February 17, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Healthy Diet Linked to Better Mental, Physical Life Quality in Dutch Study A healthy diet led to better physical and mental quality of life in Dutch adults with multiple sclerosis (MS), especially women, a large survey study found. Substantial amounts of vegetables, fruits, fiber, and healthy fats were associated with better overall…
February 16, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD 2 Biomarkers Found to Predict MS Onset in People with Optic Neuritis An antibody analysis has identified two biomarkers that can be used to predict the development of multiple sclerosis (MS) in people with optic neuritis, a study reports. Further research is, however, required to validate these findings…
February 5, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Estrogen-based Therapy Shows Potential to Protect Vision in Mouse Model An estrogen-based therapy, called indazole chloride (IndCl), was shown to protect against optic nerve damage in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS), a study reported. IndCl may help to improve vision in people with the disease, but…
January 13, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD HTR2A Gene Changes Found Only in Progressive MS May Be New Biomarker Scientists have discovered epigenetic changes in a gene called HTR2A, found only in immune cells isolated from people with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), a study reported. These findings suggest that such changes — external modifications to DNA that turn genes…
January 8, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Study: Past Long-term DMT Use Tapers Risk of Current MS Progression Long-term use of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) has a beneficial cumulative effect compared to shorter treatments, delaying the development of irreversible disability and conversion to secondary progressive MS (SPMS), a recent study…
January 5, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Myelin Ceramides Altered in MS, Study Finds Levels of myelin sheath components called ceramides are altered in the blood of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and may be linked with retinal degeneration and physical disability, a study has found. Specific ceramides were altered only in those with progressive…
December 7, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Prenatal Stress Linked to Worse MS Outcomes in Adulthood in Mouse Study Exposure to stress before birth can worsen the clinical symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) during adulthood, a study in a mouse model of MS suggested. Investigators also found that prenatal stress can change the levels of a protein critical for neurological development, called…
December 4, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Review Study Examines Factors That Affect MS Patients’ Quality of Life Disability, fatigue, depression, cognitive impairment, and unemployment are primary risk factors for a poor quality of life in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a recent review study. Conversely, higher self-esteem, self-efficacy, resilience, and social support were identified as protective factors for quality of life (QoL).
December 3, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Chronic Lesion Expansion in RRMS Contributes to Disease Progression, Study Reveals The expansion of chronic white matter lesions in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) determined the increase in total lesion volume and significantly contributed to disease progression, a study has revealed. The study, “Expansion of chronic…
December 3, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Nasal Delivery of Interferon-beta at Lower Doses Shows MS Treatment Potential in Mice Nasal delivery of Rebif’s active ingredient interferon-beta, loaded in carbohydrate-based nanoparticles, reduced disease progression and nerve cell inflammation in a preclinical mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS), a study demonstrated. This alternate, non-invasive, low-cost treatment strategy…
December 2, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Aubagio Slows Grey Matter, Whole Brain Atrophy in CIS, Study Finds Studied for the first time, Aubagio (teriflunomide) slowed the loss of cortical grey matter and whole-brain volume in people with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) during two years of therapy, a study found. The treatment was especially effective in those without brain lesions before treatment.
November 24, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Tysabri Affects Immune System Beyond Known MS Target, Study Finds Lower levels of pro-inflammatory immune signaling proteins were found in the blood of people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) treated with Tysabri (natalizumab) and were associated with fewer relapses and less disability, a study has found.
