Patricia Inacio, PhD,  science writer—

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 (RMS), according to Phase 3 clinical trial results. Additionally, Gilenya (marketed by Novartis) decreased the number of central nervous…

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 sclerosis (MS) patients, compared to healthy controls. This finding adds to previous evidence supporting the usefulness of NFL as a…

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 of neurodegeneration among these patients. The study “Cell-free mitochondrial DNA in progressive multiple sclerosis” was published in the journal Mitochondrion.

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 from Australia shows. TDP6 works by targeting a receptor at the surface of myelin-producing cells called oligodendrocytes. The study, “…

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 promoted the increase of inflammatory-suppressor cells called myeloid-derived suppressor cells. The findings were reported in the study “Cannabidiol Attenuates Experimental Autoimmune…

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 demyelination and considered a hallmark of MS. The new subtype — called myelocortical MS — is indistinguishable from others in the…

The levels of three small, regulatory RNA molecules — long non-coding RNAs — are deregulated in blood samples of patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), a study reports. The long non-coding RNAs are involved in the regulation of the natural immune response and DNA-damage response, supporting the theory that these…

Long-term treatment with disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) appears to lessen the risk of disease worsening in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients, an 18-year follow-up study suggests. But these therapies were not seen to benefit those who had progressed to secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). The study, “Onset of secondary…

A genetic variant close to a gene called interferon regulatory factor 6 (IRF6) may help to predict those multiple sclerosis (MS) patients most at risk of liver injury while using interferon-beta therapies, a study reports. The study, “Common variation near IRF6 is associated with IFN-β-induced liver injury in multiple sclerosis” was published…

Evaluating the local differences in iron accumulation in the deep gray matter of the brain using a special magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique, may help identify multiple sclerosis (MS) patients at greater risk for disease progression and disability, a study reports. The study “Brain Iron by Using Quantitative MRI…

Nicotine, the active agent in tobacco, and amyloid proteins, which underlie Alzheimer’s disease, bind to a receptor present in certain immune cells and work to lessen inflammation, a study reports. Activating this receptor — called the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor — was seen to ease multiple sclerosis (MS) progression in…

New research shows that overreactive and tissue-damaging T-cells can transition into regulatory T-cells that help to control the immune system’s response. These findings open the door to further understanding of the mechanism underlying this transition, knowledge that can help scientists in designing more effective, targeted immunotherapies for diseases like multiple…

Greater exposure to sunlight during the winter months — part of a person’s lifetime exposure to ultraviolet radiation — can help to lower the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS), a large U.S. cohort study suggests. The study, “Lifetime exposure to ultraviolet radiation and the risk of multiple sclerosis in…

Genentech‘s Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), approved in March 2017, has fueled a sea change in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in the U.S., leading to an increased interest in disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for progressive forms of MS. Now, other potential treatment choices for progressive MS forms will likely…

A new fluorescent imaging strategy allows researchers to track T-cells and further understand their dynamics in vivo, giving them insight into what happens when these immune cells attack myelin in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS). The new technology was reported in the study, “A timer for…

MyHealthTeams together with Biogen launched a new online tool center, called MS and Cognition Resource Center, to educate multiple sclerosis (MS) patients on brain health, and to help them better understand how MS impacts the brain and how they might manage the cognitive challenges the disease brings.

New retrospective analysis of the Phase 3 CLARITY study (NCT00213135) shows that treatment with Mavenclad (cladribine tablets) improved annualized relapse rate and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) outcomes in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), regardless of their age. Moreover, the effectiveness of Mavenclad was comparable to five standard therapies…

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) used to assess inflammation in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients should include scans of the spinal cord and not be restricted to the brain, because brain scans alone risk underestimating disease progression, a study suggests. These results were shared in the presentation, “Measuring disease activity in…

Levels of neurofilament light chain are a reliable predictor of disease worsening and progression in relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) patients, a new study shows. Moreover, treatment with Gilenya (fingolimod), marketed by Novartis, can reduce the levels of NfL for up to 10 years. These findings were shared recently in the presentation “…

Analysis of post-mortem brain samples from multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and healthy individuals (without neurologic disease) showed that while signs of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection are present in both groups of brains, EBV-positive immune cells were more prevalent and densely populated in the MS brain. The study reporting those findings,…

Researchers have unveiled a new cell death mechanism called pyroptosis — also known as “fiery death” — as a main factor driving neurodegeneration and loss of myelin in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). An inhibitor of pyroptosis, currently undergoing testing in human clinical trials for epilepsy, decreased central nervous system inflammation…

