January 31, 2024 News by Marisa Wexler, MS University-educated MS patients are more likely to get DMT: Study People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who received a university-level education are more likely to be on disease-modifying treatment (DMT) in regions with a publicly funded healthcare system, a U.K.-based study suggests. Advanced education was also linked to treatment starting faster and high-efficacy…
January 31, 2024 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Myelin repair early in MS may protect against disability worsening People in the early stages of multiple sclerosis (MS) who have more spontaneous myelin repair in the cortex ā the outermost layer of the brain that’s critical for higher cognitive abilities ā are less likely to experience worsening disability, a new analysis suggests. These findings have important implications for…
January 30, 2024 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD MS treatment Ponvory wins patent protection in US, to run until 2042 The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has notified Vanda Pharmaceuticals that it will grant a new patent covering the use of Ponvory (ponesimod), an approved oral treatment for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), that will span nearly two decades, the company announced. The upcoming patent specifically…
January 30, 2024 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Cell-based therapy can be produced in under 3 days from blood sample Kyverna Therapeutics has developed a method that enables KYV-101, an experimental CAR T-cell therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other conditions, to be produced in a much shorter timeframe than conventional manufacturing processes, a study shows. The approach took less than three…
January 29, 2024 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Access to MS care poorer for rural regions, select patient groups in US Geographical proximity to neurologists and multiple sclerosis (MS) speciality care centers is lower for people living in rural regions of the U.S. relative to metropolitan areas, according to recent research. Areas with higher proportions of Hispanic individuals, uninsured people, and those with disabilities generally also were more likely to…
January 29, 2024 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD Gender, age at PPMS onset has no impact on disability progression Gender and age at the onset of disease don’t seem to have a clinically relevant impact on disability progression in people with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS), according to a recent study in Argentina. Disease progression, based on the Expanded Disability Status…
January 26, 2024 News by Marisa Wexler, MS MS guidelines by Spanish society stress early, effective treatment New guidelines from the Spanish Society of Neurology emphasize the importance of early diagnosis and prompt treatment in the management of people with multiple sclerosis (MS). These guidelines also highlight a need to move beyond traditional views of “first line” and “second line” MS treatments, suggesting instead a…
January 26, 2024 News by Marisa Wexler, MS More disability, fewer resources in pregnant Black, Hispanic patients In the U.S., pregnant people withĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) who are Black or Hispanic tend to have more severe disability than their white counterparts, along with fewer socioeconomic resources, a new study indicates.Ā āWhat we are seeing is that underrepresented women with MS start their…
January 25, 2024 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD Diets promoting inflammation may slowly lead to depression, anxiety Foods that promote inflammation appear to contribute to the development over time of depression and anxiety in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a study that followed patients for 10 years reports. A pro-inflammatory diet, however, was not linked to fatigue, a common MS symptom. āIf the relationship with…
January 25, 2024 News by Marisa Wexler, MS 2nd stem cell transplant may help stabilize MS disability: Small study In people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who have previously received a stem cell transplant, a second transplant can be performed safely and may help stabilize disability. That’s according to the study “Second Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in Multiple Sclerosis: A Single-Center Prospective Experience,” which…
January 24, 2024 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD In MS, diet low in wheat may ease inflammation, improve life quality A diet low in wheat was linked to reductions in circulating inflammatory immune cells and improvements in pain-related life quality among a small group of people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), according to findings from a pilot clinical trial conducted in Germany. The trial’s findings build upon another recent…
January 24, 2024 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD Healthcare utilization increases in the year before MS diagnosis: Study People with multiple sclerosis (MS) utilize more healthcare resources a year before their MS diagnosis, suggesting this may be a period of prodromal MS, when patients start having unspecific and mild MS symptoms. These might include mild cognitive issues, skin problems, and anemia, when the body doesn’t have…
January 23, 2024 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD FDA grants fast track status to KYV-101 for progressive forms of MS The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted fast track status to KYV-101, Kyverna Therapeuticsā cell-based therapy candidate for people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) that are treatment-resistant. The FDA designation is intended to accelerate the development of therapies that aim to address unmet medical…
January 23, 2024 News by Margarida Maia, PhD High-dose vitamin D does not slow MS lesion development Taking a high-dose vitamin D supplement as an add-on to standard treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS) doesn’t slow the development of new lesions, a sign that the brain or spinal cord have been damaged, according to a meta-analysis study. Vitamin D also had no…
January 22, 2024 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Head injuries, genetic makeup increase MS risk by up to 18 times People with a certain type of genetic makeup who’ve have head trauma may have a risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) up to nearly 18 times over those without genetic factors or a history of head trauma, a study shows. āOur study could prompt further research to uncover the…
