February 9, 2017 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Component of Traditional Medicinal Herb Improves Symptoms in MS Mouse Model, Study Shows Paeoniflorin (PF), a herb component used in Chinese medicine, improved symptoms and reduced inflammation in a mouse model that recapitulates the human features of multiple sclerosis (MS). The study, āPaeoniflorin Ameliorates Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis via Inhibition of Dendritic Cell Function and Th17 Cell Differentiationā, appearedĀ in the journal…
February 9, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Shoe Insoles Meant to Make Walking Easier for MS Patients to Be Tested in Australia A specialty shoe insole that mayĀ helpĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) patients walk and go about their daily lives with more assurance and ease was developedĀ by an Australian-led research team, which is now seeking 176 patientsĀ to test the insoleĀ in a three-month trial. The study is led by Anna Hatton, a physiotherapy professor…
February 8, 2017 News by admin Obesity and Early Start of Puberty Linked to Greater Likelihood of MS in Study of Teens Obesity in early adolescence poses a risk for multiple sclerosis (MS) regardless of sex, and an earlier age at puberty also contributes to MS onset at younger ages, especially inĀ overweight teenagers, a study reports. These findings were in the study, āDistinct…
February 8, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD First Multiple Sclerosis Blood Biomarker Discovered; Test May Soon Be Available Scientists have discovered the first blood biomarkerĀ for multiple sclerosis (MS) āĀ a chemical identifier in the blood. The discovery should lead to a simple blood test that makes it quicker and easier to follow the course of MS, a debilitating disease of the central nervous system affecting aroundĀ 2.3 million people…
February 7, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD 95% of MS Patients Open to Marijuana Treatment, 73% Have Tried It Ninety-five percent ofĀ multiple sclerosis (MS)Ā patients believe medical marijuana should be a treatment option, according to aĀ GeneFoĀ online survey. The survey also showed that almost 73 percent had tried it, even though about half said they hadn’t received information from a doctor about its benefits and risks. A National…
February 7, 2017 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Natural Variations in Interleukin-16 Gene Linked to MS Risk in Small Study Small natural variations within the DNA sequence of the gene for interleukin-16 (IL-16) wereĀ linked toĀ anĀ increased susceptibility to multiple sclerosis (MS) in a small group of Iranian patients. The study, āThe Association of Interleukin-16 Gene Polymorphisms with IL-16 Serum Levels and Risk of Multiple Sclerosis,ā was published in…
February 6, 2017 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Researchers Identify Gene Regions with High Levels of Proteins Linked to MS A genome-wide study has identified DNA regions associated with higher levels of circulating cytokines, small proteins that pay aĀ role in inflammatory diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). Alterations in the levels and interplay of cytokines and growth factors play a key role in several inflammatory diseases, including MS.Ā Cytokines help regulate…
February 6, 2017 News by Ćzge Ćzkaya, PhD Switching From Gilenya to Lemtrada Seen to Trigger Disease Activity in Some MS Patients Switching from Gilenya (fingolimod) to Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) triggers significant and unexpected disease activity in some patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study published in the scientific journal Neurology Neuroimmunology and Neuroinflammation.
