October 28, 2016 News by Joana Fernandes, PhD Relapses in MS Patients Using Gilenya May Be Result of Changes Within T-Cells, Study Reports Changes in the composition of certain immune system cells may be associated with relapses in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients being treated with Gilenya (fingolimod), according toĀ a study published in the journal Scientific Reports. The study, āAltered T Cell Phenotypes Associated With Clinical Relapse Of Multiple Sclerosis Patients Receiving…
October 28, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD AXIM Moving Ahead with Testing of Cannabinoid Products, Including Chewing Gum for MS Patients AXIM Biotechnologies Ā announced it has secured financing from private sources to continue its testing of medicalĀ cannabinoid products as potential treatments forĀ multiple indications, includingĀ pain and spasticity in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Specifically, AXIM Ā is testing pharmaceutical delivery systems andĀ active ingredients for itsĀ medical marijuana line. āThis financing provides us with…
October 27, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Getting More Blacks and Other Minority MS Patients into Clinical Studies Is Goal of ACP Project Getting more African-Americans and other minority groups to take part in clinical research into treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS), andĀ identifying and tackling continuing disparities in efforts that affect patient care, will be the focus of a project led by the nonprofit groupĀ Accelerated Cure Project for Multiple Sclerosis (ACP)Ā and supported…
October 27, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Selexis to Provide ImmuNext with Cell Lines for Research into Treatment for MS, Autoimmune Diseases SelexisĀ has entered into a commercial arrangementĀ with ImmuNext,Ā providing that company with access to research cell banks from itsĀ SURE technologyĀ Platform (a best-in-class cell line development technology). ImmuNext will use the cell banks in further developing its anti-CD40 ligand antibody, a potential therapeutic agentĀ for chronic autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis…
October 26, 2016 Columns by Judy Lynn Shake, Rattle, and Spill? Tremors in MS I live in a part of the country with beautiful green forests, mountains, abundant freshwater, and saltwater.Ā If you have seven hours to spare, you can drive across the state and experience desert, orchard, mountain, alpine meadow, rainforest, and the Pacific Ocean. This beautiful land also comes with some…
October 26, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Medical Marijuana in the Form of Controlled-dose Capsules Now Available in New York Columbia CareĀ announced the launch of its line of pills for medical marijuana ā calling it the first controlled-dose, pharmaceutical-quality and solid-fill medical cannabinoid capsule available to people with prescriptions for medical marijuana use in the U.S. The New York State Department of Health recently approved the capsule line, in…
October 26, 2016 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Degree of Posture Difficulties in MS Linked to Areas of Nervous System Most Damaged by Disease Posture control is a complex skill, requiring differentĀ areas of the nervous system to work well and to work together ā but the damage caused by multiple sclerosis complicates such nervous system multi-tasking, leading to postural problems and the well-established tendency for MS patients to fall. Several neurological systems are known…
October 25, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD CannaCure Florida to Host November Medical Cannabis Education Conference in Tampa CannaCure Florida,Ā a patient-focused producer of medical cannabis and related products, will host physicians and medical professionals for a peer-to-peer medical cannabis educational conference Nov. 18 in TampaĀ to provide guidance forĀ incorporating medical cannabis into traditional medical practices. The event will be held 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Cuban…
October 25, 2016 News by Marina Anastasiou MS Researcher Wins Fritz Krauth Award from Paralyzed Veterans of America The 2016 Fritz Krauth Award was given by the Paralyzed Veterans of AmericaĀ to Dr. Sarah Moyon, a researcher focusing on ways to understand and treat symptoms of diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS) and those of the spine.Ā The award ceremony took place atĀ Cleveland, Ohio, at the bi-annual board meeting of…
October 24, 2016 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Study of Myelin-producing Cells a Step Forward for MS, Other Neurological Disorders A study found that the cells responsible for the production of myelinĀ selectively introduce a myelin-insulating layer in a particular set of neuronal axons in the brainās white matter. This represents a step forward in the basic mechanisms that may underlie neurological disorders, including multiple sclerosis (MS). Also, aĀ newly developed method…
