December 11, 2018 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc WUSTL Team Receives $6.3 Million Grant to Develop PET Scan Tracers The Washington University School of Medicine in St. LouisĀ (WUSTL) will create a new research center to investigate and advance the development of tracers for positron emission tomography (PET) scans. The center, which will be established at WUSTLās Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology (MIR), is going to focus on the…
December 10, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Microglia Cells Diverse with Distinct Subtypes and Certain Ones May Contribute to Inflammation, Study Finds Microglia, the resident immune cells of the brain, were seen to change throughout the lifespan of mice in a study ā and to be diverse, with distinct cell subtypes. Those with pro-inflammatory behavior may be disease-causing, as they were found to accumulate in the brains of a mouse model of…
December 10, 2018 News by Mary Chapman Research Team Chosen to Lead to Novel Research Project in Canada into MS Progression With a renowned researcher and her team chosen to lead it, work can now begin on the first project of its kind in Canada designed to shed more light onĀ multiple sclerosis progression, and better ways of diagnosing and treating it. Leading the pioneering $7 million project ā theĀ Canadian…
December 7, 2018 News by Alberto Molano, PhD Tysabri Seen as Superior to IFN-Ī² in Preventing Relapses, Easing Disability in Small Study Tysabri (natalizumab) was found to be superior to interferon beta (IFN-Ī²) in a small, 12-month study with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients, significantly decreasing their disability levels, its researchers report. A vast majority ā 90 percent ā of Tysabri-treated patients experienced no relapses during the study period,…
December 7, 2018 News by Alana Kessler MS RD Treating MS with Holistic Behaviors and Strategies: A Nutritionist’s View When I first met Stephanie in March, she was like any healthy 28-year-old coming in to see me for a nutrition consult. Her positive attitude and bright smile filled the room as she told me about her job as a grade school teacher and the new apartment she…
December 7, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Aubagio Becomes 1st Once-daily Oral DMT for Relapsing MS Patients in India AubagioĀ (teriflunomide) has become the first once-a-day, oral disease-modifying therapy (DMT) for multiple sclerosis (MS) to be approved for use inĀ India. Sanofi Genzymeās therapy is indicated for first-line treatment of relapsing MS. It should be taken each day with or without food, and patients in India will have…
December 6, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Fat Spheres Can Deliver DNA into Cells of Central Nervous System, Hold Therapeutic Potential Non-viral vehicles, called niosomes, can deliver DNA to glial cells in the central nervous system, a new study shows. The findings open new avenues for gene therapy and the treatment of neurological disorders, including multiple sclerosis (MS). The study āNon-viral vectors based on cationic niosomes as efficient gene delivery…
December 6, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Use of Hospital Palliative Care by MS Patients in US Rose 30-fold Between 2005-14, Study Finds Palliative care in a hospital setting rose 30 fold amongĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in the U.S. from 2005 to 2014, and was associated with longer hospital stays and greater numbers of in-hospital deaths but also lower overall costs, according to a large data study. Increased reliance on such care…
December 5, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Aspirin Suppresses MS Symptoms by Preventing Loss of Regulatory T-cells, Mouse Study Shows Aspirin, administered orally at low doses, was sufficient to suppress multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms in a mouse model of relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) and chronic MS, a study reports. The clinical benefits of aspirin were linked to an increase in the number of regulatory T-cells, those responsible for shutting…
December 5, 2018 News by Ana Pena PhD Lemtrada Linked to Bleeding in Lungs in Case Report, 1 of 5 MS Cases Worldwide, Study Says AĀ potentially life-threatening case of bleeding in the lungs has been reported and attributed toĀ treatment with Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) by a woman withĀ relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. Her medical team foundĀ diffuse alveolar hemorrhageĀ in this patient ā which resolved in about a week without treatment. The scientists advised that clinicians be alert…
December 4, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD RRMS Patients on Rebif Show High Treatment Adherence and Fewer Relapses in Real-World Study Patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) onĀ Rebif (interferon beta 1-a), using the RebiSmart autoinjector, have high treatment adherence, despite seasonal weather or temperature fluctuations, as well as fewer relapses over one year, a real-world study reports. The study, āSeasonal adherence to, and effectiveness of,…
December 4, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Small Molecule Linked to Cells That Control Myelin Production and Repair in Study The formation of new myelin sheaths by oligodendrocytes is impaired in the absence of a small molecule, called Vav3, that oversees pathways regulating the shape of oligodendrocytes, new study reports. Its researchers pinpoint Vav3 as a potential therapeutic target to improve and speed myelin repair in diseases like multiple sclerosis…
December 3, 2018 News by Mary Chapman Mumford & Sons Bassist Helps UK MS Society Tackle Patient Loneliness with New Exhibit A musician, a member of Parliament, and the Multiple Sclerosis Society in the United Kingdom have joined forces to increase awareness on the social isolation that often accompanies multiple sclerosisĀ (MS). The campaign grew from the society’s research, which found that up to 60 percent of MS patients, or…
December 3, 2018 News by Ana Pena PhD Lemtrada’s Use Carries Rare But Serious Risk of Stroke and Artery Tears, FDA Warns The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)Ā has issued a safety alert, warning about a rare but life-threatening risk of stroke and artery rupture in patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS)Ā being treated with Lemtrada (alemtuzumab). Since Lemtrada’s approval in 2014 to treat relapsing MS, 13…
November 30, 2018 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Gilenya Now Approved in Europe to Treat Children, Adolescents with RRMS Gilenya (fingolimod) was approved by the European Commission as a treatment for children and adolescents, ages 10 to 17, with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), Novartis announced. The therapy is already approved in Europe to treat RRMS patients 18 and older. With this newest decision, Gilenya has become…