February 3, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD How MS Patients Judge Their Treatments Differs from Doctors’ Views, Study Reports Considerable differences exist in how multiple sclerosis patients, healthcare providers and insurance companies assess the value of current MS treatments, according to a literature review study by the data analysis firmĀ Real Endpoints. ForĀ the study, a team of clinicians and researchers looked at more thanĀ 300 research articles, covering topics like…
February 3, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Clinical Trial Supports Stem Cell Transplants to Treat RMS Patients with High Disease Activity A newly concluded clinical trialĀ gives scientificĀ evidence of the benefits that a stem cell transplantĀ holds forĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who fail to respond toĀ medicationsĀ ā withĀ researchers calling the procedureĀ a reasonable option for thoseĀ with high disease activity. Five years after the treatment ā high-dose immunosuppressive therapy followed byĀ autologous hematopoietic cell transplant ā furtherĀ disease…
February 3, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD New tDCS Devices May Boost Cognition in MS ā But Don’t Use One at Home Without Guidance Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who received transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) while playing brain-training video games improved their learning and understanding skillsĀ to a greater extent than those who only brain-trained. Researchers atĀ NYU Langone’s Multiple Sclerosis Comprehensive Care Center underscored that while more research is needed to explore the procedure’s…
February 2, 2017 News by Joana Fernandes, PhD Computer-assisted Therapy Found to Benefit MS Patients with Cognitive Difficulties Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who are showing signs of cognitive impairment mayĀ benefit from computer-assisted cognitive rehabilitation programs, according to a new study. Difficulties with short-term memory, or withĀ processing informationĀ and concentrating, are believed toĀ affect 40% to 65% of MS patients.Ā Studies have suggested that cognitive rehabilitation may help, and thatĀ computer-assisted therapy used…
February 2, 2017 News by admin Long-term Treatment with Gilenya Found to Limit Lesions, Relapses in Japanese MS Patients Continuous treatment with Gilenya (fingolimod)Ā helps limit relapses and detectable lesions in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, according to a three-year, follow-upĀ studyĀ in Japan. The results confirmĀ the findings of trials conducted in predominantly Caucasian populations. The findings were reported in the study, āLong-term efficacy and safety of fingolimod in…
February 1, 2017 News by admin Tecfidera Use Linked to Liver Injury in MS Patients, but Severe Injury Appears Rare TecfideraĀ (dimethyl fumarate or DMF) use by multiple sclerosis (MS) patients can result in liver injury and, in rare cases, even severeĀ injury, a study found, leading its researchers to recommend that patients’ on this treatmentĀ be carefully monitored for signs of injury. The study, ā…
February 1, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Nasal Solution Made of ‘Molecular Soup’ Protects Eye Neurons in MS Mice with Optic Neuritis A treatment delivered as a nasal solution helped toĀ preserveĀ eye neurons and improve eyesight in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS), a recent study demonstrated ā suggesting that it may be possible to deliver drugs that target the brain in this noninvasive way. But nasal administration is not the only…
January 31, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Patient Opinions on Zinbryta Seen to Match Phase 3 Trial Data, Supporting Questionnaire Use More relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) patients treated withĀ Zinbryta (daclizumab)Ā said they feltĀ itsĀ health benefitsĀ than did thoseĀ givenĀ Avonex (interferon beta-1a) ā demonstrating that patient-reported outcomes do mirror objective measures of improved health in a clinical trial ofĀ the two drugs. Patient-reported changesĀ in both physical and psychological health contribute to a more comprehensive picture of…
January 31, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Tennessee Neurologist to Lead $8.4M MS Research Program at University of Saskatchewan TheĀ University of Saskatchewan‘s incoming Chair in Multiple Sclerosis Clinical Research will haveĀ a research endowment worth $8.4 million to help himĀ search for a cure forĀ multiple sclerosis (MS). The school has recruited Michael Levin, MD, an experienced MS researcher, to lead the program for a seven-year term that will begin…
January 30, 2017 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Generic Form of Copaxone, GTR, Safe and Effective, Study Confirms An extension trial assessing generic glatiramer acetate (GTR) treatment in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients found that the formulation is as safe and effective as Copaxone (branded glatiramer acetate), and that switching to GTR is well-tolerated. The findingsĀ were in theĀ study, āSwitching from branded to generic glatiramer acetate:…
January 27, 2017 News by Janet Stewart, MSc Sense of Smell Is Impaired in Half of Multiple Sclerosis Patients in Study Many multiple sclerosis (MS) patients have a reduced sense of smell, and the more relapses they have, the worse the problem, according to a study suggesting that smell may be a marker for the disease’s progression. Findings also suggested a connection between reduced sense of taste and MS progression. The…