October 24, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD ‘Rare’ Molecule in Immune System Turns Out to Be Common, and May Be Part of What Goes Wrong in MS Researchers have discovered that a type of immune molecule ā called “spliced epitopes,” once believed to be very rare Ā ā in fact makes up a large part of the molecules labeling cells as belonging to the body, and those that are invaders. The finding may wellĀ change our understanding of multiple…
October 21, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Genome-wide Analysis Pinpoints 200 Gene Variants Common to MS A genome-wide analysis of over 110,000 peopleĀ allowed researchersĀ withĀ theĀ International Multiple Sclerosis Genetics Consortium (IMSGC)Ā to discoverĀ 200 genetic loci (the position of genes on a chromosome) that areĀ common to peopleĀ withĀ multiple sclerosis (MS). The findings were given in theĀ presentation, ā200 loci complete the genetic puzzle of multiple sclerosis,ā by Dr. Nikolaos…
October 21, 2016 News by Joana Fernandes, PhD Umbilical Cord Stem Cells Work to Restore Immune System Balance in Early Study DamagingĀ immune system defects seenĀ in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) can be repaired using a simple stem cell approach, according to a new study by researchers in China and the U.S. The study, āUmbilical Cord-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Reversed The Suppressive Deficiency Of T Regulatory Cells From Peripheral Blood Of…
October 20, 2016 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Relapses and Dislike of Needles Among Reasons MS Patients Stop Betaferon Treatment Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with more advanced disease, as evidenced by disability, and those more frequent relapses or aversion to needles are among the groups of peopleĀ at higher risk of discontinuing Betaferon (interferon beta-1b) treatment, researchers report. These findings may help to alert clinicians toĀ those least likely to adhere to…
October 20, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD RedHill Awaits Patent for RHB-104, Potential MS Treatment, from Japan RedHill BiopharmaĀ recentlyĀ announcedĀ that it hasĀ received a Notice of Allowance from theĀ Japan Patent Office for a new patent coveringĀ RHB-104 as a potentialĀ treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS).Ā Once granted, the patent will be valid until 2032. The European Patent Office also recently approvedĀ a patent application for the drug with this…
October 19, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Apitope Regains Full Rights to Potential MS Therapy, ATX-MS-1467 ApitopeĀ andĀ Merck KGaAĀ announced that they have entered into an exclusive agreement regardingĀ ATX-MS-1467, a potential disease-modifying therapy for Ā multiple sclerosis (MS). Under itsĀ terms, Apitope will regain full global rights over ATX-MS-1467, as well as allĀ clinical data related to the compound. In 2009, the companyĀ grantedĀ exclusive global rights toĀ Merck KGaA to develop…
October 19, 2016 News by Joana Fernandes, PhD Wheat Proteins Known as ATIs May Worsen Inflammation in People with MS A group of proteins found in wheat can cause symptoms ofĀ suchĀ inflammatory health conditions as multiple sclerosis (MS), asthma and rheumatoid arthritis to worsen, and may alsoĀ promote gluten sensitivity, according to researchers atĀ Johannes Gutenberg UniversityĀ inĀ Germany. These findings, recently presented atĀ United European Gastroenterology (UEG) Week 2016, turn attention away from one…
October 18, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Smyle Mouse Relies on Facial Gestures to Let Users Control Their Computer Using a computer mouse can be difficult for people with the many diseases or injuries that affect muscular control, including those withĀ multiple sclerosis (MS). Ā SoĀ a company calledĀ Perceptive DevicesĀ has designed a way around that problem, and recently released a new version of itsĀ Smyle Mouse, a device thatĀ tracks facial…
October 18, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MS Society Awards Almost $220K to Research into Myelin Repair and Renewal The MS SocietyĀ in the United Kingdom awarded Ā£177,930 (about $217,800) to Dr.Ā Sassan Hafizi, a researcher at University of Portsmouth, to investigate the potentially beneficial role of a central nervous system molecule,Ā called Gas6, in repairingĀ the myelin damage seen in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) . Hafizi and Dr. Arthur…
October 17, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Lemtrada Seen to Help Reverse MS Disability in People in Earlier Stages of Disease Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) was seen to help reverse disability among patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) in relatively early stages of the disease, researchers report. The study, āAlemtuzumab improves preexisting disability in active relapsing-remitting MS patients,ā published in the journal Neurology, supports the idea that treatment…
