study Suggests

News

The rate of kidney deterioration as a result of bladder dysfunction due to multiple sclerosis (MS) is low, affecting only 3 percent of the patients, a single tertiary center ... Read more

September 20, 2018September 20, 2018

Lymphatic Vessels of Brain Carry Messages That Appear to Promote MS, Study Reports

News

Lymphatic vessels, the “roads” that work to clear waste material from the brain, can also carry messages that direct immune system attacks against myelin, promoting the onset of multiple ... Read more

September 19, 2018September 19, 2018

GeNeuro to Develop the MS Clinical Program of GNbAC1 Without Servier

News

GeNeuro announced it has reacquired from Servier the worldwide rights to commercialize and develop the investigational humanized antibody GNbAC1 for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). The decision came after Servier, a ... Read more

September 17, 2018October 16, 2018

Gilenya More Effective Than Avonex in Lowering Relapse Rates, New Lesions in Children with Relapsing MS, Phase 3 Trial Shows

News

Two years of treatment with oral Gilenya (fingolimod) significantly reduced the rate of relapses when compared to Avonex (interferon beta-1a) intramuscular injections in children and adolescents with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis ... Read more

September 5, 2018September 5, 2018

Higher Levels of Neurofilament Light Chain in Blood and Cerebrospinal Fluid Found in MS Patients, Supporting its Prognostic Potential

News

A meta-analysis of 13 case-control studies shows that the levels of the protein neurofilament light chain (NFL) are significantly higher in both the cerebrospinal fluid and blood of multiple ... Read more

August 31, 2018September 7, 2018

Cell-free Mitochondrial DNA in Cerebrospinal Fluid of Progressive MS Patients May Point to Neurodegeneration

News

Cerebrospinal fluid of progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) patients may carry lower levels of cell-free mitochondrial DNA, according to a team of researchers who say this may be a sign ... Read more

August 29, 2018September 4, 2018

Small Molecule TDP6 Activates Myelin Regeneration in Mice with MS, Other Diseases, Study Finds

News

A small synthetic molecule called TDP6 mimics a natural growth factor and promotes myelin regeneration in a mouse model of demyelination diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study ... Read more

August 24, 2018August 27, 2018

Cannabidiol Increases Inflammatory Suppressor Cells, New MS Mouse Study Shows

News

Non-psychoactive cannabidiol (CBD), one of the active compounds in medical cannabis, significantly reduced clinical signs of multiple sclerosis (MS)-like disease in an experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis mouse model. Researchers found that CBD ... Read more

August 22, 2018August 24, 2018

Myelocortical MS, New Disease Subtype Marked by Nerve Cell But Not Myelin Loss, Identified in Study

News

Researchers have identified a new subtype of multiple sclerosis (MS), one marked by nerve cell degeneration that occurs independently of immune system attacks against myelin, a process known as ... Read more