Patricia Silva, PhD, director of science content —

PatrĆ­cia holds a PhD in medical microbiology and infectious diseases from the Leiden University Medical Center, Netherlands, and completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at the Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Lisbon, Portugal. Her work in academia was mainly focused on molecular biology and the genetic traits of infectious agents such as viruses and parasites. PatrĆ­cia earned several travel awards to present her work at international scientific meetings. She is a published author of several peer-reviewed science articles.

Articles by Patricia Silva

7 Strange and Unusual Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease that is unique to each patient, meaning that no two people experience the exact same disease manifestations. While there are common symptoms that many MS patients share, such as pain and chronic fatigue, some may experience more unusual symptoms. Seven of…

PathMaker Neurosystems, Developing MyoRegulator for Spasticity, Named Startup of Year at French-American Business Gala

PathMaker Neurosystems, which specializes in non-invasive devices to treat chronic neuromotor disorders, won theĀ 2018 French-American Business (FAB) AwardĀ in the startup/small company category. PathMaker, based in Boston, is developed and testingĀ MyoRegulator, a potential treatment forĀ muscle spasticity in people withĀ multiple sclerosis (MS), cerebral palsy and other chronic conditions.

MS Groups Working to Advance Patient-Reported Outcomes in Research, Patient Care and Treatment Development

Two groups working to collect and promoteĀ patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in research and treatment forĀ multiple sclerosis (MS)Ā announced they will jointly explore ways to “standardize and harmonize” these measures so as to make them more effective. The effort brings theĀ iConquerMS People-Powered Research Network, managed by the nonprofitĀ Accelerated Cure Project…

Thomas Jefferson University Opens Registry for Patients Using Medical Marijuana

The Lambert Center for the Study of Medicinal Cannabis and HempĀ  has launchedĀ mmj.org, an initiative to advance the scientific communityā€™s understanding of medical marijuana and its derivatives through the creation of a comprehensive national patient registry. The Thomas Jefferson UniversityĀ center registry aims to enrollĀ  100,000 medical marijuana patients…

National MS Society Welcomes Mud-Lovers to 2018 MuckFest MS

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is inviting all mud-lovers to Saturday’s kickoff ofĀ MuckFest MSĀ in Boston, Massachusetts, which raises money and awareness for multiple sclerosis (MS). The event includes a 5K ā€œmud runā€ with ā€œoutrageous obstacles and a whole lot of mudā€ thatĀ definitely will make you sore ā€œfrom…

4 Relapsing MS Treatments Added to UK Health Service After Cuts to Prices Agreed

After an agreement to lower their prices, four treatments for relapsing multiple sclerosis ā€”Ā Biogenā€™s AvonexĀ and Merck KGaA‘sĀ Rebif (both interferon beta-1a), Novartisā€™ ExtaviaĀ (interferon beta 1b), and Tevaā€™s Copaxone (glatiramer acetate) ā€” were recommended as cost-effective and long-term therapy options within the National Health Service…

Symbiotix Obtains Access to Harvard Material That Could Help It Develop MS Therapies

Symbiotix BiotherapiesĀ has gained access to Harvard UniversityĀ material thatĀ could help it develop treatments for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases like multiple sclerosisĀ and inflammatory bowel diseases. It obtained access to the intellectual property, much of which deals with gut bacteria, under a licensing agreement with Harvard. Intellectual property typically includes…

American Brain Foundation Starts Crowdfunding Campaign to Help Fight MS

The American Brain FoundationĀ has started a crowdfunding campaignĀ to support research that could lead to treatments forĀ multiple sclerosisĀ and other autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Foundation officials said the fundsĀ will help facilitate the work of Steffen Jung, head of the immunology department at the Weizmann Institute of ScienceĀ in Israel.

GeneFo Guide Explains How Medical Cannabis Can Help MS Patients

More studies are showing that medical cannabis can alleviate symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a company that helps patients, doctors and others understand genetic conditions better. The observation came inĀ GeneFo’sĀ 2018 Guide to Clinical Effects of Medical Cannabis. Some research has suggested that cannabis strains containing…