News

Treatment with oral Ampyra (dalfampridine) improves walking ability, finger dexterity, and cognition in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), an analysis of nine randomized clinical trials shows. But the investigators caution the therapy should be taken only under expert medical guidance, due to its higher rate of potential side effects. The…

A decline in the activity of the GPR17 gene is responsible for age-related brain deterioration caused by the loss of myelin, a fatty substance that surrounds nerve cells like a sheath, a mouse study discovered. Researchers identified a small molecule that rejuvenated…

Researchers in the U.K. are seeking patients who found it difficult to return to work or school after a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) or COVID-19 to participate in a survey that aims to gather more data on the physical and mental health of individuals with these conditions.

An anti-inflammatory molecule — taken from a venomous fish and named TnP — with the potential to treat multiple sclerosis (MS) proved safe, without signs of cardiac or neurological problems in a recent zebrafish study, and also was found to be able to enter the brain. The findings open…

Vitamin D, but not paricalcitol (a vitamin D analog), can be used as a preventive measure to control the severity of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new study of mice. The study, “Preclinical therapy with vitamin D3 in experimental encephalomyelitis: Efficacy and comparison with paricalcitol,” was…

Emerald Health Pharmaceuticals (EHP) is preparing for an international Phase 2 clinical trial testing EHP-101 for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). The study will take place in about 20 locations in the U.S. and Australia, and is expected to include approximately 50 patients with relapsing forms of…

NeurologyLive and the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) have launched a new video series called Cure Connections, designed to provide healthcare professionals with expert news and insights about multiple sclerosis (MS). “These past several months our partnership with the CMSC has escalated to producing and disseminating extremely…

Pipeline Therapeutics has initiated a Phase 1 clinical trial to investigate PIPE-307, its lead treatment candidate for multiple sclerosis (MS), in healthy volunteers. The trial (NCT04725175) will assess the compound’s safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics, or how the drug moves through the body. Up to 72 people, ages…

In recognition of National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Awareness Month — celebrated throughout March — Novartis and iHeartRadio are teaming up on a virtual event to celebrate the resilient spirit of people affected by MS. Called “A Night for MS Awareness,” the event will be streamed on…

Lipid (fat) molecules can function as chemical couriers, taking messages from tissue to tissue, organ to organ as part of the body’s immune defense guidance system. But in certain diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), the courier service may go awry. One such lipid molecule, called sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P),…

A Phase 2a clinical trial evaluating GeNeuro‘s investigational antibody temelimab as a treatment for relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) should continue as planned, without modifications. That’s the recommendation of a Drug Safety Monitoring Board, an independent committee of clinical research experts, which was evaluating the trial of the…

Rising average temperatures may lead to a worsening of symptoms in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and a greater need for hospital care, according to a preliminary study by researchers in the U.S. Its findings will be presented at the virtual annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology,…

Editor’s note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today news team is providing in-depth and unparalleled coverage of the virtual ACTRIMS Forum 2021, Feb. 25–27. Go here to see the latest stories from the conference. Women with multiple sclerosis (MS) who continue taking disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) throughout pregnancy accrue lower non-maternity healthcare…

Note: This story was updated March 8, 2021, to note that tickets for MSAA’s Virtual Art Tour are still available for purchase.  Activities are underway to mark Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month, set aside each year to call attention to the neurodegenerative disorder estimated to affect almost 1 million U.S.

Red blood cells carrying specific antigen proteins on the cell surface can be used to disarm overactive T-cells by promoting immune tolerance, a study in mice found. The findings may have important implications for the treatment of autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis. The study, “Persistent antigen…

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society was among 56 nonprofit organizations chosen by Bristol Myers Squibb to share an $11 million award supporting projects that promote health equity and access to better care across ethnically and racially diverse and underserved communities in the U.S. Other awarded projects aim to promote diversity…

Editor’s note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today news team is providing in-depth and unparalleled coverage of the virtual ACTRIMS Forum 2021, Feb. 25–27. Go here to see the latest stories from the conference. While researchers make progress in pinpointing markers of disease progression in multiple sclerosis (MS), identifying those that signal…

Editor’s note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today news team is providing in-depth and unparalleled coverage of the virtual ACTRIMS Forum 2021, Feb. 25–27. Go here to see the latest stories from the conference. Cognitive impairment without physical disability in multiple sclerosis (MS) may grow in prevalence as newer therapies better control…

Editor’s note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today news team is providing in-depth and unparalleled coverage of the virtual ACTRIMS Forum 2021, Feb. 25–27. Go here to see the latest stories from the conference. Reducing the essential amino acid methionine in the diet lessened multiple sclerosis (MS)-like symptoms in a mouse model of…

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society has joined forces with the diabetes-focused JDRF and the Lupus Research Alliance to fund research looking at common underlying mechanisms of autoimmune disease. Called “Decoding Immune-Mediated Diseases – Novel Approaches for Therapeutic Insights,” the new joint grant program is meant to stimulate…

Editor’s note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today news team is providing in-depth and unparalleled coverage of the virtual ACTRIMS Forum 2021, Feb. 25–27. Go here to see the latest stories from the conference. Dietary restriction can lessen the severity of multiple sclerosis (MS) by modulating levels of fat-related hormones, new research…

Editor’s note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today news team is providing in-depth and unparalleled coverage of the virtual ACTRIMS Forum 2021, Feb. 25–27. Go here to see the latest stories from the conference. Clinical characteristics of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, including their response to therapies, vary based on race and ethnicity,…

Editor’s note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today news team is providing in-depth and unparalleled coverage of the virtual ACTRIMS Forum 2021, Feb. 25–27. Go here to see all the latest stories from the conference. The currently approved COVID-19 vaccines pose little to no risk to people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and…

Editor’s note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today news team is providing in-depth and unparalleled coverage of the virtual ACTRIMS Forum 2021, Feb. 25–27. Go here to see all the latest stories from the conference. The age of onset, sex, clinical features, and other demographic characteristics of multiple sclerosis (MS) in Latin…

Editor’s note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today news team is providing in-depth and unparalleled coverage of the virtual ACTRIMS Forum 2021, Feb. 25–27. Go here to see all the latest stories from the conference. The fat-related hormone leptin has pro-inflammatory effects on immune cells, new data show, findings that help in better…

Editor’s note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today news team is providing in-depth and unparalleled coverage of the virtual ACTRIMS Forum 2021, Feb. 25–27. Go here to see all the latest stories from the conference. Despite the overall low frequency of cases, multiple sclerosis (MS) in Latin America poses substantial socioeconomic challenges…

Imcyse has raised €21.3 million ($25.8 million) in funding to advance its innovative immunotherapy platform for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) and other severe autoimmune diseases. The funding was a result of a series B financing round featuring existing investors such as Biogenosis, Société Fédérale de Participations et…

Editor’s note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today news team is providing in-depth and unparalleled coverage of the virtual ACTRIMS Forum 2021, Feb. 25–27. Go here to see all the latest stories from the conference. At the ACTRIMS Forum 2021, Rhonda Voskuhl, MD, a neurology professor at the University…

Editor’s note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today news team is providing in-depth and unparalleled coverage of the virtual ACTRIMS Forum 2021, Feb. 25-27. Go here to see all the latest stories from the conference. Factors in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) surrounding the brain and spinal cord change with age and can affect…

Editor’s note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today news team is providing in-depth and unparalleled coverage of the virtual ACTRIMS Forum 2021, Feb. 25–27. Go here to see all the latest stories from the conference. Spending more time in the summer sun and living in generally sunnier places appears to provide protection against…