News

A protein called Mfsd2a, which transports molecules that contain omega-3 fatty acids, is essential for regulating cells that make the fatty coating on nerve fibers, or myelin sheath, that’s damaged in multiple sclerosis (MS), a study indicates. In mice lacking Mfsd2a, the cells that make myelin, or oligodendrocytes, fail…

Neurologist Robert Lisak, MD, has been named a 2023 Giant of Multiple Sclerosis for his work in understanding the mechanisms of multiple sclerosis (MS) and improving care for people with the condition. Lisak, MD, a professor of neurology and former chair of the Wayne State University Department of Neurology,…

The online platform DrTalks is offering a free virtual summit this summer aimed at helping multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and their caregivers better manage daily life with the progressive neurodegenerative condition. The event is slated for July 5-11, and has more than four dozen speakers lined up. Talks…

Attaching a kind of molecule backpack to myeloid cells — a type of immune cells involved in the inflammatory attack that drives multiple sclerosis (MS) — may help to halt inflammation and damage in the brain in MS by modulating immune cell activity, a study…

A four-month home-based aerobic walking program was feasible and may help improve cognitive function for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, according to data from a recent pilot study funded by the Kessler Foundation. Findings from this small study support the design of a randomized, controlled clinical trial to evaluate…

The Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) is collaborating with Novartis and the Chronic Health Improvement Research Program (CHIRP) at Dartmouth Health to establish a multicenter learning health network for providers to drive better outcomes for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Called the Multiple Sclerosis Implementation Network…

A newly developed laboratory model using tadpoles can help determine the remyelinating potential of new multiple sclerosis (MS) therapies via specific changes in behavior and vision tests, a new study suggests. The model may help accelerate the discovery of potential MS remyelinating therapies, and reduce the use of resources…

Blood levels of the nerve damage marker NfL seem to spike to very high levels around times of disease activity in children with multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study reports. The findings support using NfL as a biomarker of disease activity, in the form of relapses or lesions, in…

Tysabri (natalizumab) is generally safe and effectively lowers disease activity in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a real-world study of patients over a 13-year period in Denmark. “Most patients treated with [Tysabri] are clinically stable with few adverse events,” researchers wrote. In more recent years, doctors…

Jonathan Allenger, diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) a decade ago, is planning to bike more than 6,000 kilometers (3,700 miles) across Canada to raise awareness and CA$1 million for MS research and patient support services. Proceeds from the journey — set to begin on May 7 and conclude by…

Clusters of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies in the blood of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients appear to contribute to the nerve cell death that marks the neurodegenerative disease, according to a recent study. IgG antibodies harvested from the blood of MS patients drove nerve cell death in cell cultures, whereas antibodies…

The recently approved CD20 inhibitor Briumvi (ublituximab-xiiy) has received a permanent insurance reimbursement code that will simplify claims submissions and documentation processes for adults in the U.S. with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis who are prescribed it. Issued by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the…

Rehabilitation therapy that utilizes virtual reality can help to improve balance and reduce the fear of falling for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a new analysis shows. “Our findings provide support to the use of [virtual reality-based therapy] to recover balance in neurological diseases such as MS,” researchers wrote.

Nearly half of the people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) treated early with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) in Phase 3 clinical trials showed no evidence of disease activity after up to nine years on the therapy, data show. In contrast, about one-quarter of enrolled patients who started on…

A yearlong project by University of Detroit Mercy (UDM) engineering and nursing students has meant new customized assistive devices for people with physical conditions, including multiple sclerosis (MS). The program pairs seniors from UDM’s College of Engineering & Science with nursing students from the College of Health Professions…

More than 80% of patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) given Kesimpta (ofatumumab) continuously for up to five years in a clinical trial did not have any documented worsening of disability over the duration of the treatment. That’s according to new data from the ongoing…

There was no evidence of multiple sclerosis (MS) disease activity for at least two years in patients who underwent an autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (aHSCT) at a center in Mexico. And by the most recent follow-up — a median of about seven years after the procedure —…

More than 90% of Black and Hispanic patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) treated with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) in a Phase 4 clinical trial experienced no new relapse activity or sustained disability worsening after nearly one year, according to an interim analysis. However, more than half of these patients experienced…

Treatment with Aubagio (teriflunomide) significantly reduces the risk that adults with radiologically isolated syndrome (RIS) will develop symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS), new clinical trial data show. This is the second trial showing that approved disease-modifying therapies can delay the development of MS in people who have…

About 2.5 years of treatment with tolebrutinib was associated with low relapse rates and stable disability levels among people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to data in an ongoing, open-label extension of a Phase 2b trial. The oral treatment also continued to show a “favorable”…

Supplements with tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) were generally well tolerated among people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to findings from a small clinical trial. Results also showed that patients given TUDCA supplements had lower levels of certain inflammatory immune cells than those given a placebo, but no…

Use of the cell therapy MSC-NP failed to show a significant effect on overall disability scores among people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to data from a Phase 2 clinical trial. Results, however, indicated that MSC-NP improved walking ability for people with more advanced disease —…

Damage to the myelin sheath, a hallmark feature of multiple sclerosis (MS), leads to increased levels of fatty molecules called VLCFAs, which are converted by brain cells into an inflammation-driving signaling molecule called S1P, a study suggests. The discovery of this novel molecular pathway may open up new avenues…

Tokachi, a region in northern Japan, has seen a steady increase in the prevalence or proportion of people in the population living with multiple sclerosis (MS) over the past two decades, a recent study found. Data show the disease has also become more common in women in northern…

Most treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS) are not associated with an increased risk of complications during pregnancy, according to a new analysis. A few therapies were associated with slightly elevated rates of congenital abnormalities for babies exposed to treatment during pregnancy, but small sample sizes limit being able to…

People with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) seem to experience slower worsening of their disabilities than those with the primary progressive form of the disease (PPMS), a new study reports. However, SPMS patients tend to be older and have more advanced disability when they enter the progressive stage…

Owen Mumford‘s Aidaptus auto-injector, which lets a wide range of under-the-skin medications to be administered, has won a Red Dot Award in the Product Design 2023 category. Launched in 2021, Aidaptus is a disposable auto-injector whose design fits multiple-sized prefilled glass syringes without changing parts. This could provide…

The first participant has completed dosing in a Phase 1 clinical trial testing FSD Pharma‘s Lucid-21-302, an experimental oral medication for all types of multiple sclerosis (MS), in healthy volunteers. After receiving a green light from Health Canada to launch the first-in-human trial, the company began by…

Sensoria Health and Padula Rehabilitation Technologies (PRT) have launched a wearable system crafted for optometry practices to improve balance, gait, and coordination, and to help reduce the risk of falls, particularly among older people. The system, NeurOpTrek powered by Sensoria, is designed to assess a person’s fall risk…

Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with greater psychological resilience — a better ability to cope with and recover quickly from problems and difficulties — tend to have higher levels of social and occupational functioning, a new study found. Resilience was linked to a number of functions, including relationships, communication, social…