June 25, 2019 News by Ana Pena PhD FDA Approves Botox to Treat Upper Limb Spasticity in Children Aged 2 to 17 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of Botox (onabotulinumtoxinA), marketed by Allergan, for the treatment of children ages 2 to 17 with upper limb muscle stiffness or spasticity, a common symptom inĀ children with…
June 24, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Healthcare Needs ‘Particularly High’ in Children and Teens with MS, Study Finds The burden in treating children with multiple sclerosis (MS) in terms of hospitalizations and doctor visits is extremely high, especially in the first year after diagnosis, a study from Canada reports. The study, “High rates of health care utilization in pediatric multiple sclerosis: A Canadian population-based study,”…
June 24, 2019 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Blocking Sortilin Protein May Be Potential Treatment for Chronic Nerve Pain, Mouse Study Suggests Inhibiting the function of a protein called sortilin ā an important regulator of nerve damage-induced pain in mice ā may represent a potentially effective strategy for treating chronic pain in humans, including those with multiple sclerosis, a study in mice suggests. The researchers say more work is needed…
June 21, 2019 News by Ana Pena PhD Bracco Diagnostics Notes Doctors’ Support in Developing Varibar for Assessing Dysphagia As part ofĀ National Dysphagia Awareness MonthĀ this June, Bracco DiagnosticsĀ is acknowledging speech language pathologistsĀ for their support in developing VaribarĀ (barium sulfate) products ā imaging agents used to assess swallowing disorders, a problem common among multiple sclerosis (MS)Ā patients. One in 25 adultsĀ is estimated to experience dysphagia, or…
June 21, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Cyxone Launches Phase 1 Trial Assessing T20K for MS CyxoneĀ launched the first-in-human Phase 1 clinical trial assessing the effects of T20K, its new therapeutic candidate for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS), in healthy volunteers. The announcement came after the company received approval from the Dutch Ethics Committee and Central Commission on Research Involving Human…
June 20, 2019 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Potential Mechanism Behind Effectiveness of B-cell Depletion Therapy in MS Uncovered The loss of immune B-cells, and the resulting changes in the profile of immune T-cells, is a major mechanism of action for the beneficial effects seen with ublituximab treatment in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, a study suggests. B-cells are a type of immune cell best known for producing…
June 20, 2019 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Childhood MS Linked to Greater Cognitive Impairment in Adulthood, Study Finds People with pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (POMS) have a greater decline in cognitive function, and are more likely to experience cognitive impairment in adulthood, than those whose disease began when they were adults, a study reports. The study, “Long-term Cognitive Outcomes in Patients With Pediatric-Onset vs Adult-Onset…
June 19, 2019 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Lemtrada Lowers Levels of Nerve Damage Biomarker Better Than Rebif, Trial Data Show Treatment with Sanofi GenzymeāsĀ LemtradaĀ (alemtuzumab) for up to two years lowers the levels of serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL), a proposed biomarker of nerve damage, in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosisĀ (RRMS) patients to levels comparable to those seen in healthy people, data from the CARE-MS I study shows. Lemtradaās effectiveness…
June 19, 2019 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Duet, an Innovative Device and App, Wins Lyfebulb-Celgene 2019 MS Innovation Challenge Kinza Kasher from LeoPlus USA was selected from a list of 10 finalists to receive the $25,000 grant for āAddressing Unmet Needs in MS: An Innovation Challenge,ā Lyfebulb and Celgene announced. This initiative’s goal is to encourage the development of innovative solutions to help those…
June 18, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Immune System Activation Induced by Filgrastim Likely Beneficial for Patients with Tysabri-associated PML, Study Says Immune system activation induced by filgrastim may be beneficial for patients with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy associated with the use of Tysabri (natalizumab), without worsening multiple sclerosis (MS) progression, a study says. The study with that finding, “Treatment of natalizumabāassociated PML with filgrastim,” was published in…
June 18, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Neurological Disease’s Progression Slows with Lowering of Iron Load in Brain, Study Finds Deferiprone, a compound that lowers iron levels in the bloodstream by binding to iron molecules, can slow progression of a severe neurodegenerative disorder calledĀ pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (PKAN), a study reports. Because a toxic buildup of iron in the brain is also associated with multiple sclerosisĀ and other neurological…
June 17, 2019 News by Alberto Molano, PhD Relative Cancer Risk is Higher in MS Patients Who Switch Disease-modifying Treatments More Frequently, Study Finds The relative risk of developing cancer was found to be higher in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who more frequently switched between disease-modifying treatments, according to a study. In addition, researchers found an increased incidence of cancer in male MS patients from 20 to 50 years old, and in female…
June 17, 2019 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Human Blood-brain Barrier in a Chip, Created in the Lab, May Help Design New Therapies, Study Shows By tweaking stem cells in a laboratory, researchers were able to generate a model of the human blood-brain barrier (BBB) in a chip. The BBB is a highly selective barrier that is damaged in multiple sclerosis (MS), allowing immune cells to reach the central nervous system and damage…
June 14, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD New AI Method Detects Brain Changes in Response to Treatment in RRMS Patients A new artificial intelligence (AI)-based model is better than conventional methods for detecting brain changes in response to treatment with Tysabri (natalizumab) in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), a study reports. The study, “High-dimensional detection of imaging response to treatment in multiple sclerosis,” was published in…
