Researchers, Biotech Companies Present Key MS Discoveries & Therapy Updates at Recent Conference

Patricia Silva, PhD avatar

by Patricia Silva, PhD |

Share this article:

Share article via email

TheĀ 67th American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting took place last week in Washington, DC and included eight investigators from theĀ Tisch MS Research Center of New York, whose research efforts focus onĀ finding a cure for multiple sclerosis (MS). The researchers attendedĀ the meeting to share data and insightsĀ on their latestĀ discoveries.

Tisch MS researchersĀ Marwan Alahiri, Ying Liu, Bianca Ulloa, and SaudĀ Sadiq presentedĀ a poster entitled “The Protection of A2aR on BBB Permeability from Th1 Cytokines in MS” on Tuesday, April 21, during Poster Session II, MS and CNS Inflammatory Diseases: In Vitro Studies, Experimental, and Animal Models.

On Wednesday, Tisch MSĀ Ā investigators presentedĀ six other key posters.Ā Pak Ho Au, Christopher Sears, Jerry Lin and Saud Sadiq presented the abstractĀ ā€œMyelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein is the Primary Myelin Protein Target of CSF B-cell Antibodies in MS,ā€ while the abstractĀ ā€œMetabolite Profiling of Cerebrospinal Fluid Derived from MS Patients,ā€ was authored by Danielle Blemur, Fozia Mir and Saud Sadiq.

In addition, ā€œTransglutaminase 6 is a potential biomarker of disease activity and astrocytic proliferation in MS,ā€ was presented byĀ Daniel Gratch, Benjamin Pagano, Kelsey McDermott, Massimiliano Cristofanilli and Saud Sadiq, whileĀ ā€œCerebrospinal Fluid Haptoglobin (Hp) Levels are elevated in MS patients with progressive diseaseā€ was presentedĀ by Bianca Ulloa, Marwan Alahiri, Ying Liu and Saud Sadiq.

Finally, theĀ studyĀ ā€œFetuin-A Correlates with Cortical Demyelination and is a CSF Biomarker of Disease Activity in Progressive MS,ā€ was presented by Mark Landy, Violaine Harris, Ying Liu, Saud Sadiq, andĀ ā€œFetuin-A, a CSF Biomarker of MS Disease Activity, is Upregulated at the Blood Brain Barrier,ā€ was givenĀ by Ruth-Anne Langan, Violaine Harris, Mark Landy, Saud Sadiq.

[adrotate group=”4″]

Sadiq was also responsible for presentingĀ the preliminary outcomes from a Phase 1 clinical trial to evaluate to evaluate stem cell treatments in patients with MS. The results were made public during theĀ session entitledĀ “Multiple Sclerosis Highlights in the Field,” which also took placeĀ Wednesday, April 22.

French biotechnology companyĀ MedDayĀ had already announced they would present data on itsĀ highly-concentrated biotin experimental treatment for progressive MS, MD1003Ā at the meeting, which was demonstrated to be effective inĀ a recent phase III trial.Ā MD1003 may be able to bothĀ increase myelin, the fatty nerve-insulating substance that is destroyed in MS, and energy to nerve cells so that they can communicate more effectively.

Similarly, MediciNova, Inc., had announcedĀ the acceptance ofĀ an abstractĀ describing their ongoing Phase 2b clinical trial of MN-166Ā (ibudilast) in progressive MS. The poster wasĀ presented at the meeting and entitled ā€œNN 102/SPRINT-MS Phase II Trial of Ibudilast in Progressive MS: Baseline Characteristics.ā€