July 26, 2024 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Kesimpta outperforms Aubagio among ethnically diverse groups Kesimpta (ofatumumab) is more effective than Aubagio (teriflunomide) among people with multiple sclerosis (MS) from ethnically diverse groups, including Black and African American, Hispanic and Latino, and Asian individuals, according to an analysis of pooled clinical trial data. āDetermining whether there are differences in how people respond…
July 19, 2024 News by Steve Bryson, PhD CHIT1 levels at diagnosis may predict future MS progression Levels of the immune cell protein CHIT1 at diagnosis, taken from the spinal fluid via a spinal tap, may strongly predict how fast disability progression will occur in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study suggests. Compared with standard clinical measures used to predict disease progression ā such…
July 18, 2024 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Stem cell therapy leads to short-term disability reduction in MS People with multiple sclerosis (MS) tend to experience a short-term reduction in disability and brain lesion volume after receiving stem cell therapy, according to a meta-analysis of nine studies detailing randomized clinical trials. After six and 12 months, however, the researchers found no differences in disability between patients…
June 14, 2024 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Greater immune ‘misdirection’ against EBV found in MS: Study People with multiple sclerosis (MS) have elevated immune responses to more proteins of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) than previously thought, according to a new study. EBV-specific immune T-cells isolated from MS patients could also respond to multiple proteins found in the brain, particularly those associated with myelin,…
May 14, 2024 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Balance, cardio training project aims to improve walking ability in MS A Marquette University team is leading a new project that will combine balance and cardio training with the goal of improving the walking abilities of people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Led by Marquette biomedical engineering professor Brian Schmit, PhD, the project ā which is supported by a $3.34 million…
May 13, 2024 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Altered immune B-cell metabolism drives inflammation in MS: Study An abnormally active metabolism in immune B-cells can trigger the release of pro-inflammatory signaling molecules that drive further inflammation in multiple sclerosis (MS), a study found. Selectively blocking certain metabolic processes with a Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor normalized B-cell metabolism and shifted their signaling to an anti-inflammatory state.
May 10, 2024 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Use of mild-to-moderate DMTs predicts switching to other DMTs People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who start treatment with a mild-to-moderate efficacy disease-modifying therapy (DMT) were more likely to switch to another DMT, an analysis of the German MS Registry finds. Starting a DMT between 2014 and 2017 was also a predictor of switching. Disease activity despite treatment…
May 9, 2024 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Interferon beta corrects gene processing disrupted in MS: Study Alternative splicing, a biological process that allows a single gene to code for multiple proteins, is extensively disrupted in immune cells isolated from untreated multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, and long-term treatment with interferon beta-based therapies largely corrects the defects, a study found. āAlternative splicing is a potential biomarker warning…
May 8, 2024 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Small molecule promotes myelin sheath repair in MS mice: Study A small molecule called ESI1 stimulated the repair of the myelin sheath, the fatty coating on nerve fibers that is damaged in multiple sclerosis (MS), a study found. In an MS mouse model, this resulted in improved motor function and nerve cell communication, as well as reduced signs…
May 3, 2024 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Charles River to help FibroBiologics produce 3D cell-based therapiesĀ Charles River Laboratories has joined up with FibroBiologics to manufacture the company’s spheroids for clinical trials in multiple sclerosis (MS) and several other conditions. The spheroids are groups of fibroblast cells arranged in a three-dimensional (3D) structure that more closely resemble how cells organize in living tissues.
April 17, 2024 News by Steve Bryson, PhD NfL blood levels predict CIS to MS conversion: Clinical trial data High blood levels of the nerve damage biomarker neurofilament light chain (NfL) significantly increased the risk of people with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) converting to definite multiple sclerosis (MS), according to an analysis of clinical trial data. CIS patients with higher NfL levels also made the transition earlier…
April 15, 2024 News by Steve Bryson, PhD COVID-19 found to increase risk of hospitalization, death in MS: Study People with multiple sclerosis (MS) in England had a seven times greater risk of hospitalization and a fourfold increased risk of death from COVID-19 in 2022 than did the general population, according to a study of almost 12 million people in the European nation. The elevated risk of both…
April 12, 2024 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Worse disease severity predicts erectile dysfunction in MS men Erectile dysfunction is more likely to occur among men with multiple sclerosis (MS) whose disease is more severe, according to a study, which noted that the ability to contract the cremaster muscle, which controls the position of the testicles, was linked with a decreased likelihood of erectile dysfunction in…
April 11, 2024 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Stem cell transplant alters immune cells in MS mouse model: Study A stem cell transplant effectively reduced the abnormal immune response that drives multiple sclerosis (MS) progression by altering a specific group of immune cells called myeloid cells, a mouse study showed. Treatment with a compound that suppressed a receptor called CSF1R improved the transplantation efficiency of myeloid cells…
April 8, 2024 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Obesity medications linked to reduced chance of MS in real world The use of obesity medications ā approved drugs for treating diabetes and promoting weight loss ā is associated with a reduced chance of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), according to real-world data from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a study found. In particular, medicines that activate a receptor…
