Patricia Inacio, PhD,  science writer—

Patricia holds her PhD in cell biology from the University Nova de Lisboa, Portugal, 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 Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University, New York, for which she was awarded a Luso-American Development Foundation (FLAD) fellowship.

Articles by Patricia Inacio

#ECTRIMS2016 – Investigational Leustatin Tablets Offer Clinical Benefits to Different MS Patients

Leustatin (cladribine) tablets, an investigational drug, were shown to be effective at reducing annual relapse rates, not only in MS patients, but also in patients with a first demyelinating event who later converted to a clinically defined multiple sclerosis diagnosis. The results were shared in a presentation titled “Cladribine tablets in the ORACLE-MS…

#ECTRIMS2016 – Benefits of Gilenya in MS Also Appear Linked to Its Effects on B-Cells

Scientists recently reported additional mechanisms of action that may underlie Gilenya (fingolimod) beneficial effects in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The results were in an oral presentation, “Fingolimod therapy modulates B cell functions: reduces CXCR4-mediated migration and increases B cell -mediated anti-inflammatory cytokine profile,” given at the 32nd Congress of the European Committee for Treatment…

#ECTRIMS2016 – Cognitive Problems in MS Patients Linked to Lower Income, Study Reports

In a recent talk, titled “Income and cognitive impairment among multiple sclerosis patients,” scientists investigated how cognitive impairment impacts the life of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), and reported significant differences in income that correlated with levels of MS-cognitive deficit. These findings were recently presented at the 32nd Congress of the European Committee for…

Researchers Reveal Mechanism of Action for Tecfidera, an MS Therapy

Researchers found the molecular target of the multiple sclerosis (MS)-approved drug Tecfidera, (dimethyl fumarate or DMF), unveiling the mechanism associated with the drug’s anti-inflammatory action. The study, “Dimethyl fumarate blocks pro-inflammatory cytokine production via inhibition of TLR induced M1 and K63 ubiquitin chain formation,” was…

Steroid Use Lowers Oxidative Stress in Cerebrospinal Fluid of Progressive MS Patients in Pilot Study

A pilot study in patients with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) found a steroid treatment of benefit by decreasing oxidative stress in the cerebrospinal fluid. The study, “One-time intrathecal triamcinolone acetonide application alters the redox potential in cerebrospinal fluid of progressive multiple sclerosis patients: a pilot study,” was published in the journal …

Cognitive Skills Maintained in RRMS Patients Treated with Gilenya or Tysabri in Yearlong Study

Disease-modifying therapies, a group of treatments for people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), work to stabilize patients’ cognitive functions just as they do their physical symptoms. Research, conducted over the course of a year, also reported no differences between two types of DMTs, Gilenya (fingolimod) and Tysabri (natalizumab). The study, “…

Zinbryta (Daclizumab) Approved in Europe to Treat Relapsing MS

Biogen and AbbVie announced that the drug Zinbryta (daclizumab) has received marketing authorization by the European Commission, and is an approved treatment across most of Europe for adults with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). Zinbryta is a self-administered, once monthly subcutaneous injection. “Clinical data showed Zinbryta significantly reduced relapses, 24-week…

Vitamin D Levels Seen to Predict Relapse Rates Only in Younger MS Patients

A retrospective study of vitamin D status and disability progression in multiple sclerosis patients — using real-life, clinical data from a large and varied group — found no  correlation between the two, although vitamin D levels may predict the occurrence of relapses in some patients. But these findings may have been limited by the lower doses of daily vitamin…

‘Master Switch’ for Autoimmune Diseases Like MS Potentially Seen in DNA of Immune Cells

Regions of DNA called super-enhancers regulate immune cell activity, including the body’s response to threats like inflammation or pathogens, and now scientists have found that they also harbor genetic variants associated with autoimmune diseases — gene variants that may be the “master switches” for these conditions. The findings were described in the study “…