January 27, 2017 News by Joana Fernandes, PhD Tiny Molecules in Blood Could Be Biomarkers of MS Progression, Study Says MicroRNAs in the blood could serve as biomarkers to monitor the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS), as well as help identify which mechanisms are at play in each patient, such as inflammation and tissue damage, according to new research. The findings were reported in the study, āAssociation Between Serum…
January 26, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Flex Pharma Shifts Focus to Programs Targeting MS, Other Neurological Diseases Flex PharmaĀ said it plans toĀ prioritize developing its clinical programs in neurological diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and peripheral neuropathies like Charcot-Marie Tooth (CMT). One or two proof-of-concept, Phase 2 clinical trials are planned for this year in the United States to evaluate Flex Pharmaās…
January 26, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Genes That Influence Physical Traits May Be Reason MS More Common in Women The key to why more women than men develop multiple sclerosis (MS) may be genes that influence physical traits, such as weight, height, and body shape, according to a new study. Researchers caution that the findings need to be verified, but they said processes leading to disease may differ between…
January 25, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD PathMaker, French Institute to Team on MyoRegulator Neuro-stimulation Clinical Trials PathMaker Neurosystems and the Brain and Spine InstituteĀ (ICM) in Paris will collaborate on human clinical trials to secure CE Mark clearance for PathMakerās MyoRegulatorĀ PM-2200, a noninvasiveĀ neurotherapy technology to treatĀ conditions linked toĀ neural pathway disruption, including multiple sclerosis (MS). CE Mark āĀ whichĀ stands for “ConformitĆ© EuropĆ©enne,” or European Conformity…
January 24, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD University of Maryland and VA to Investigate Tregs as Possible MS Treatment The VA Maryland Health Care System (VAMHCS) and the University of Maryland Fischell Department of BioengineeringĀ areĀ collaborating in a research initiative that aims to increase our understanding of multiple sclerosis (MS). The project is being led by Christopher M. Jewell, PhD, an assistant professor in bioengineering. Jewell will…
January 24, 2017 News by Joana Fernandes, PhD 2 Cases of Brain Inflammation Raise Questions of Lemtrada Safety, But Link Uncertain Two multiple sclerosis (MS) patients developed severe brain inflammation after being treatedĀ with Lemtrada (alemtuzumab), researchers report, raising questions about the therapy. A definite link between the lesions and the treatment, however, was not established. The patients’Ā symptomsĀ were successfully controlled with a blood transfusion and treatment with rituximab (brand name Rituxan,…
January 23, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MS Researcher at Cleveland Clinic Awarded $7M to Pursue Ways of Stopping Myelin Damage TwoĀ Cleveland Clinic researchers were awarded multi-year grants by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), underĀ itsĀ Outstanding Investigator Award,Ā to find new treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other complex diseases. Bruce Trapp, PhD, an expert in myelin biology and MS, will receive about $7 million over eight years under the…
January 23, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Astrocytes Can Turn Aggressive and Kill Neurons, Potentially Groundbreaking Study Says In what may be one of the most significant discoveries in neurodegenerative disease, researchersĀ have found that brain cells, called astrocytes, contribute to killing neurons and myelin-forming oligodendrocyte cells, which may drive neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). Experiments indicate an aggressive astrocyte type kills cells by secreting a yet-unidentified…
January 20, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MS Patients with Spasticity Needed for Study of Extended-release Baclofen Capsules A new clinical trial evaluating the effectiveness of extended-release baclofen capsules in relieving spasticity related to multiple sclerosis (MS) isĀ calling for 135 people with any form of the disease. The study, taking place in six U.S. states, is sponsored by Sun Pharma, the drug’s developer. Baclofen, an approved MS…
January 20, 2017 News by Ćzge Ćzkaya, PhD Women in Family with MS Seen to Be at Particular Risk of Developing Disease Family members of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who are asymptomatic but at a higher risk of developing the disease themselves are more likely to have early signs of the disease, according to a study published in JAMA Neurology and titled "Assessment of Early Evidence of Multiple Sclerosis in a Prospective Study of Asymptomatic High-Risk Family Members". These people should therefore be closely monitored.
January 19, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Siemens Healthineers and Biogen to Enhance MRI’s Ability to Help MS Patients Siemens Healthineers and BiogenĀ will collaborate to develop new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) applications that can quantify key markers of multiple sclerosis (MS). āBy bringing together the shared expertise of both Siemens Healthineers and Biogen in imaging and neurology, respectively, we seek to develop new measurement tools that…