November 6, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Study Flags Possible DMT Risk for MS Patients Over Age 45 The use of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) in adults with multiple sclerosis (MS) increased the risk of precancerous growth in those older than 45 years of age, according to an age-related adverse events analysis of several dozen clinical trials. …
November 5, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Tysabri Seen as Superior to Gilenya for RRMS in Limited, Head-to-head Study Adults with active relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) treated with Tysabri (natalizumab) had fewer new and accumulated lesions, and a lower relapse rate than those treated with Gilenya (fingolimod) for 24 weeks, according to…
November 4, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Myelin Restored on Regenerated Optic Nerve Fibers of Mice in Study Using a two-pronged approach, researchers were able to restore myelin on regenerated nerve fibers in a mouse model of optic nerve injury, which has implications for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other diseases associated with myelin loss, a study reported. The study, “…
October 13, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Human Placental Extract Effectively Treats MS Symptoms in Mouse Study Human placental extract eased clinical symptoms, inflammation, and weight and myelin loss in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS), a study reported. Its researchers proposed that placental extracts be investigated as a way of better managing MS symptoms in people. …
October 9, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Almost Half of US MS Patients Surveyed Report Using Cannabis for Nerve Pain, Sleep In a nationwide survey of cannabis-based therapy use among Americans with multiple sclerosis (MS), almost half of respondents endorsed such products, primarily for nerve-based pain and sleep disturbances, and the perceived benefits for sleep and pain were highly correlated. The reported…
October 7, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Rituximab Seen to Affect How B-cells Return After Treatment Stops Rituximab, an investigational B-cell depletion therapy that target CD20 to treat people with multiple sclerosis (MS), has significant effects on the characteristics of B-cells that return after treatment is stopped, with cells being less mature yet more activated toward a pro-inflammatory state, a study showed. Treatment also…
September 2, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Altered Gut Microbiome, Metabolism Found in Japanese RRMS, SPMS Patients, Study Reveals Alterations in gut bacteria and bacterial metabolism were found in Japanese people at different stages of multiple sclerosis (MS) compared to healthy controls, a study reports. Reduced fatty acid synthesis in gut bacteria found in those with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS)…
August 31, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Immune T-cells Trigger Early MS Inflammation, Twin Study Reveals A comparison of immune cells isolated from identical twins — in which only one of each pair was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) — identified a population of immune-regulating T-cells present in those with asymptomatic brain inflammation, a study has found. …
August 21, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Ocrevus Cancels RRMS Patient’s Immunity to Chickenpox Virus, Case Study Finds Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) eliminated the immunity, acquired through vaccination, to the varicella-zoster virus — the virus that causes chickenpox and shingles — in a man with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), a case study reported. …
August 18, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Gsta4 Protein Promotes Myelin Repair, Prevents Symptoms in MS Rat Model A protein known as Gsta4 is critical in the growth and activity of oligodendrocytes, a special type of brain cell that generates the myelin sheath that is damaged in multiple sclerosis (MS), a study shows. The overproduction of Gsta4 in…
August 12, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Inflammation Drives Nerve Damage in Early MS, Imaging Study Shows Inflammation drives the loss of brain volume and thinning of the eye’s retina in the first five years of a multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis, an imaging study demonstrates. The findings support a therapeutic strategy of halting inflammatory activity during this initial period. …
August 10, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Immune Cell Protein CD36 Shows Potential as Therapeutic Target, Study Suggests For the first time, scientists have shown that a protein known as CD36 on the surface of some immune cells is crucial for clearing myelin debris and suppressing nerve cell inflammation in disorders such as multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new…
August 5, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Smoking and Epstein-Barr Virus Combine to Raise MS Risk, Study Says Cigarette smoking and an Epstein–Barr virus infection together represent a significant risk factor for multiple sclerosis (MS), suggesting that at least one path to this disease involves two factors working synergistically, a study reports. …
July 28, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Protein Linked to Inflammation in MS Also Helps to Control It, Study Finds The pro-inflammatory signaling protein interleukin (IL)-17A, which is associated with nerve damage in multiple sclerosis (MS), also has an opposing, and crucial, anti-inflammatory role in cells, a study reports. These findings may explain why therapies that lower IL-17A levels have failed…
July 27, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD HLA-DPB1 Gene Variants May Influence MS Onset and Relapse Risk A variant of the HLA-DPB1 gene — called HLA-DPB1*04 — appears to protect people from developing multiple sclerosis (MS) either in childhood or as adults, a study from Greece suggests.
July 17, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Special Exercise App Wins Favor in Progressive MS Study, But Little More A multimedia smartphone application designed to precisely inform about exercise and track physical activity led primary or secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) patients to be more active — but no more than a comparison patient group given only a…
July 1, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Anxiety and Depression Linked to RRMS Relapse Risk, Study Finds Comorbidities such as anxiety and depression are associated with a significantly increased risk of relapse in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), a clinical trial analysis has found. Anxiety and abnormal blood lipids (fats) also increased the risk of any RRMS disease activity. Based on those findings, researchers…
June 22, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD More Research Needed Into How Exercise, Rehab Aid Cognition in MS Cognitive problems are common in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) but inadequately addressed by disease-modifying therapies, while cognitive rehabilitation and exercise training programs can be effective, a review study reported. Research studies of exercise programs need to include larger groups of patients with demonstrated cognitive difficulties, however, and more pharmacological…