Inhibiting an oxidative stress enzyme called myeloperoxidase protects the blood-brain barrier in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS), limiting the migration of immune cells and halting their attack on nerve cells, researchers have found. Disruption of the blood-brain barrier is a hallmark of various disorders, including MS, and when…

Patients with active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) continue to show improvement — lesser functional disability across a variety of measures — and often without the need for continuous treatment after taking Lemtrada for two years, according to six-year results from the CARE-MS II extension study. These results were shared in a…

New results from a Phase 2 trial evaluating TG Therapeutics’ ublituximab continue to support the therapy’s efficacy in treating relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). This investigative infusion therapy is now moving into a Phase 3 study. Treatment with 450 mg of ublituximab delivered intravenously in a rapid fashion…

Oryzon Genomics will give updates on its leading investigational product ORY-2001, a brain-targeting epigenetic therapy now in a Phase 2 clinical trial recruiting multiple sclerosis patients, at a series of scientific conferences. According to a press release, these include two conferences in the United States, the 2018 BIO…

Metabolites produced by microbes in the gut can ease inflammation in the central nervous system by limiting the damage done by microglia, an immune cell of the brain, an early study reports. Its scientists suggest this gut-brain axis may open new avenues to treatment. “These findings provide a clear understanding of how…

Infection with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus triggers expression of a factor called TOX in immune cells strengthening their migration into the brain and promoting damaging effects, including inflammation and tissue destruction. These findings represent a new piece of the puzzle about the mechanism underlying autoimmune diseases  like multiple sclerosis (MS).

A potential biomarker — the ratio of antibody proteins in cerebrospinal fluid at the time of diagnosis — was seen to predict which  multiple sclerosis patients will progress into full-blow disability some five years after being diagnosed in a new study. If confirmed in larger clinical studies, this biomarker could to…

A new class of indoline derivatives shows potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities capable of decreasing inflammation in the brain, new research shows. This finding highlights the potential of the new compounds in chronic inflammatory diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS). The study “Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Derivatives of Indoline as…

Treatment with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) is linked to a reduced immune response to vaccinations in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a Phase 3 trial. These results were recently presented at the 2018 American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Annual Meeting in Los Angeles in a presentation titled, “Effect of Ocrelizumab on Vaccine Responses in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis.” Genentech’s Ocrevus is an approved MS therapy that targets the CD20 protein located on the surface of B-cells, targeting the cells for destruction. B-cells are immune system cells involved, for example, in the production of antibodies necessary to fight off infection. At the AAN meeting, researchers reported that in MS patients, treatment with Ocrevus decreased the ability of B-cells to activate other immune cells, improving the rate of MS attacks. Penn Medicine neurologist Amit Bar-Or, MD, presented these findings, which showed that interactions between different classes of immune cells, such as B- and T-cells, promote MS attacks. Vaccination against infections is an important part of the management of patients with MS. So, in a second study (NCT02545868), researchers investigated the impact treatment with Ocrevus has on patient response to vaccines. They recruited 102 patients with relapsing MS and randomized them in two groups. In group A, 68 people received a single dose of 600 mg Ocrevus (administered into the blood); in group B, 34 patients received no disease-modifying therapy or interferon-beta. All patients were then administered vaccines for tetanus, seasonal flu, and pneumococcus. Patients in group A received the vaccines 12 weeks after they were treated with Ocrevus, while group B patients received the vaccines on day one. Researchers also tested patients’ response to a novel protein (an antigen) never "seen" by their immune system, called keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) neoantigen. The vaccinations led to an immune system response in all patients, but the level of response in patients treated with Ocrevus was lower. A positive response to the tetanus vaccine at eight weeks after treatment was 23.9% in group A (Ocrevus) compared with 54.5% in group B (no treatment); the response to pneumococcus vaccination was 71.6% in group A and 100% in group B. After four weeks of treatment, the levels of antibodies against the different strains of the flu virus were lower in Ocrevus-treated patients than in the control group, ranging from 55.6% to 80.0% in the Ocrevus group compared with 75.0% to 97.0% in the controls. The immune response to the neoantigen KLH was also decreased in the Ocrevus group. "This study shows that while people with MS treated with ocrelizumab [Ocrevus] can still mount vaccine responses, it's not nearly as strong as prior to treatment," Bar-Or said in a press release. "While antibody responses were reduced in the ocrelizumab treated patients, they still responded to a certain level," he said. "This is valuable information in terms of seasonal vaccines such as the flu — it appears safe for patients taking ocrelizumab to get vaccinated and vaccination is likely to provide them with at least some protection from such infections." These findings correlate with standard guidelines that advise patients to undergo vaccinations six weeks before they start treatment with Ocrevus.