April 13, 2016 News by admin Study Associates Obesity in Youth, Low Vitamin D Levels with MS Onset and Progression A systematic review of existing medical literature on multiple sclerosis (MS) could shed light on MS causes and predictors for diseaseĀ progression, and on lifestyle changes ā ranging from vitamin D intake to weight loss ā that might reduce a person’s risk. The report,Ā “Factors associated with onset, relapses…
April 13, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Urinary Tract Symptoms Found to Affect 70% of MS Patients in Study and Contribute to Disability Urinary tract symptoms affect a large proportion of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), yet their extent and type is not well-known. A study reported that among a cohort of people with the disease, almost 70 percent had urinary tract problems, adding to the extent of their disability. The study,…
April 12, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MedDay Raises $38.5M to Finance Phase 3 Trial Targeting Progressive MS MedDay SASĀ recently announced that it has raised ā¬34 million, about $38.5 million, in a Series B financing round. The moneyĀ will enable the company to lead a confirmatory Phase 3 clinical trial, called SPI2, in the United StatesĀ toĀ assess itsĀ lead candidate, MD1003, as a treatment for progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). MedDayĀ concluded…
April 11, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc PathMaker Launches Clinical Trial of MyoRegulator to Treat Spasticity, Common in MS PathMaker Neurosystems, Inc.,Ā recently announced the launch of anĀ Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approvedĀ clinical trial, in partnership with Northwell Health (formerly North Shore-LIJ Health System) andĀ The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research,Ā to evaluate the safety and efficacy ofĀ MyoRegulator for the treatment of spasticity, one of the most common symptoms in multiple sclerosis…
April 11, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Natalizumab (Tysabri) Targets Molecule Crucial for Type of B-Cell to Accumulate in the Brain Mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of multiple sclerosis (MS), were found to have milder symptoms if the target of natalizumab (Tysabri) ā VLA4 ā was absent on B-cells, preventing regulatory cells that might control immune processes from entering the brain. B-cells are increasingly thought to play…
April 8, 2016 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Smoking Appears Linked to Brain Abnormalities in People with MS-related Disease, Study Suggests AĀ team of researchers suggested thatĀ cigarette smokingĀ is associated withĀ adverse effects toĀ white matterĀ in the brain, and reportedĀ that smokingĀ may underlie the clinical course ofĀ clinically isolated syndrome, an early and potentially predictive symptom of aĀ progression to multiple sclerosis (MS). The study, āInfluence of cigarette smoking on white matter in patients with…
April 8, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD National MS Society Invests $25.3M to Support 60 New Research Projects, Train Clinicians TheĀ National Multiple Sclerosis SocietyĀ announced that it has investedĀ $25.3 million to support nearly 60 new research projects aiming to better understand and treatĀ multiple sclerosis (MS), and seven clinical training awards as part of its strategic approach to eventuallyĀ curingĀ MS. This investment is part of the Society’s plan to commit a…
April 7, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MS Patients Asked to Take Part in Survey of Risk/Benefit Considerations in Choosing Treatments The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is funding a new survey to understand how people living with multiple sclerosis (MS) weigh risks against benefits when choosing MS therapies. The survey was developed by Dr. Robert Fox, a neurologist, working with colleagues at the Cleveland Clinic and the MS patient…
April 7, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Doctors Study Possible Link Between Dimethyl Fumarate (Tecfidera) and Shingles A case report of a woman with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) who developed shingles while being treated with dimethyl fumarate (Tecfidera) has raised questions of whether the drug reactivatesĀ the varicella-zoster virus. The study,Ā “Disseminated zoster with paresis in a multiple sclerosis patient treated with dimethyl fumarate,“Ā was published in…
April 6, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Colorado Neurological Institute to Host ‘Spotlight on Hope’ Gala and Fundraiser on April 15 TheĀ Colorado Neurological InstituteĀ (CNI),Ā a non-profit research and neurological care organization, will host the āSpotlight on Hopeā gala andĀ fundraising event on April 15, celebratingĀ CNI patients, community leaders and physicians.Ā The inaugural event, which combines the group’sĀ Hope Awards and Gala, is part of CNI’s outreach efforts toĀ advance public understanding ofĀ brain cancer, attacks like…