April 4, 2024 News by Steve Bryson, PhD KYV-101 helps 2 hard-to-treat progressive MS patients: Case study Kyverna Therapeutics‘ cell-based therapy KYV-101 had an acceptable safety profile and promising treatment effects when given to two people with hard-to-treat progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a case study. “We are very pleased about offering this potentially paradigm-shifting treatment opportunity to patients that have exhausted other medical…
March 15, 2024 News by Steve Bryson, PhD New bilingual graphic aims to raise awareness of early MS symptoms A bilingual graphic educational message, dubbed VISIBL-MS, has been developed by researchers at the University of Connecticut (UConn) to raise awareness about the early symptoms of multiple sclerosisĀ (MS). The graphic ā bearing the word āVISIBLYā in English and āVISIBLEā in Spanish ā uses the letters in each phrase…
February 23, 2024 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Magnetic brain stimulation aids motor function, balance in MS trial Coupling a noninvasive brain stimulation procedure with an intensive rehabilitation program significantly improved motor function and balance in adults with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), a randomized clinical trial finds. High-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a noninvasive treatment approach that delivers pulses of magnetic fields to modulate nerve…
February 15, 2024 News by Steve Bryson, PhD MS trial to test magnetic brain stimulation for overactive bladder A small clinical trial in Texas is testing whether a noninvasive magnetic brain stimulation procedure can ease the symptoms of overactive bladder in adults with multiple sclerosis (MS). The randomized Phase 2 study (NCT06072703) is ongoing at Houston Methodist Hospital, and is recruiting about 29 women with stable…
February 8, 2024 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Non-invasive MEG scan can predict cognitive therapy outcomes in MS A non-invasive scan that measures network activity across the brain was able to predict the outcomes of behavioral therapies designed to improve cognitive function in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a study demonstrates. Brain network function, as assessed by the test, called magnetoencephalography (MEG), “could play an important role…
February 2, 2024 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Barancik Prize for Innovation in MS Research goes to UCSF scientist Sergio E. Baranzini, PhD, a scientist at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), is this year’s winner of the Barancik Prize for Innovation in MS Research, awarded by theĀ National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) for his groundbreaking discoveries in multiple sclerosis (MS). His efforts have helped…
February 1, 2024 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Ibudilast slows growth of chronic brain lesions tied to worsening MS Use of oral ibudilast ā being explored as a treatment for progressive forms ofĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) ā was found to significantly slow the growth of chronic active lesions in the brains of patients with the neurodegenerative disease, according to MRI data from the SPRINT-MS study. Such lesions…
January 9, 2024 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Blood levels of GFAP protein may predict disease progression in PPMS The ongoing worsening of disability among people with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) may be predicted by elevated blood levels of the GFAP protein, a marker of damage to star-shaped support cells in the brain and spinal cord called astrocytes, a study suggests. The risk of disability progression was…
January 8, 2024 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Ocrevus in real world may also help severely disabled MS patients Treatment with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) may stabilize disability progression in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who have severe walking impairments ā a patient group excluded from clinical trials supporting the therapy’s 2017 approval ā a real-world analysis suggests. However, about half of those receiving Ocrevus in this study discontinued…
January 4, 2024 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Age of onset of RRMS increased in Norway over past century: Study An increasing number of people in western Norway have been diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosisĀ (RRMS) after age 50 over the past century, according to a new population study. The rise was primarily driven by people being diagnosed at older ages, with the average age of onset rising from 28.6…
December 21, 2023 News by Steve Bryson, PhD New AI algorithm provides better MRI images of brain in MS: Study DeepSTI, a new artificial intelligence or AI-assisted MRI algorithm, can generate high-resolution, 3D images of the brain from only one head orientation. This new technology may allow clinicians to use fewer scans to visualize changes in the brain caused by neurological diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), a study…
November 30, 2023 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Sedentary behaviors more common among MS patients: 11 studies People with multiple sclerosis (MS) engage in significantly more sedentary behaviors ā activities like watching TV or using a computer or smartphone versus those requiring physical movement, such as exercise ā than do individuals without the progressive disease, according to a pooled analysis of published studies. This effect was…
November 28, 2023 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Extending Tysabri dose intervals controls RRMS activity Extending Tysabri (natalizumab) dosing intervals based on the drug’s blood levels was as effective at controlling disease activity in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) as the approved four-week dosing regimen. That’s according to results from NEXT-MS (NCT04225312), a Phase 4 clinical trial studying whether tailoring Tysabri’s…
November 21, 2023 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Vumerity reduces relapses, lesions over 2 years: EVOLVE-MS-1 study Nearly two years of treatment with Vumerity (diroximel fumarate) significantly reduced relapse rates by more than 80% in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), according to the final published details of the EVOLVE-MS-1 clinical trial. MRI scans also showed the number of active inflammatory lesions and new…
November 20, 2023 News by Steve Bryson, PhD iConquerMS expands research efforts to focus on MS caregivers iConquerMS, a research initiative where people affected by multiple sclerosis (MS) contribute their health data and ideas, is expanding its research program to include caregivers of people with MS. Established in 2014 by the Accelerated Cure Project (ACP), iConquerMS has launched a new website and research…