June 14, 2019 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD ‘Pregnancy Compensation Hypothesis’ May Explain Greater MS Risk for Women A mismatch ā between the ancestral immune function changes induced by the placenta and fewer modern-day pregnancies ā may help explain the greater risk for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune diseases in women in industrialized societies, according to a new study. The shift toward a sedentary lifestyle may…
June 13, 2019 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Elevated Blood Pressure May Predict Brain Bleeding in RRMS Patients Treated with Lemtrada, Study Suggests New research suggests that rising blood pressure might be predictive of intracranial hemorrhage ā bleeding in the brain, a serious and sometimes fatal condition ā in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who are receiving treatment with Lemtrada (alemtuzumab). The study, titled “Intracerebral haemorrhage during…
June 13, 2019 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc DELIVER-MS Trial Recruiting RRMS Patients to Help Improve Treatment Decision-making A clinical trial based at the Cleveland Clinic and the University of Nottingham, U.K., is recruiting patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) to compare two treatment strategies, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society announced. The Phase 4 study, called DELIVER-MS (NCT03535298), intends to enroll about 800…
June 12, 2019 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Biotech Startup Receives Funding to Pursue Cell-based Therapies for Neurological Disorders Startup company Oscine Therapeutics has received an investment from Sana Biotechnology to support the research and development of cell-based therapies for a variety of neurological disorders, including multiple sclerosis (MS). This venture is based on work done over the past several decades in the lab of Steve…
June 12, 2019 News by BioNews Staff Muralist Lydia Emily Uses Art to Publicize Hardships of Life with MS Perched atop a lift at the intersection of Main and ThirdĀ streets in downtown Los Angeles, artist Lydia Emily cheerfully answered questions from a reporter 2,500 miles away via cellphone while working on a mural three stories high. Periodically, she interrupted the interview to banter with co-workers, and gawking passersby.
June 11, 2019 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Aubagio Targets Highly Metabolic Auto-reactive T-Cells, Study Shows AubagioĀ (teriflunomide), an approved medicine for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), specifically targets highly metabolic and more autoreactive T-cells, analysis of the Phase 3 TERI-DYNAMIC clinical trial data shows. The findings, contrary to expectations, support a selective effect of Aubagio on different T-cell populations. The study āTeriflunomide treatment for multiple sclerosis modulates T cell mitochondrial respiration with affinity-dependent effectsā was published in the Science Translational MedicineĀ journal. In MS, immune cells, or lymphocytes known as T-cells, attack and destroy myelin, the fat-rich substance that wraps around nerve fibers (axons). Myelin loss creates lesions that affect nerves of the brain and spinal cord. Previous evidence suggested that T-cells, depending on their active or resting state, rely on specific ways of energy production or metabolism. Aubagio, marketed byĀ Sanofi Genzyme, is a well-known inhibitor of a mitochondrial enzyme called dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH), that is crucial for the activity of T-cells.Ā However, how Aubagio selectively targets the autoreactive T-cells is poorly understood. To shed light on this matter, an internationalĀ group of researchers used data from the TERI-DYNAMIC clinical trial that tested Aubagio in patients with relapsing form of MS to better understand how the therapy inhibited the patients' self-immune responses. The Phase 3, open-label TERI-DYNAMIC trial (NCT01863888) included 70 patients from Belgium, Germany, and The Netherlands, aged 18 to 56. Participants received Aubagio as a 14 milligram (mg) once-daily, oral dose, and researchers assessed the changes in immune cells' profile up to 24 weeks. Results showed that, contrary to what was expected, Aubagio was not generally decreasing T-cell levels in treated patients. Instead, it significantly reduced a particular subset of T-cells, called "Th1 helper cells." Moreover, researchers found that the diversity of T-cell receptors ā the surface proteins that can recognize a particular antigen (a protein that can elicit an immune response) ā making T-cells specific to a certain target was reduced in MS patients after treatment with Aubagio. These findings suggested that some T-cells were particularly susceptible to Aubagio. Using a mouse model for MS, the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model, researchers showed that the CD4+Ā T-cells (helper T-cells) and CD8+ T-cells, those that reacted most strongly against self-antigens, were the most sensitive to DHODH inhibition by Aubagio. Moreover, researchers saw that Aubagio was not affecting the production of pro-inflammatory molecules ā called cytokines ā at the cell level, but their overall decrease probably was due to the reduction in T-cell numbers. In line with these findings, CD4+Ā T-cells that produced the cytokine interferon gamma were significantly reduced with Aubagio treatment, whereas CD4+Ā T-cells that produced interleukin 17A were unchanged. This suggests that Aubagio is able to interfere with specific sub-types of immune cells. When the team compared the metabolic profile of T-cells from healthy subjects with that fromĀ patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) in both remission and in relapse phases, they found that the metabolism of T-cells from the last group was significantly altered, and thus targetable. Altogether, the results suggested that T-cells with a high-affinity to self-antigens are more susceptible to inhibition of the DHODH enzyme by Aubagio. āTherapeutic targeting of metabolic alterations might represent an attractive concept in MS, and might represent an as yet unrecognized key mechanism of teriflunomide-mediated immune modulation in this disease,ā the researchers concluded.