First MS Patients in CHANGE-MS Trial Receive Novel Treatment

GeNeuro, a biopharmaceutical company that focuses on novel treatments for autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), announced that the first patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) are under treatment with the company’s leading drug, GNbAC1, in a Phase 2b clinical trial. GNbAC1 is a monoclonal antibody designed to neutralize MSRV-En, a protein…

Familial MS Linked to Single Genetic Mutation

A single genetic mutation in a gene called Nr1h3, can cause familial multiple sclerosis (MS), reported scientists from the University of British Columbia and Vancouver Coastal Health. The study, “Nuclear Receptor NR1H3 in Familial Multiple Sclerosis” was published in the journal Neuron. The discovery…

#CMSC16 – RRMS Patients’ Five-Year Clinical Outcome Improved Through Combined Immunosuppresive Therapy, Cell Transplantation

Results from a Phase 2 clinical trial showed that five-year clinical outcomes of patients with highly active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) are significantly improved when patients are treated with high-dose immunosuppressive therapy combined with autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation. The study, “Five-Year Outcomes of Halt-MS: High-
Dose Immunosuppressive Therapy and Autologous Hematopoietic Cell…

#CMSC16 – STRIVE Study Confirms Tysabri (Natalizumab) Safety in Early Relapsing-Remitting MS

Results from the STRIVE study support the safety of natalizumab (Tysabri) as a therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The study, “Natalizumab in Anti-JC Virus Seronegative Patients with Early Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis: Interim Results from the STRIVE Study,” was recently presented at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis…

#CMSC16 – Delayed-release Dimethyl Fumarate Benefits Newly Diagnosed MS Patients, According to Study

Newly diagnosed patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) show significant improvements when treated with delayed-release dimethyl fumarate (DMF), especially in terms of reduction in confirmed disability progression. The study, “Efficacy of Delayed-Release Dimethyl Fumarate in Newly Diagnosed Patients with Multiple Sclerosis Using a Composite Measure of Disability,” was recently presented at the…

#CMSC16 – MS Patients at Higher Risk for Loneliness, Study Shows

Researchers who looked at manifestations of loneliness found that the burden of loneliness is much higher in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients when compared to healthy people. The study, “Loneliness in Multiple Sclerosis: Putative Antecedents and Manifestations,” was recently presented at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) June…

MS and Young Adult-onset Hodgkin Lymphoma May Share Underlying Causes, Study Says

Previous studies suggested that multiple sclerosis (MS) and Hodgkin lymphoma might share underlying causes, including exposure to microorganisms in childhood, such as Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. In the study “Multiple sclerosis and risk of young-adult-onset Hodgkin lymphoma,” published in the journal Neurology: Neuroimmunology and Neuroinflammation, researchers suggested that…

Smoking Appears Linked to Brain Abnormalities in People with MS-related Disease, Study Suggests

A team of researchers suggested that cigarette smoking is associated with adverse effects to white matter in the brain, and reported that smoking may underlie the clinical course of clinically isolated syndrome, an early and potentially predictive symptom of a progression to multiple sclerosis (MS). The study, “Influence of cigarette smoking on white matter in patients with…

Leptomeningeal Inflammation May Offer New Treatment Targets In Progressive Forms of MS

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore presented key findings today, Feb. 19, concerning the presence of contrast-enhancing lesions in later stages in the relapsing-remitting experimental autoimmune encephalitis (EAE) model. The presentation was made at the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) Forum 2016, which is ongoing through…

Results of New SPMS Study to Be Presented at ACTRIMS

At the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) Forum 2016, being held from Feb. 18–20 in New Orleans, LA, researchers have gathered to discuss “Progressive MS: Bench to Bedside and Back,” the meeting’s theme. Secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) is one of four types of MS, and is…

For MS Patients, New Guidelines for Controlling Rare Brain Infection Risk Under Tysabri Treatment

The European Medicines Agency Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC), responsible for assessing and monitoring safety issues for human medicines, completed a review on the risk for progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients treated with the medicine Tysabri (natalizumab). The issued guidelines have the objective of minimizing patients’ risk.