News

Cognitive rehabilitation is an effective therapy for cognitive problems brought on by multiple sclerosis (MS), a review study highlights. “Clinicians should consider this low-cost, low-risk, yet effective treatment approach for their patients,” its researchers wrote. The study, “Neurological update: cognitive rehabilitation in multiple sclerosis,” was published…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) are not at greater risk for severe COVID-19 outcomes, according to a study of more than 150,000 hospitalized people in Germany. The study, “Multiple sclerosis is not associated with an increased risk for severe COVID-19: a nationwide retrospective cross-sectional study from Germany,” was…

The Accessible Product Design Alliance has released a statement calling for changes in products and packaging design to assure equal accessibility among consumers, including those with disabling disorders such as multiple sclerosis (MS). Composed of 11 nonprofit health consumer organizations in Australia and New Zealand — including MS…

The first patient who completed the ProTEct-MS Phase 2 clinical trial assessing temelimab as a treatment for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) has entered the trial’s extension part. In the open-label extension trial, patients will switch to or continue to receive temelimab at least until next spring, when…

The therapeutic administration of mesenchymal stem cells can improve functional abilities and promote the restoration of lost myelin in rodent models of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new analysis of published studies. The findings highlight the potential of these stem cells, but also point to a need for…

In an unexpected discovery, scientists working to understand the biological underpinnings of brain tumors found that increasing the activity of a protein receptor called PDGFRA reduces the production of myelin — the fatty coating that is lost in multiple sclerosis (MS) — in the nervous system. “We saw that…

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society has granted its 2021 Hope Award to two multiple sclerosis (MS) experts at Mount Sinai Health System for their clinical ingenuity and significant research contributions that have uplifted individuals, families and communities affected with the chronic condition. Aaron Miller, MD, professor of neurology…

The presence of a light-sensing protein in the brain during the early stages of fetal development may help to explain why certain neurological diseases, like multiple sclerosis (MS), are more common among people born at specific times of the year, a study found. The researchers, who noted that people…

First-line treatment with Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate) leads to a lower rate of relapses in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) than does treatment with Aubagio (teriflunomide) or injectable immunomodulators, according to an analysis of insurance data from France. “These data will be useful to feed into physician…

Women with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) who suspend their use of fingolimod — sold as Gilenya, among others — to conceive or during the early stages of pregnancy have a significantly higher risk of relapse during and after pregnancy, a new study finds. Stopping fingolimod resulted in a…

People who develop colon cancer are more likely to die in the first year, from that cancer or other causes, if they also have multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study indicates. MS disability seems to contribute to this association. “These results warrant further investigation to determine what factors may…

Anti-CD20 antibody therapies that target B-cells are highly effective for reducing the risk of relapses in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), a new analysis confirms. The analysis did not find any significant differences in efficacy or safety among the anti-CD20 therapies currently approved to treat RRMS, though…

Treatment with fesoterodine fumarate — which comes as an extended-release tablet patients can take by mouth — can reduce bladder pressure and improve quality of life in people with bladder impairments due to multiple sclerosis (MS) or spinal cord injuries, new research shows. “A 3‐…

The U.K.’s National Health Service (NHS) has started its COVID-19 vaccine booster program, offering a third shot — preferably with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine — to at-risk populations, including people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The decision follows a recommendation by the country’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization, or…

A committee of the European Medicines Agency is recommending that Vumerity (diroximel fumarate) be approved as an oral treatment for adults with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) in the European Union. The opinion, from the agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), will now be sent…

While people with multiple sclerosis (MS) taking anti-CD20 therapies do not mount a robust antibody response after getting vaccinated against COVID-19, the vaccines do strongly activate other parts of the immune system that are likely to be helpful in fighting the virus, a new study shows. “The message…

An imaging feature called a rim lesion is found in about 4 out of every 10 people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a review study. These rims, thought to represent areas of chronic brain inflammation in which myelin is being progressively damaged, may serve as alternate biomarkers of…

Temedica, a Munich-based digital health company, has joined efforts with Roche to launch a free mobile app that aims to improve care for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) living in Germany. Available in German only, the Brisa app will make a record of individual disease progression in…

A class of molecules called positive allosteric modulators, or PAMs, may be useful in treating pain caused by nerve damage — a common symptom of multiple sclerosis (MS) — according to a new study that sheds light on how these molecules work. The international team of researchers behind…

Bladder and bowel problems, which affect more than half of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, should be assessed and monitored regularly to better adapt treatment plans and ultimately improve patients’ quality of life. That is among recommendations of Jane Young and Joan Bradley, two nurses with experience in MS care and…

An interaction between immune cells and glia cells in the brain, mediated by the C1q complement system protein, appears to drive chronic inflammation in multiple sclerosis (MS), new research shows. Inhibiting this protein helped to resolve inflammation in mouse models of MS and in tissue cultures, its researchers found.

Depression in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients greatly raises their risk of vascular disease and death by any cause, a study that compared this patient group with other patients and a matched public reported. Its researchers recommended further work to determine “whether effectively treating depression” might lower these risks for these…

The MS Trust has put together a free School Awareness Pack aimed at raising the profile of multiple sclerosis (MS) and dispelling some common disease misunderstandings in schools. Designed for teachers, school staff members, and students, the pack consists of information about MS and the U.K. patient…

A number of health conditions — including high blood pressure, migraines, schizophrenia, and rheumatoid arthritis — are more common among immigrants to Canada who have multiple sclerosis (MS) than those without MS, an observational study reported. Compared with long-term residents with MS, immigrants with this disease were less likely to…

Pro-inflammatory T helper 17 cells, known as Th17 cells — a type of immune cell known to play a role in multiple sclerosis (MS) — directly interact with myelin-producing cells, promoting their damage and death, according to a study in a mouse model of MS and in samples from…

Toxoplasmosis, an infection by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, has a protective effect against the development of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a review study. Specifically, people who had been infected with the parasite were 32% less likely to develop MS than those who never had toxoplasmosis. While these findings support T. gondii…

A six-week program, called vibration training — in which people stand on a vibrating platform for short periods of time — eased disability and improved cognitive abilities and quality of life in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a small randomized study found. The program was also well accepted and…

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society invested more than $8.7 million over the summer to support 29 new training fellowships, early career research awards, and other initiatives aiming to advance multiple sclerosis (MS) research and care. Awarded research projects align with the society’s Pathways to Cures Roadmap: stopping disease activity and…

  An extended-release formulation of amantadine, ADS-5102 was significantly more effective than a placebo at increasing walking speed in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who had difficulty with this, particularly younger patients with a shorter disease course, the INROADS Phase 3 trial demonstrated. Further clinical work on this investigative…

Getting the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for COVID-19 does not increase the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) relapses in the two months following vaccination, according to a new study. The results support recommending COVID-19 vaccines for people with MS, its researchers said. “The incidence of relapses in the 2 months before and…