November 30, 2018 News by Alberto Molano, PhD CDC Launching National Neurological Conditions Surveillance System to Study MS The U.S. Congress is supporting with $5 million the National Neurological Conditions Surveillance System (NNCSS), an initiative to be launched by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help researchers better understand who develops neurological disorders and why. The NNCSS was authorized by Congress as a part…
November 29, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Adult Oligodendrocytes May Replenish Myelin Production in MS, Study Suggests Mature, adult oligodendrocytes can reacquire their ability to produce myelin to replace the ones lost in diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS) without undergoing a stem cell-like state, a new study shows. Myelin is the fat-rich substance that wraps around nerve fiber projections (axons) protecting them and increasing the speed of…
November 29, 2018 News by Ana Pena PhD Stem Cells With Unusual Metabolism May Be Therapeutic Approach to Fight Inflammatory Diseases Like MS, Study Suggests Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs), the type of stem cells present in many tissues of adults, may be manipulated to fight inflammation and used as a cell therapy to treat inflammatory diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS), a study reports. In the future, researchers plan to use animal models to…
November 28, 2018 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Artificial Intelligence May Help Reduce Dosage of Gadolinium in MRIs, Researchers Suggest Artificial intelligence can help reduce the amount of gadolinium used as a contrast agent in MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans, preventing the agent’s potential toxicity when accumulated in body tissue, including the brain and bones, each time it is used, researchers suggest. The finding is of particular importance for…
November 28, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD High Lipid Levels Associated with Increased Disability, Inflammation in RRMS Patients, Study Shows High levels of certain lipids, or fat, in the blood are linked to increased disability scores and high levels of pro-inflammatory markers inĀ relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients, a small study reports. The study, āLipoprotein markers associated with disability from multiple sclerosis,ā was published in the journal Scientific…
November 27, 2018 News by Santiago Gisler Lifestyle Factors Tied to MS-related Depression, Large Study Finds Changeable lifestyle factors influence the risk and severity of depression associated with multiple sclerosis (MS), a study based on a large group of patients shows. According to the study,Ā alcohol consumption in particular was linked negatively withĀ depression incidence and severity. In addition, a healthy diet and vitamin D and omega-3 supplementation…
November 27, 2018 News by Ana Pena PhD Homotaurine Compound May Be New Class of Treatment for MS, Mouse Study Suggests Homotaurine, a compound proven safe for humans in long-term clinical trials, has eased autoimmune responses, brain inflammation, and multiple sclerosis-like symptoms in a mouse model of the disease, a study has found. The findings represent proof-of-principle evidence that homotaurine may represent a new potential class…
November 26, 2018 News by Ana Pena PhD FDA Warns of Rare Risk of Severe Worsening in MS Disability After Stopping Gilenya Use The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a safety alert, warningĀ that people with relapsingĀ multiple sclerosis (MS)Ā who stop usingĀ Gilenya (fingolimod) may experience disease worsening beyond that when starting the medicine or while taking it. Reported cases of such increases in MS disability upon stopping treatment are…
November 26, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Gilenya-induced Changes in Heart Rate May Predict Degree of Drop in Lymphocytes, Study Reports Assessing changes in a person’s heart rate can help to predict the degree to which lymphocyte numbers will decrease in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients usingĀ Gilenya (fingolimod), according to a small study. The research, āFingolimod-induced decrease in heart rate may predict subsequent decreasing degree of…
November 21, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Phase 1 Trial of ATA190 Cell Therapy Shows Promise in Treating Progressive MS Atara Biotherapeuticsā investigational ATA190, a cell therapy that wipes out immune B-cells infected with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), led to neurological improvements and reduced symptoms in patients with primary and secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), a Phase 1 trial shows. The trial results were published in the Journal…
November 21, 2018 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Phase 2 Trial of NurOwn Stem Cell Therapy in Progressive MS Planned for US, BrainStorm Announces BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics is planning to launch a Phase 2 clinical trial in the United States to evaluate the safety and activity of its lead cell therapy candidate,Ā NurOwn, in people with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). The company announced that has submitted an Investigational New Drug (IND) application to…
November 20, 2018 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc FDA Approves Generic Version of Aubagio to Treat Relapsing MS, Glenmark Pharma Says The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a generic version of Ā Aubagio (teriflunomide) tablets at the 7 mg and 14 mg doses marketed by Sanofi, according to the generic’s manufacturer,Ā Glenmark Pharmaceuticals. The FDAās decision to approve the company’s application for teriflunomide tablets at two…
November 20, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD RRMS Diagnosed Most Often in Younger Women and PPMS in Older Men, European Study Reports Women withĀ multiple sclerosis are being diagnosed at younger ages and in greater numbers than men, except for those with primary progressive disease (PPMS), where men 50 or older tend to predominate, a European review study that looked at trends over several decades reports. The study āAgeādependent variation of female…
November 19, 2018 News by Mary Chapman Accelerated Cure Project, National MS Society Pair to Advance Research, Patient Input Hoping to expedite multiple sclerosis (MS) research and boost patient participation, the Accelerated Cure Project (ACP) for Multiple Sclerosis is teaming with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. As part of the collaboration, the MS Society will make use of ACP’sĀ iConquerMS, a research initiative to increase the engagement…
November 19, 2018 News by Ana Pena PhD MS Therapy Fampyra Again Not Recommended for Use in Scottish National Health System The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) issued a negative recommendation on the use of Fampyra (fampridine; marketed as Ampyra in the U.S.) in the National Health System (NHS), for the…