December 6, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Fat Spheres Can Deliver DNA into Cells of Central Nervous System, Hold Therapeutic Potential 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 treatment of neurological disorders, including multiple sclerosis (MS). The study āNon-viral vectors based on cationic niosomes as efficient gene delivery…
December 5, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Aspirin Suppresses MS Symptoms by Preventing Loss of Regulatory T-cells, Mouse Study Shows 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 clinical benefits of aspirin were linked to an increase in the number of regulatory T-cells, those responsible for shutting…
December 4, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Small Molecule Linked to Cells That Control Myelin Production and Repair in Study 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 reports. Its researchers pinpoint Vav3 as a potential therapeutic target to improve and speed myelin repair in diseases like multiple sclerosis…
November 29, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Adult Oligodendrocytes May Replenish Myelin Production in MS, Study Suggests 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 study shows. Myelin is the fat-rich substance that wraps around nerve fiber projections (axons) protecting them and increasing the speed of…
November 28, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD High Lipid Levels Associated with Increased Disability, Inflammation in RRMS Patients, Study Shows High levels of certain lipids, or fat, in the blood are linked to increased disability scores and high levels of pro-inflammatory markers inĀ relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients, a small study reports. The study, āLipoprotein markers associated with disability from multiple sclerosis,ā was published in the journal Scientific…
November 21, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Phase 1 Trial of ATA190 Cell Therapy Shows Promise in Treating Progressive MS Atara Biotherapeuticsā 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 and secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), a Phase 1 trial shows. The trial results were published in the Journal…
November 20, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD RRMS Diagnosed Most Often in Younger Women and PPMS in Older Men, European Study Reports Women withĀ 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 to predominate, a European review study that looked at trends over several decades reports. The study āAgeādependent variation of female…
November 13, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Inflammatory Th17 Cells Seen to Trigger Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in MS Mouse Model 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, āAuto-Reactive Th17-Cells Trigger Obsessive-Compulsive-Disorder Like Behavior in Mice With Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis,ā was published in the journalĀ Frontiers in Immunology. “For the first time,…
November 8, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Blocking Protein Called SARM1 Seen to Protect Nerve Cells from Damage Linked to MS Blocking SARM1, a protein identified as a central mediator of nerve cell degeneration, works to prevent damage to axons ā nerve cell fibers essential in cell-to-cell communication ā and may be a way of treating neurodegenerative diseases like multiple sclerosisĀ (MS), data from Disarm Therapeutics shows. Specially, genetically deleting…
November 6, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Diabetes, Hypertension, Smoking Linked with Brain Shrinkage in MS Patients Diabetes, hypertension, and active smoking correlate with more brain shrinkage in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, a new study shows. The study, āAssessing the burden of vascular risk factors on brain atrophy in multiple sclerosis: A case- control MRI studyā was published in the journalĀ Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders.
October 31, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD National MS Society Invests in Clinical Development of Human Antibody for Progressive Forms of MS Fast Forward, a nonprofit subsidiary of theĀ National Multiple Sclerosis Society, will invest up to $330,000 to advance the clinical development of an antibody that was shown to lessen inflammation and nerve cell damage in a multiple sclerosisĀ (MS) mouse model. The funding will help develop the antibody (aĀ protein…
October 26, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Infection with Common Herpes Virus Speeds MS-like Disease Onset and Progression in Primate Model, Study Reports Infection with theĀ 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 and progression of aĀ multiple sclerosis-like disease in nonhuman primates, a study reports. Its findings support the role of viral infection in…
October 3, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Risk of Kidney Deterioration Low in MS Patients, Study Suggests 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 study shows. However, kidney deterioration is a slow process and detected only after 60 months of follow-up, highlighting the need for…
September 20, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Lymphatic Vessels of Brain Carry Messages That Appear to Promote MS, Study Reports Lymphatic vessels, the āroadsā 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 sclerosis (MS), new study shows. While the identity of these messages remains unknown, the findings suggest that blocking these signals could…
September 19, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD GeNeuro to Develop the MS Clinical Program of GNbAC1 Without Servier GeNeuroĀ announced it has reacquired from Servier the worldwide rights to commercialize and develop the investigational humanized antibodyĀ GNbAC1Ā for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). The decision came after Servier, a European company which, together with GeNeuro, developed the GNbAC1 program, declined to continue developing the therapy due to…
September 17, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Gilenya More Effective Than Avonex in Lowering Relapse Rates, New Lesions in Children with Relapsing MS, Phase 3 Trial Shows Two years of treatment with oral GilenyaĀ (fingolimod) significantly reduced the rate of relapses when compared toĀ AvonexĀ (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…
September 5, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Higher Levels of Neurofilament Light Chain in Blood and Cerebrospinal Fluid Found in MS Patients, Supporting its Prognostic Potential 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 findingĀ adds to previous evidence supporting the usefulness of NFL as a…
August 31, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Cell-free Mitochondrial DNA in Cerebrospinal Fluid of Progressive MS Patients May Point to Neurodegeneration 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 ofĀ neurodegeneration among these patients. The study āCell-free mitochondrial DNA in progressive multiple sclerosisā was published in the journal Mitochondrion.