January 22, 2024 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Problems with workings of nuclear protein may drive nerve cell damage Problems with the workings of a protein called hnRNP A1 drives nerve death in multiple sclerosis (MS) by affecting how nerve cells process RNA, a study reports. RNA is an intermediary molecule that’s produced when genes are “read,” and it is used as a template for protein production. Abnormalities…
January 19, 2024 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Floodlight smartphone app helps in MS but work is needed to boost use A smartphone application called Floodlight Open may help in tracking areas of function in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), but more work is needed to improve patient adherence to using the app in a real-world setting, according to a new study. Researchers tested Floodlight Open’s use among more than…
January 19, 2024 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD $40K grant will fund study of cycling and virtual reality for MS A research team at the Kessler Foundation has received a $39,994 grant from the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) to investigate whether combining aerobic cycling with virtual reality can improve cognitive function in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). A key focus of the study will be to…
January 18, 2024 News by Mary Chapman Scientist granted $700K to study care barriers for Latino MS patients A Kessler Foundation research scientist will use a multiyear, $704,054 federal grant to study care barriers, cardiovascular risk factors, and accelerated brain aging in Latino multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, the nonprofit healthcare organization announced in a press release. Cristina A. F. RomĆ”n, PhD, an investigator with Kessler’s Rocco…
January 18, 2024 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Synapses in CNS may be important in myelin production, per MS study Junctions between nerve cells and certain cells called oligodendrocyte precursor cells, or OPCs, in the brain and spinal cord may play an important role in producing myelin, the protective substance that’s progressively lost in multiple sclerosis (MS), new research suggests. OPCs are abundant in the brain and spinal…
January 17, 2024 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Protein levels in CSF may help diagnose primary progressive MS The level of proteins called kappa free light chains in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) ā the liquid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord ā may be used as a diagnostic marker to identify the presence of primary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new study. Testing for…
January 17, 2024 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD Acorda taking over global marketing of Fampyra, MS walking aid Fampyra (fampridine), an approved oral treatment to improve the walking abilities of adults with multiple sclerosis (MS), soon will be sold by Acorda Therapeutics worldwide. The announcement follows the decision by Biogen to terminate a licensing agreement that gave it global development and marketing rights…
January 16, 2024 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD EU agency OKs study of therapy to improve mitochondrial function Mitochon Pharmaceuticals is launching a pilot clinical trial to evaluate MP101, its treatment candidate for improving mitochondrial function, in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurodegenerative diseases. The announcement follows the trial’s clearance by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), which enables Mitochon to begin enrolling patients with…
January 16, 2024 News by Margarida Maia, PhD $24M in financing to advance treatments to protect myelin sheath Myrobalan Therapeutics has secured $24 million in series A financing to support the development of oral medications for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other diseases of the central nervous system (CNS), which comprises the brain and spinal cord. The companyās pipeline currently includes three candidate therapies…
January 12, 2024 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Ancient DNA reveal how MS risk genes arose, spread across Europe Genetic changes that predispose people to developing multiple sclerosis (MS) first emerged among herding populations who migrated to Eastern Europe thousands of years ago and then spread across the continent, new research has found. Researchers think these genetic variations may have helped turbocharge the immune system, making it easier…
January 12, 2024 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Compassion-focused therapy eases thoughts about suicide, pain Engaging in online sessions of compassion-focused therapy, which works toward getting people to become more compassionate about themselves, may help women with multiple sclerosis (MS) deal with suicidal thoughts, a small study suggests. Compassion-focused therapy also may help these women overcome pain catastrophizing, which is a tendency to view…
January 11, 2024 News by Marisa Wexler, MS MS patients have high levels of T-cells targeting EBV-infected B-cells People with multiple sclerosis (MS) have high levels of T-cells in their spinal fluid that specifically target cells infected with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), according to a new study. These T-cells were found in samples collected from patients during their diagnostic workup in the early stages of…
January 11, 2024 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Depression in pregnancy linked to autoimmune disease, especially MS Women with a history of depression around the time they get pregnant are at increased risk of developing autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), according to recent research. Likewise, women who have an autoimmune disease are more likely to get depressed during pregnancy and in the year after…
January 10, 2024 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD Monte Rosa plans to begin Phase 1 trial of MRT-6160 in mid-2024 Monte Rosa Therapeutics is planning to initiate a Phase 1 clinical trial to test MRT-6160, its investigational therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune diseases, by mid-2024. The trial will follow the submission of an investigational new drug (IND) application, a formal request to U.S. regulatory authorities…
January 10, 2024 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Foralumab nasal spray shown to ease fatigue in nonactive SPMS Six of eight patients with nonactive secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) being treated with foralumab nasal spray ā all part of an intermediate-size expanded access program (EAP) allowing the therapy’s use ā have experienced reductions in their fatigue levels. That’s according to treatment developer Tiziana Life Sciences,…