News

Almost half of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients show reduced bone density (osteopenia) and about 17% have osteoporosis, a progressive disease characterized by weak bones that are prone to fractures, a review study of data covering almost 14,000 patients reported. These findings suggest that people with MS should be monitored…

Eating a lot of green leafy and other vegetables, beans, nuts and berries seems to significantly lower the likelihood of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study from Iran. The findings also suggest that the chances of developing the disease may be higher in people who eat more…

Pasithea Therapeutics announced plans to develop a tolerizing vaccine that would treat multiple sclerosis (MS) by “training” the immune system in ways that prevent its damaging attacks. The vaccine will be developed under Pasithea’s new chemical entity development program for MS in collaboration with Hooke…

Note: An earlier version of this story stated the Scottish Medicines Consortium approved Vumerity for RRMS patients in that country. The consortium decides to add a medicine to Scotland’s National Health Service; the MHRA approves treatments for England, Scotland, and Wales. The Scottish Medicines Consortium has approved adding the…

Doctors and nurses involved in the care of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) at a center in Scotland “highly” value the existence of a Pelvic Health Clinic for referrals — where patients identified as having concerns related to sexual health can be referred for consultation for guidance and care…

The majority of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who stop taking Tysabri (natalizumab) before or when they become pregnant experience a disease relapse during pregnancy or shortly thereafter, according to a study out of Germany. In more than one out of every 10 cases, relapses were so severe that…

The Swedish Medical Products Agency has approved AB Science’s request to launch in the country a confirmatory Phase 3 clinical trial of its lead candidate masitinib in adults with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) and nonactive secondary progressive MS (SPMS). The decision comes on the heels of a similar authorization by the…

Sports was a huge part of Armand Thoinet’s life, and when he was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) one week before his 19th birthday, that life turned upside down. He could no longer engage in activities that mattered greatly to him, such as rugby, tennis, and skiing. “I…

Changes in the genome of oligodendrocytes were found in DNA regions associated with immune genes and risk mutations linked to multiple sclerosis (MS), a study shows. The changes identified make it possible for these immune genes and MS-associated regions to have an altered expression — meaning being…

This year’s Harry Weaver Neuroscience Scholar Award, funded by the National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society, has gone to a Yale University researcher who is searching for biomarkers of radiologically isolated syndrome (RIS) in children. RIS occurs when imaging findings on MRI scans are similar to those seen in people…

KAT7, an enzyme known to regulate gene activity, is essential for the process of teaching immune T-cells to correctly identify the body’s molecules and cells as ‘self’ — a process that goes awry in multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune diseases. This enzyme is also critical for training T-cells…

More than half of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients treated with self-injectable therapies — namely, glatiramer acetate, marketed as Copaxone, among others, or any of a host of interferons — showed no evidence of disease activity after two years, according to a study out of Turkey. Among patients treated for…

A relationship between meat consumption and how it affects gut bacteria, immune cell profiles, and metabolism was identified in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) participating in a small study. Specifically, a diet rich in meat was associated with a decrease in Bacteriodes thetaiotaomicron, a common gut bacteria that works…

A novel algorithm that combines genetic, environmental, and clinical data could be useful for predicting whether people with a first onset of multiple sclerosis (MS)-like disease — known as clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) — will experience relapses or a worsening of their disease over time. The…

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is characterized by changes in methylation — a type of chemical modification in the DNA that changes how genes are read — in immune cells called T-cells, according to a new study. The results also suggest that treatments for MS can help to normalize methylation…

Atara Biotherapeutics has reached an agreement with Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies for the production of its cell therapy pipeline, including ATA188, an experimental therapy being investigated for the treatment of progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). Under the agreement, Fujifilm will acquire Atara’s T-Cell Operations and Manufacturing (ATOM) facility in Thousand…

A Phase 2 clinical trial into the safety and tolerability of higher-dose temelimab as a potential therapy for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) is now complete, and top-line data is expected by late March, its developer, GeNeuro, announced. The ProTEct-MS Phase 2 trial (NCT04480307), conducted at the Karolinska…

Nearly a third of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with COVID-19 experience symptoms that last at least one month, according to a review of of more than 550 infected MS patients in the U.K. who did not need to be hospitalized. This study’s rate is higher than that reported for the…

Trigeminal neuralgia, a chronic pain condition characterized by shocks or burning sensations in the face, seems to be much more common among people with multiple sclerosis (MS) than in the general population, according to a review of published studies. This condition also is more prevalent in women with…

ANI Pharmaceuticals has announced the full U.S. commercial availability of Cortrophin Gel (repository corticotropin injection), an injectable therapy approved for managing acute relapses in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune disorders. “Patients with certain chronic autoimmune conditions often need additional treatment options,” Mary Pao Seideman, MD,…

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) did not increase the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) development and were not associated with worse clinical outcomes, a recent study reported. These findings add to the complexity of the potential relationship between ACEs and MS that has emerged across several research studies. “Our primary…

Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with weak immune responses to COVID-19 vaccines are more likely to respond successfully to the booster shot if they are receiving an anti-CD20 therapy compared with those on Gilenya (fingolimod), according to a small study in Norway. These early findings suggest that booster shots…

Women with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) have more brain lesions and accelerated brain volume loss (BVL) after pregnancy compared with pre-pregnancy measurements, recent data showed. Brain lesions in the early postpartum period — the first months following childbirth — were associated with a higher risk of worsened disability and relapse…

Vitamin D can influence the immune system’s tolerance to certain proteins by changing how DNA is packaged in specific immune cells called dendritic cells, according to a new study. Its findings could have implications for treating diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS) that are characterized by the immune system attacking…

Tevogen Bio is planning to make use of its virus-fighting immune cell technology and turn it against Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a common virus thought to greatly increase the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS). The technology employs off-the-shelf cytotoxic T-cells — a type of white blood cell that can…

Similarities between an Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) protein and a brain protein called GlialCAM may explain why EBV infection increases the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS), results from a new study show. Due to the structural resemblance of the two proteins, B-cells — a type of immune cell that is critical…

The MS Society of Canada is hosting its annual MS Read-a-Thon, a fundraiser that supports vital services to the multiple sclerosis (MS) community and to disease research while helping children discover the joys of reading. For a 45th year, the program invites children, individually or in teams…

A Kessler Foundation scientist has been awarded nearly $600,000 to support the development and testing of a behavioral therapy intervention aiming to improve quality of life for people with multiple sclerosis (MS). An upcoming clinical trial into the intervention (NCT05195320), expected to begin…

A new imaging technique called magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging, or MRSI, could be useful for diagnosing and monitoring multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a small study. “If confirmed in longitudinal clinical studies, this new neuroimaging technique could become a standard imaging tool for initial diagnosis, for disease progression and…

Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate) appears to have similar benefits to Gilenya (fingolimod) in preventing relapses and the loss of motor function and cognition in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a study with real-world data found. The two medications also led to similar findings on MRI scans, including in…