August 29, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Small Molecule TDP6 Activates Myelin Regeneration in Mice with MS, Other Diseases, Study Finds A small synthetic molecule called TDP6 mimics a natural growth factor and promotes myelin regeneration in a mouse model of demyelination diseases such asĀ 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, ā…
August 24, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Cannabidiol Increases Inflammatory Suppressor Cells, New MS Mouse Study Shows Non-psychoactiveĀ cannabidiol (CBD), one of the active compounds in medicalĀ 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 calledĀ myeloid-derived suppressor cells. The findings were reported in the study āCannabidiol Attenuates Experimental Autoimmune…
August 22, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Myelocortical MS, New Disease Subtype Marked by Nerve Cell But Not Myelin Loss, Identified in Study 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 ā called myelocortical MS ā is indistinguishable from others in the…
August 21, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Deregulated RNA Molecules May Contribute to RRMS, Study Finds The levels of three small, regulatory RNA molecules ā long non-coding RNAs ā 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…
August 15, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Long-term DMT Use Seen to Lower Likelihood of RRMS Progressing to SPMS in Study Long-term treatment with disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) appears to lessen the risk of disease worsening inĀ 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, āOnset of secondary…
July 20, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Single Gene Variant May Identify MS Patients at Risk of Liver Damage Linked to Interferon-Beta Use, Study Says A genetic variant close to a gene called interferon regulatory factor 6Ā (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, āCommon variation nearĀ IRF6Ā is associated with IFN-Ī²-induced liver injury in multiple sclerosisā was published…
July 19, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Brain Iron Levels Correlate with MS Progression, Disability Risk, Study Shows Evaluating the local differences in iron accumulation in the deep gray matter of the brainĀ using a specialĀ 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…
July 16, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Nicotine and Beta-amyloid Work on Immune System in Ways That Ease MS Symptoms, Study Reports Nicotine, the active agent in tobacco, and amyloid proteins, which underlie Alzheimerās disease, bind to a receptor present in certain immune cells and work to lessen inflammation, a study reports. Activating this receptor ā called the Ī±7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor ā was seen to ease multiple sclerosis (MS) progression in…
July 12, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Overreactive T-cells Can Transition into T-cells That Control the Immune Response, Study Shows 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…
July 2, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Winter Months Spent in Sunny Climes Can Lower MS Risk, Study Suggests Greater exposure to sunlight during the winter months ā part of a person’s lifetime exposure to ultraviolet radiation ā can help to lower the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS), a large U.S. cohort study suggests. The study, āLifetime exposure to ultraviolet radiation and the risk of multiple sclerosis in…
June 27, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD After Ocrevus Approval, New Therapies May Become Available for MS, Report Suggests Genentech‘s OcrevusĀ (ocrelizumab),Ā 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…
June 27, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD New Fluorescent Imaging Tool Allows Researchers to Track Immune Cell Dynamics in MS Mouse Model 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, āA timer for…