June 11, 2019 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Study Identifies Possible Genetic Causes of MS Scientists are zeroing in on mutations in a few genes that appear to be major risk factors for developing multiple sclerosis (MS). The results of their research suggest there are common biological pathways that cause the disease. The study, “Exome sequencing in multiple sclerosis families identifies 12…
June 10, 2019 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Stem Cell Therapy Based on Exosomes May Treat MS, Study in Mice Suggests Exosomes ā tiny vesicles secreted by cells ā collected from bone marrow stem cells and injected into a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS) helped to treat the disease, a study reports. Specifically, this treatment eased myelin loss and neuroinflammation in the mice, and improved motor function, the…
June 7, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD FDA and EMA to Review Ozanimod as Possible Oral Therapy for Relapsing MS The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) both agreed to review for possible approvalĀ ozanimod, Celgene‘s investigational oral therapy for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). An FDA decision on the company’sĀ New Drug Application for ozanimod is expected on…
June 7, 2019 News by Ana Pena PhD Obesity, Altered Fat Levels May Worsen Severity of RRMS, Study Found Obesity, altered lipid (fat) levels, and elevated leptin ā an hormone produced by fat cells ā may contribute to neuroinflammation, and worse disease severity in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), research has found. A study with the findings, titled “Obesity worsens central inflammation and disability in multiple…
June 6, 2019 News by Ana Pena PhD Vitamin D’s Role in MS Likely More Result of Environment Than Genes, Study Suggests A study found no genetic risk factors associated with vitamin DĀ in families with a history of multiple sclerosis (MS), suggesting that the link between vitamin D deficiency and MS risk is determined by environmental factors rather than a genetic predisposition. The study “Exonic variants of genes related…
June 6, 2019 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Roche, Sutter Health Testing Floodlight Mobile App That Monitors Patients’ MS Sutter Health, a California-based healthcare group, has partnered with the biotechnology company Roche to test a new mobile app that aims to improve monitoring of symptoms in people who have multiple sclerosis (MS). The app, called Floodlight, “may give neurologists access to meaningful, actionable patient data to…
June 5, 2019 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Blocking a Chemical Modification May Help Halt Inflammation in MS, Mouse Study Suggests The pro-inflammatory protein interleukin-17 (IL-17) drives inflammation by promoting a chemical modification, called phosphorylation, in the RNA molecule of the regnase-1 enzyme, a mouse study shows. These findings support the development of therapeutics that block the phosphorylation of regnase-1 to halt IL-17-mediated inflammation, as seen in multiple…
June 5, 2019 News by Mary Chapman 12-part Video Series, ‘Understanding Multiple Sclerosis,’ Available Online In partnership with @Point of Care, the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) is offering a comprehensive educational video series about multiple sclerosis (MS). The concise, 12-part series ā titled āUnderstanding Multiple Sclerosisā ā Ā features neurologist and MS expert Michelle T. Fabian, MD, and covers…
June 4, 2019 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Vumerity’s Safety, Effectiveness Bolstered by New Data from EVOLVE-MS-1 Trial Vumerity (diroximel fumarate), taken as a 462 milligram (mg) tablet twice daily, significantly decreases disease activity in patients withĀ relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosisĀ (RRMS), and leads to low rates of gastrointestinal side effects, new interim data of Phase 3 trial EVOLVE-MS-1 show. The findings were presented at the 2019 Consortium…
June 4, 2019 News by Ana Pena PhD AxoSim Licenses Mini-Brain Technology, Which May Speed Therapy Discovery for Neurological Diseases AxoSimĀ has acquired exclusive rights to lab-grown brain miniatures, coined “Mini-Brain,” a technology developed at Johns Hopkins University that uses stem cells to create models of the human brain in a dish. This technique may help speed therapy discovery for many neurological diseases, including multiple sclerosis…