News

Cannabis-based products are more likely to be used by multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with higher levels of disability and pain than those with lesser disability or pain, according to a study of findings in Spain and France. This “may encourage health authorities to consider relaxing the barriers to cannabis use for…

People with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) may experience more severe inflammatory activity and nerve damage early on in the course of their disease as compared with individuals who have secondary progressive MS, a new study indicates. The results also suggest that primary progressive MS patients tend to have…

Adherence to a high-quality diet may help alleviate symptoms of depression in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a study from Australia suggests. The study examined several dietary regimens that have been developed to help manage MS symptoms generally by avoiding foods that might increase inflammation, a key driver…

A team of scientists has developed a wearable microscope — to be carried on the backs of animals in a lab — that can be used to evaluate cell activity in the spinal cord of living mice with greater clarity than has ever before been possible. The scientists say this…

An agreement with Helius Medical Technologies has made HealthTech Connex (HTC) the exclusive provider, for at least the next five years, of the noninvasive Portable Neuromodulation Stimulator (PoNS) device in the Vancouver area of British Columbia in Canada. The new deal supplants an earlier clinical research and promotions…

Itaconate, a metabolite produced during cellular energy production activities, was found to restore the balance of immune T cells and reduce multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms in a mouse model of the disease, a study reported. The common metabolite specifically suppressed the production of pro-inflammatory T cells while promoting the…

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has approved a class settlement overhauling a decades-old medical clearance system that led to illegal discrimination in the U.S. Foreign Service against people with mental health conditions or other disabilities, such as multiple sclerosis (MS). The class settlement, signed in December,…

Infection with the virus that causes COVID-19 significantly accelerates neurological disability in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), at least in the first months after infection, a study from Belgium reported. A more severe case of COVID-19, one requiring hospitalization, also significantly associated with a faster worsening of MS…

A pair of experts are calling for genetic tests to be developed to identify people at higher risk of developing progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a serious brain infection that can occur as a side effect of certain multiple sclerosis (MS) treatments. “The availability of a simple, relatively inexpensive test…

MRI scans of the brain acquired early on after the onset of multiple sclerosis (MS) may help predict disease severity and disability accumulation after 10 years, a new study found. In particular, there were two MRI biomarkers — inter-caudate diameter (ICD) and third ventricular width (TVW) — detected…

Predicting whether an asymptomatic child or adolescent with signs of demyelination on imaging scans will develop multiple sclerosis (MS) is difficult using adult diagnostic criteria, a small study found. The findings highlight the need for more suitable criteria for pediatric patients, which could let them begin treatment…

Disease relapses are no more likely in women with multiple sclerosis (MS) after fertility treatment than they were before such treatment, a study found. Researchers also observed that almost half of the women receiving fertility treatment were on disease-modifying MS therapies, which may have helped to keep a…

Most neurologists in the U.S. are aware of the recent approval of Briumvi (ublituximab-xiiy) for the treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) and about half anticipate testing the therapy in the next six months, according to an analysis by market research company Spherix Global Insights. The therapy, developed…

The body has two distinct lineages of immune cells that can be distinguished by the presence or absence of the vitamin D receptor, a preclinical study reports. The findings shed more light on how vitamin D fine-tunes immune responses and may help researchers better understand the link between vitamin…

Supplementation with phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP), a molecule produced during cellular energy generation, eased the signs and symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) in a mouse model of the disease, a study revealed. The metabolite inhibited a protein called JunB, which blocked the production of the pro-inflammatory molecule interleukin-17 (IL-17) and suppressed…

The Kanabo Group has established what it claims is the U.K.’s first online medical cannabis clinic to help people with multiple sclerosis and other conditions manage chronic pain. Called Treat It, the clinic is expected to help those whose conventional pharmaceutical medicines are ineffective or those…

A new podcast series called “A Campbell Never Quits” is telling the life story of Tyler Campbell, a patient advocate who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) during his junior year at college. “The podcast aims to appeal to sports fans, people living with MS, and anyone who appreciates…

A new collaboration between ModeX Therapeutics and Merck, known as MSD outside North America, is expected to advance the development of ModeX’s MDX-2201, an investigational vaccine targeting the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). A history of infection with EBV — known for causing infectious mononucleosis, or mono, and certain…

Because people with multiple sclerosis (MS) usually undergo regular MRI scans to image their brains, their data could help researchers learn more the long-term effects of COVID-19 on brain tissue. That’s the argument by a team of researchers in the paper, “Multiple sclerosis as a…

Higher blood levels of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) is associated with a significantly lower risk of confirmed disability progression during treatment in people with relapsing and progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to an analysis of data from three Phase 3 clinical trials. Notably, the lower disability progression rates reported in…

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and interferential currents (IFC) — both interventions apply electrical stimulation through electrodes placed on the skin — can help to ease pain in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to results from a small clinical trial. Results suggested that, while both treatments can reduce…

Aiming to promote equitable access to multiple sclerosis (MS) treatments worldwide, an international MS alliance is asking that three disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) be added to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) list of essential medicines. Inclusion on the WHO list is considered an important if “initial” step in assuring that helpful treatments…

Cionic — developer of the Neural Sleeve for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other conditions that affect mobility — has chosen the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab as the inaugural location for its Center of Excellence program. The Chicago-based facility has been named the nation’s top physical medicine and…

MSC-NP, a form of stem cell therapy that’s currently in early clinical trials for multiple sclerosis (MS), can reduce the inflammatory activity of brain immune cells called microglia, according to a new study. The therapy is known to reduce disease severity and improve myelin regeneration in animal models of…

MS Australia is funding a study by researchers at Curtin University into how diet might affect multiple sclerosis (MS) onset in children. Led by Eleanor Dunlop, PhD, a dietitian and postdoctoral researcher at the Perth university’s School of Population Health, the study will investigate the influence different types of…

An upcoming study will investigate how well icobrain MS, an artificial intelligence (AI)-based technology, can interpret MRI data from people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and how its use might influence patient care. The project, called AssistMS and led by Icometrix — the technology’s developer — and Queen Mary University of London…

Neurologists in the U.S. are generally favoring more aggressive early treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS), according to an analysis by market research company Spherix Global Insights. With over a dozen therapies available in the U.S. to treat relapsing forms of MS, patients and providers have options to…

A new study of women with multiple sclerosis (MS) who had previously given birth may have identified one of the mechanisms behind the lasting protective effects of pregnancy seen in MS patients. Patients who’d had children were found to have a number of differences in methylation, a type of…

Following a Mediterranean diet may reduce the risk of cognitive problems, including with memory and thinking skills, in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a preliminary study suggests. The diet includes a high intake of fish, fruits, legumes, vegetables, and healthy fats (olive oil); and a low intake of meat,…

GA Depot, an experimental long-acting version of glatiramer acetate, significantly reduced relapse rates and prevented the development of new lesions among people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis, according to new data from a Phase 3 clinical trial. Disability levels also were significantly reduced with the treatment, given…