In Cold Sassy Tree, the classic novel by Olive Ann Burns, Grandpa Blakeslee tells his grandson Will Tweedy that, “Livin’ is like pourin’ water out of a tumbler into a dang Coca-Cola bottle. If’n you skeered you cain’t do it.” If you don’t speak fluent hick, as I do,…

Here’s my Pick of the Week’s News, as published by Multiple Sclerosis News Today. Immune System May Harbor Natural Way of Fighting MS, Other Autoimmune Diseases A genetic key to a possible natural way of battling MS could be worth further work. A variant in the TYK2 gene, which encodes…

Researchers in Russia found for a first time an association between variants in GAL, a gene that codes for the galanin protein, and multiple sclerosis (MS). Importantly, they also found that this association is sex specific. The study, “Single-nucleotide polymorphism rs948854 in human galanin gene and multiple sclerosis: a…

Here is my pick of the week’s news items, as published in Multiple Sclerosis News Today. Lemtrada Seen to Help Reverse MS Disability in People in Earlier Stages of Disease A medication that might not just stop but reverse disability of people with relapsing MS? Now, this is…

Our days have gotten shorter since June 20, but somehow I managed not to notice until a few weeks ago. Perhaps it is because we had a late summer here in the Northwest, and could comfortably leave home without a coat until late September. That’s also the time that…

A group of proteins found in wheat can cause symptoms of such inflammatory health conditions as multiple sclerosis (MS), asthma and rheumatoid arthritis to worsen, and may also promote gluten sensitivity, according to researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University in Germany. These findings, recently presented at United European Gastroenterology (UEG) Week 2016, turn attention away from one…

I often watched “The Brady Bunch” as a kid.  In one episode, Peter’s voice changes right before the talent show and he isn’t able to sing his chosen song. His replacement song has been playing on repeat in my head for two months! “When it’s time to change, you’ve got…

In the two years following my diagnosis, I had many bouts of chest pain, breathing difficulties, and sharp stomach pains. I worried that some other terrible illness was right around the corner. Four EKGs, three ultrasounds, two pulmonary function tests, and one colonoscopy later I had a surprisingly good bill…

Here is my Pick of the Week’s News, from articles published on Multiple Sclerosis News Today.  Antioxidant Therapies Seen as Promising Approach in Treating MS and Like Diseases Maybe antioxidant research could provide another avenue of MS therapy. A review article published in the British…

Do you have any strong feelings about worms? No, not earthworms you find in the garden, or even roundworms or tapeworms that can sometimes be found in animals and humans. What I am talking about is purposely being infected with parasitic worms. OK, it may not be as gross as…

The Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA), a national nonprofit organization based in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, announced the availability of three newly published resources for the multiple sclerosis (MS) community. These publications are available for free in both print and online editions at mymsaa.org, according to a press release. MSAA’s…

A symposium focused on lifestyle factors and unconventional medicine as part of the clinical care provided to patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) took place today at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC). The symposium, “Expanding the MS Toolkit: Integrating Lifestyle Factors and Unconventional Medicine…

The Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) 2016 Annual Meeting began today, June 1. Multiple Sclerosis News Today is providing extensive on-site coverage of the meeting, reporting on presentations, and conducting exclusive interviews with top researchers in the field of multiple sclerosis (MS) and with biopharmaceutical representatives on the latest advances in MS therapies.

Dietary habits and the composition of the gut flora can influence neuroinflammation and affect the outcome of neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study published in the journal Nature Medicine and titled “Type I interferons and microbial metabolites of tryptophan modulate astrocyte activity and central nervous…

Researchers at the School of Medicine of the University of California (UC), Riverside, found that TNF-alpha, a factor known for its pro-inflammatory actions, also triggers processes that end inflammation by inducing a type of immune surveillance cell, called M-cells. By advancing our understanding of immune processes, the finding may lead to…

Synthetic Biologics, Inc., a clinical stage company focused on the development of therapeutics to protect the microbiome and to target disease-causing pathogens, recently announced disappointing results from an independent third-party analysis of a Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating Trimesta as a treatment for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) in women.

Results from a recent study published in the journal Immunity indicate that dietary fat has an influence in the duration and severity of autoimmune flare-ups in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis. The team of researchers also showed that adjusting the length of the fatty acids consumed by…

A session titled “Late Breaking News” was featured at the 31st Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS), Oct. 7-10, 2015, in Barcelona, Spain. At this session, Prof. Xavier Montalban from the Hospital Vall d’Hebron University in Barcelona presented data on the promising Genentech/Roche…

Three parallel sessions concerning multiple sclerosis (MS) prevention, clinical phenotypes and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were featured at the 31st Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS), recently held in Barcelona, Spain (October 7 – 10, 2015). The first parallel session was entitled “Will…

The 31st Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) is currently being held in Barcelona, from 7 to 10 of October, 2015. As the biggest scientific event focused on Multiple Sclerosis, researchers and clinicians from around the world, with more than 8,000 participants, gather…

The world’s largest generic medicines manufacturer, Teva Pharmaceutical, is at the 31st European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) Congress currently ongoing in Barcelona, from October 7-10, 2015. Teva will be presenting the latest findings on its relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) therapy COPAXONE® (glatiramer acetate injection), and product candidate for…

Cryoport, Inc., a leader in providing advanced cryogenic logistics solutions for the life sciences industry, has just announced it will be supplying Opexa Therapeutics’ lead personalized T-cell immunotherapy research initiatives for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Neuromyelitis Optica (“NMO”). Opexa’s breakthrough immunotherapy drug platform has shown the potential to improve the lives of…

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society has announced it will grant $28 million to 84 new research projects and training awards focused on multiple sclerosis (MS). The new financial support is included in the society’s comprehensive research strategy, which was designed to not only end MS, but also restore patients’…

The Strategic Pharma-Academic Research Consortium for Translational Medicine has awarded its first grants totaling more than $1.9 million to support research projects dedicated to autoimmune diseases. Among the recipients is researcher Yanjiao Zhou, Ph.D., who is leading a study at Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL) focused on multiple sclerosis (MS), as…

2014 was a year of major progress in research for treating and curing multiple sclerosis (MS), according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. This year the National Multiple Sclerosis Society reports that the organization invested over $50 million into 380 new and ongoing research initiatives and projects for MS. The Society remains highly…

A new study entitled “Intestinal Barrier Dysfunction Develops at the Onset of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis, and Can Be Induced by Adoptive Transfer of Auto-Reactive T Cells” published in September issue of PloS One, reports that disruption of intestinal homeostasis supports Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis, the prototypic…

54 new multiple sclerosis (MS) research and development initiatives are set to receive substantial funding in order to accelerate new therapies. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) announced that it has pledged $19 million to fund these new MS studies as part of their mission to better manage…

A new study, entitled, “Intestinal barrier dysfunction develops at the onset of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, and can be induced by adoptive transfer of auto-reactive T cells” conducted at University of Lund, Sweden, published on PlosOne by the research group of Dr. Shahram Lavasani in collaboration with…

Findings of a number of scientific research articles, reviewed in a recent article from researchers at University of Bari and National Cancer Institute in Italy, describe a common response to injury in multiple sclerosis patients and animal models of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE). The response, known as…

Steve Pepple / Shutterstock.com The 2012 state ballot approvals of marijuana legalization in Colorado and Washington has been a catalyst for stirring the pot, so to speak, on a wide range of issues and nuances related to the herb — not least marijuana’s clinical use as a…