April 6, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MS-associated Myelitis Can Be Identified Early Through MRI Scans, Study Reports Researchers reported that patients with myelitis who later develop multiple sclerosis (MS) might be distinguished from others with myelitis by a number of characteristics, like the location and size of spinal cord lesions, a finding that might help clinicians diagnose MS and initiate treatment at an early stage. Myelitis, an…
April 5, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD New Clinical Trial Data on Experimental MS Therapeutic Vaccine, Xemys, Released PJSC Pharmsynthez, a pharmaceutical company based in Russia, recently announced completed follow-up findings and data analysis from a Phase 2a proof-of-concept clinical trial ofĀ its novel therapeutic vaccine Xemys for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). XemysĀ utilizes Xenetic Biosciences patented ImuXen technology. In the open-label, dose-escalating trial, 20 patients…
April 5, 2016 News by admin Fingolimod (Gilenya) Shown to Benefit Neurons as Well as Immune System The immune system-suppressing multiple sclerosis (MS) drug fingolimod (Gilenya) also has potentially beneficialĀ effects on the nervous system, according to a recent study,Ā “The multiple sclerosis drug fingolimod (FTY720) stimulates neuronal gene expression, axonal growth and regeneration.“Ā The article appeared onlineĀ March 12 in an earlyĀ version ofĀ the journalĀ …
April 4, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Young MS Patients in the US More Likely to Be Overweight and Suffer More Relapses Than Peers Elsewhere, Study Finds Scientists at the Pediatric MS Center at NYU Langone, New York, reported that U.S. adolescents withĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) receivingĀ interferon-beta 1a therapyĀ had a higher body mass index (BMI), more relapses, and were managed differently compared to patients of similar age in seven other countries. The study, “Subcutaneous…
April 4, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc Experimental MS Oral Antibiotic Combination Therapy Showing Promise in Phase 2a Study, RedHill Biopharma Reports RedHill Biopharma, Ltd.Ā recently announced promising interim results from itsĀ ongoing CEASE-MS Phase 2a clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of a fixed dose of RHB-104 as an add-onĀ therapy for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). RHB-104 consists of an oral capsule formulation of an antibiotic combination therapy ā…
April 1, 2016 News by Malika Ammam, PhD Study Finds Aubagio Well-tolerated and Efficient in Long-term MS Treatment Researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, in collaboration with various institutions from north America and Europe, found that teriflunomide (Aubagio) is well-tolerated and efficient for long-term treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). The findings, entitled āLong-term safety and efficacy of teriflunomide,ā were…
April 1, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MS Therapy Tecfidera Might Exert its Actions by Increasing Specific B-cells Editor’s note: The term B-cells is, in fact, a collective term for a group of cells having rather different properties. Some B-cells cells play a role in fighting invading pathogens or flawed cells, and can be wrongfully activated to target normal cells in autoimmune diseases. Regulatory B-cells (Bregs), instead act…
March 31, 2016 News by admin Diabetic Oral Drugs Like Metformin Eased MS Symptoms in People with Both Diseases, Study Reports New research from Argentina explores the idea that controlling symptoms of type 2 diabetes (metabolic syndrome) can also beneficially impact multiple sclerosis (MS) disease progression. The study,“Immunologic Effects of Metformin and Pioglitazone Treatment on Metabolic Syndrome and Multiple Sclerosis,“ appeared March 7 in the journal…
March 31, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Signaling Molecule Seen to Induce CNS Remyelination in Mice with Spinal Injuries Neuregulin-1 is a signaling molecule of interestĀ in the context of synaptic plasticity Āā the ability of our nerve cells to form new connections and get rid of those that are no longer needed. Now, a study showed that the factor is also indispensable for repairing myelin in models of spinal…
March 30, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc Oral MS Drug Derived from Plant Peptide Seen to Stop Disease Progression in Mice Researchers, working with an animal model of multiple sclerosis (MS), discovered that oral treatment with a synthesized plant peptide, known as cyclotide, halted the progression of clinical symptoms without side effects. The findingĀ offers new hope for the development of an easily available and orally deliverable treatment that mightĀ slow or even…
