Patricia Silva, PhD, director of science content —

Stable multiple sclerosis (MS) patients do not appear to be at any increased risk of disease reactivation while switching to oral therapy following treatment with injectable interferon-β/glatiramer acetate (IFNβ/GA), a study reports. Recently published in the European Journal of Neurology, the Australian study was titled “Risk of early…

The VWR Charitable Foundation recently celebrated its sales teams’ accomplishments by making charitable contributions totaling $100,000 in their honor to five organizations, including the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. VWR, based in Radnor, Pennsylvania, provides products, services, and solutions for the laboratory and production needs of customers in the pharmaceutical, biotech, education, government, and…

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society announced that its five-year campaign to raise $250 million has concluded with its goal fully achieved, allowing the society to launch more research into multiple sclerosis (MS) and effect more life-changing progress than at any other time in its nearly 70-year history. A total 818 research projects…

Researchers have found that changes in the composition of immune molecules — specifically, a shift to more anti-inflammatory cytokines and regulatory T-cells (Tregs) — likely account for the efficiency of alemtuzumab (Lemtrada) as a treatment for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The study, titled “Alemtuzumab long-term immunologic effect: Treg suppressor function…

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, (UCSF) are asking African-Americans with multiple sclerosis, as well as family members, to participate in new studies into the genetic origins of the disease. The studies will investigate both people of African ancestry with MS, who are known to have low susceptibility for the disease, and those of Northern European descent,…

Researchers from Karolinska Institute, Sweden, reported that the immune-associated protein lipocalin-2 (LCN2) is increased in multiple sclerosis, particularly in patients with progressive MS. The researchers, however, concluded that the factor cannot be used as a biomarker for the disease. The study, “Lipocalin-2 is increased in progressive multiple sclerosis…

Researchers have isolated the particular cell types likely to initiate common brain disorders and diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS) and Alzheimer’s disease, a finding that may point the way to new and targeted treatments. The brain has a complex cellular architecture characterized by a diverse set of cell types that are…

Researchers from the University College London (UCL) found that the anti-convulsant drug phenytoin protected neural tissue in patients with optic neuritis — often the first symptom of multiple sclerosis (MS) — a condition that causes the nerves carrying information between the eyes and the brain to become inflamed and progressively damaged. The study…

A panel of neurologists from the U.K. and Ireland recently developed practical consensus guidelines for monitoring multiple sclerosis (MS) patients on natalizumab (Tysabri) therapy for the risk of developing progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a life-threatening viral infection caused by the John Cunningham (JC) virus. The panel was summoned by…

A study from the University of Cambridge showed that the membrane-bound signaling protein EphrinB3, which acts by inhibiting the maturation of oligodendrocytes, also blocks the remyelination of damaged neurons in multiple sclerosis (MS). The study, “Antibody-mediated neutralization of myelin-associated EphrinB3 accelerates CNS re-myelination,“ uncovered a new target to explore…

Delayed-release dimethyl fumarate (Tecfidera) was recently approved for patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), although the mechanisms by which the drug exerts its action were not fully understood. A new study from the University Hospital Münster, Germany, shows that dimethyl fumarate alters the balance between subpopulations of T-cells to promote…

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society in the U.S. has awarded a new grant to a University College London (UCL)  research team to continue work into compounds with the potential to act as neuroprotective therapies for degenerative diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS). The financial support comes through the Society’s business-oriented subsidiary, the Fast Forward venture.

Amarantus Bioscience Holdings, Inc., and Avant Diagnostics recently announced they have entered into a Letter of Intent (LOI) to merge Amarantus Diagnostics, an Amarantus-owned subsidiary, into Avant Diagnostics. The merger is being undertaken to advance the commercial development of diagnostic assets in the fields of oncology and neurology, including those specifically…

Barrett-Jackson, an Arizona-based auction company specializing in the auction of antique and classic automobiles,  has announced that the National Multiple Sclerosis Society will be among the nonprofits supported through its 45th Anniversary auction of custom vehicles. The company has donated over $84.6 million to charities since 1971. The anniversary auction, which includes a number of…