October 17, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD National Multiple Sclerosis Society Commits $10.5M to Fund 42 Research Efforts The National Multiple Sclerosis SocietyĀ announced thatĀ is investing more than $10.5 million to support an anticipatedĀ 42 new research projects intoĀ multiple sclerosis (MS), part of its commitmentĀ to scientificĀ efforts aimed atĀ stopping MS, restoring lost function to patients, and, ultimately, ending the disease forever. The dedicated fundingĀ is part of aĀ projected society investment of…
October 14, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Selective Manipulation of Specific Receptors May Pave Way for New MS Therapies Mouse experiments with compounds having opposite actions on two receptors for TNF (tumor necrosis factor) ā a key factor in neurodegeneration ā explains why earlier trials of TNF blockers in multiple sclerosis (MS) went wrong, and paves the wayĀ for more selective drugs targeting the system to stop MS neurodegeneration. The…
October 14, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Regular Exercise Found to Repair Damage to Neurons in Brains of Mice Voluntary running triggers a molecule called VGF, a nerve growth factor,Ā that was seen to induce a brain repair mechanism in animals, researchers at The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa in Canada report. The findings have important implications for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other conditions caused by damage to…
October 13, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Heparin for MD Myelin Repair to Be Studied in United Kingdom The MS SocietyĀ in the United Kingdom is funding a new project at the University of Glasgow, in Scotland,Ā to examine if Ā heparin, a drug widely used for stroke patients, can repair neurological damage in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). MS is a progressive, debilitating, immune-mediated, neurodegenerative disorder in which…
October 13, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Neurologists Anticipate FDA Approval of Ocrevus as 1st Progressive MS Treatment, Survey Finds Neurologists in the U.S. expect ā or, at least, highly anticipate ā that Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), being developed by Roche as a treatment for both relapsing and progressiveĀ multiple sclerosis (MS), will be approved by year’s end, and a sizableĀ numberĀ plan on quickly prescribing it, according to a recent update byĀ Ā Spherix…
October 12, 2016 News by Ed Tobias MS, Cancer Risk and a Trip to the Dentist. What’s the Connection? I made a trip to the dentist today. What does that have to do with multiple sclerosis, you ask? Stay with me. We’ll get there. But first, let me tell you about a weekend conference that my local chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society held recently. One of…
October 12, 2016 News by Alexandra Andersson, PhD Potential Therapy, Laquinimod, Shows Promise as Progressive MS Treatment in Mouse Study The experimental therapyĀ laquinimodĀ was seen to prevent the start of harmful immune responses and to disrupt the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS) in a mouse model of the disease. This finding may be especially promising, as the treatment is being developed for people with both relapsing MS and its rarer progressive…
October 12, 2016 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Stress Urinary Incontinence Can Often Affect Mothers with Relapsing MS Stress urinary incontinence affects predominantly young adult mothers with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), particularly those with pelvic organ prolapse, according to a recent study. Exercises that strengthen theĀ pelvic floor muscles are suggested to reduce the risk ofĀ incontinence. The study, āStress Urinary Incontinence in Women With Multiple Sclerosis,ā…
October 11, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Vocalist Lori Jenaire Supports #25for25 Campaign for Autoimmune Diseases with ‘As You Are’ Classic Cover Singer-songwriterĀ Lori Jenaire is supporting the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA) #25for25 fundraising campaign with the release of her Top Five Billboard Hot Singles Sales debut “As You Are,” featuringĀ Patrice Rushen. The song is a remake of the 1978 Pharoah Sanders’ R&B soulĀ classic, which in its original version featuredĀ Phyllis…
October 11, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD New Urinary Catheter, Designed by Quadriplegic, Approved by FDA The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for marketingĀ Adapta Medicalās PerfIC Cath, an intermittent and easy-to-useĀ urinary catheter that wasĀ designed for patients with limited dexterity by a doctor who isĀ alsoĀ a quadriplegic. Urinary tract symptoms can troubleĀ peopleĀ with multiple sclerosis (MS). In fact, according to the National MS Society,…