March 30, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Alemtuzumab (Lemtrada) Seen to Slow Disease Progression by Targeting Key Brain Systems Several clinical trials have shown thatĀ alemtuzumab (Lemtrada) effectively reduces relapse rates in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), and improves disability in the early stages of the disease. A new studyĀ adds to evidence of the drug’s efficiency by finding that it affects different aspects of disability to varying degrees, a finding…
March 29, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD National MS Society Welcomes Novartis as Premier Sponsor, for 5th Year, of Walk MS The National Multiple Sclerosis SocietyĀ is welcomingĀ Novartis Pharmaceuticals, for a fifth consecutive year,Ā as a leading national sponsor of Walk MS, its annual fundraising and awareness-raising event. This year’s walks will also again feature the musician and multiple sclerosis (MS) ambassador David Osmond leading the society’s as part…
March 29, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MS Relapses During Natalizumab Therapy Traced to Drug’s Greater Impact on Regulatory T-cells Natalizumab (Tysabri) harnesses multiple sclerosis (MS) activity by targeting CD49, a molecule on the surface of immune cells. Now, researchers foundĀ that the drug reduces the factor on regulatory T-cells to a greater extent than on inflammatory T-cells ā a mechanism that might explain disease exacerbation during treatment. The molecule under…
March 28, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MS Survey Reviews How Patients Perceive Diet, Exercise and Drug Treatments A survey, summarizing the views of 2,600 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, showed how people manage their disease in real life ā and the results offer some surprising insights that might provide clues for future treatment development and optimization. Conducted by aĀ Stanford University-trained geneticist, Dr. Yael Wilnai, results from the…
March 28, 2016 News by admin MS Lesions in Cerebellum Ably Predict Disability Levels and Disease Progression, Study Suggests DamageĀ toĀ the cerebellum in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) is due moreĀ to the death of actual nerve cellsĀ thanĀ the destruction of white matter connections, a new study out of Italy suggests. The article, which challenges previous ideas about how brain damage in MSĀ occurs, is titledĀ “MRI-detectable cortical lesions in the…
March 24, 2016 News by admin MS Animal Study Suggests That Placental Cells Might Serve as Future Stem Cell Therapy Research on a specific type ofĀ stem cell found in the placenta, known asĀ decidua-derived mesenchymal stem cells (DMSC), suggests these cells might be the source of futureĀ treatments for multiple sclerosis. The report,Ā “Restrained Th17 response and myeloid cell infiltration into the central nervous system by human decidua-derived mesenchymal stem…
March 24, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Rosacea Appears to Be Linked to Multiple Sclerosis in Women, Study Reports Rosacea is an inflammatory skin condition affecting mostly fair-skinned individuals. A study from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, recently showed that the condition in women is also associated with multiple sclerosis (MS). Recent genome wide association studies (GWAS) have pinpointed genetic risk factors of the disease that also increase…
March 23, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Potential Progressive MS Treatment, Ibudilast, Approved for Fast Track Development by FDA MediciNova, Inc.,Ā announced that MN-166 (ibudilast) has been approved for “fast track” development byĀ the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)Ā as a potentialĀ treatment forĀ progressive multiple sclerosis (MS).Ā Progressive MS includesĀ both the primary progressive (PPMS) and secondary progressive (SPMS) forms of the disease. MediciNovaās MN-166 was licensed from Kyorin Pharmaceuticals for its potential…
March 23, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD High Lactate Levels in MS Patients Tied to Disease Progression, Mitochondrial Dysfunction Scientists in recent years have wonderedĀ whether a link exists betweenĀ high lactate levels resulting from mitochondrial dysfunction andĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) progression. Now researchers in Italy showed that lactate, a metabolic byproduct, is indeed increased in the cerebrospinal fluid of MS patients andĀ may beĀ a disease driver. Mitochondria are the bodyās energy factories,…
March 22, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Ethnic Study of East Londoners with MS Highlights Role of Environment in Disease Onset According to new research published in the Multiple Sclerosis Journal, environmental factors appear toĀ play a much greater role in the onset of multiple sclerosis (MS) than previously recognized. The study, āEthnicity and prevalence of multiple sclerosis in east London,” was led by scientistsĀ at…