EMD Serono, the North American biopharmaceutical business arm of Merck, announced it has gained exclusive rights over Rebif (interferon beta-1a) in the United States. Rebif  is a treatment for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). Rebif, an approved drug, is used to decrease the frequency of MS relapses and delay the occurrence of…

A recent BBC Panorama program titled “Can you stop my Multiple Sclerosis?” featured a ground-breaking treatment for select patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) that has been developed at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals in the United Kingdom. The program tells the stories of four patients, each with a diagnosis of relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), who underwent the…

A study from the University of Technology Dresden, in Germany, reported on attitudes toward the adoption of electronic health (eHealth) solutions among clinicians in neurological practices, and their opinions on the those systems’ requirements and  potential benefits in the field of multiple sclerosis (MS). The study, “Designing an…

A Colombian study reported finding an increased risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) associated with a particular allele, or gene variant, in a group of patients from the Colombian capital, Bogotá. The study also found a protective allele — HLA-DRB1*14 — that might explain the low rates of MS observed throughout the…

The Tisch MS Research Center of New York (Tisch MSRCNY) recently announced that its stem cell-based therapy as a potential treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS) will move into Phase 2 clinical testing after encouraging results in a Phase 1 trial, and on the advice of  the U.S. Food and Drug…

Dr. Richard Reynolds of Imperial College London spoke of the importance of philanthropy to research during a December 2015 visit from Nigel Furmston, a supporter of multiple sclerosis (MS) research, who came to the Hammersmith Campus to award the scientist and his team £50,000 to continue its work into disease development. Furmston, whose wife Sharon suffers from…

A new study from The Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel, found that the inflammatory molecule CXCL12 promotes neuronal repair during spontaneous remission in mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of human multiple sclerosis (MS). The chemokine CXCL12 was previously thought to be a pro-inflammatory molecule only. But recent findings have shown…

Tiziana Life Sciences, plc, a biotechnology company specializing in drugs to treat immunological and oncological diseases,  recently announced its intent to further develop foralumab, a fully human monoclonal antibody targeting the CD3 receptor. This approach, aiming to modulate the immune T cell response and achieve immunosuppression, is well-validated and has the potential to…

IQuity Labs, which specializes in diagnostic tests for autoimmune and other diseases, recently announced that it has received $2 million in seed funding to support the launch of its test panels, diagnostic tests designed to confirm the presence or absence of disease at the very onset of symptoms. The first to…

A Canadian study showed that child-onset multiple sclerosis (MS) is characterized by increased functional connectivity within the brain, most likely a compensatory effect to preserve function and protect against physical disability. The study, titled “Alterations in Functional and Structural Connectivity in Pediatric-Onset Multiple Sclerosis,“ was published in the journal …

The 5th International Symposium on Gait and Balance in MS, held in September 2015, focused entirely on research into balance and its loss in multiple sclerosis (MS). Nearly 100 clinicians, scientists, engineers, and others sharing this research interest gathered to discuss why and how often MS patients fall, and how to…

Ralph H. Benedict, PhD, professor of neurology at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo (UB), has been selected by The International Neuropsychological Society (INS) to receive the 2016 INS Mid-Career Award, also called Arthur Benton Award, for his work on…

A new randomized and controlled trial is recruiting multiple sclerosis (MS) patients to investigate the effect of a mindfulness-based telemedicine intervention program on patients and their caregivers. The clinical study’s protocol was recently published in the journal Trials, titled “A telemedicine meditation intervention for people with multiple sclerosis…

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and Active Biotech have discontinued the use of higher doses of the drug laquinimod in two ongoing multiple sclerosis (MS) studies. The decision was based on a recommendation by the Data Monitoring Committee (DMC) that is supervising the clinical trials after cardiovascular events, none of which were fatal,…

A recent study published in the journal PLOS ONE described a new technique with the potential to spot brain changes in multiple sclerosis (MS) before the onset of symptoms. The technique, which measures brain dynamic activity and brain entropy, may lead to the development of diagnostic — and possibly prognostic —…

The Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA), a national nonprofit organization and leading resource for the multiple sclerosis (MS) community, recently announced that Gina Ross Murdoch has been named the association’s new president and CEO. Ms. Murdoch is now the MSAA’s leader in areas comprising strategic progress, programmatic growth, and business development strategies.