May 29, 2020 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Ofatumumab Lowers B-cell Counts and Helps Relapsing MS Patients Reach NEDA, Data Show Ofatumumab (OMB157) elicits a strong and fast reduction in the levels of circulating immune cells in people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), effectively helping to stop disease activity, according to new data from the Phase 2 APLIOS trial. The medication was also found to be more…
May 7, 2020 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD NurOwn May Curb Damaging Neuroinflammation in MS, Study Finds NurOwn, believed to haveĀ neuroprotective and repairing effects,Ā may also be able to curb the damaging immune responses that contribute to multiple sclerosis (MS) progression, a recent study found. This newly identified potential may extend the benefits of this cell-based therapy, its researchers believe. The findings were to be presented…
May 6, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD COVID-19 Infection Not Severe in PPMS Patient on Ocrevus, Case Report Finds COVID-19 infection in a multiple sclerosis (MS) patient being treated withĀ Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) ā an immunosuppressive therapy ā was not associated with any serious complications, a case study reports. This finding supports current suggestions that immunosuppressive therapies, by dampening immune and inflammatory responses, may help to protect…
May 4, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Ublituximab Phase 2 Data Support Safety, Efficacy in Relapsing MS The investigational anti-CD20 antibody ublituximabĀ effectively depletes B-cells in people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), reducing the appearance of brain lesions and the risk of relapses, a study into clinical trial results suggests. Findings further suggest that the…
April 28, 2020 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD Rituximab May Prevent MS if Given at Earliest Disease Signs, Mouse Study Suggests Using rituximab to preventĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) in people at risk or in patients still without motor symptoms, and continuing treatment as the disease develops, may be a promising way to avoid inflammation andĀ myelinĀ loss in the brain, a study in mice suggests. In an animal model of MS,…
April 20, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD ‘Chaperone’ Protein’s Lack Tied to Myelin Injury, Autoimmune Disease in Mouse Study The lack of a āchaperoneā protein ā calledĀ HLA-DOĀ ā that helps to protect the body against threats by presenting specific molecules (antigens) to immune cells to drive a response,Ā promoted the development of a self-reactive immune system and autoimmune disease, according to a study in mice. Particularly, the work showed…
March 13, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD #ACTRIMS2020 – Ofatumumab Self-injection Pen May Be ‘Very Attractive’ Option for Relapsing MS Monthly under-the-skin injections of NovartisāĀ investigational candidate ofatumumab show promise as a convenient, effective, and safe therapeutic option for people with relapsing multiple sclerosisĀ (MS). Data from the ASCLEPIOS and APLIOS clinical trials showed that ofatumumab ā currently under regulatory review for possible approval in the U.S. and Europe…
March 2, 2020 News by Ana Pena PhD #ACTRIMS2020 – Ofatumumab Self-injection Pen Equivalent to Prefilled Syringe, APLIOS Trial Shows Using a patient-friendly autoinjector pen to take monthly doses of ofatumumab ā an investigationalĀ B-cell therapy for relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) ā is bioequivalent to delivering it via a prefilled syringe, and would allow self-administration of the treatment at home, a study shows. Equal effects…
February 12, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Gilenya Works to Treat RRMS by Specifically Targeting B-cells and T-helper Cells, Study Finds Treating people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) for one year with the immune-modulating therapy Gilenya (fingolimod)Ā reduced the numbers of antibody-producing B-cells and of T helper cells, a study finds.Ā While the…
February 4, 2020 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Cerebrospinal Fluid of MS Patients More Diverse and Filled with Pro-Inflammatory Cells, Study Shows People with multiple sclerosis (MS) have a more diverse set of immune cells in their cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the fluid that bathes the central nervous system, but no such diversity is seen in their blood, a study reports. Instead, MS causes changes in the activation of immune cells in…
January 24, 2020 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Mayzent Helps Regulate the Immune System in SPMS, Study Shows Mayzent (siponimod), an approved oral therapy for activeĀ secondary progressive multiple sclerosisĀ (SPMS), promotes a more regulatory immune system, which may explain its added benefits for SPMS, new clinical data show. The study āSiponimod enriches regulatory T and B lymphocytes in secondary progressive multiple sclerosisā was published in the…
December 11, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Tysabri May Promote Inflammatory B-Cell Activation in MS Patients, Study Says Tysabri (natalizumab), an effective T-cell targeting treatment for multiple sclerosisĀ (MS),Ā seems to also promote the activation of pro-inflammatory immune B-cells in people with this disease, a studyĀ found. The study, “Natalizumab promotes activation and pro-inflammatory differentiation of peripheral B cells in multiple sclerosis patients,” was published in the…
November 19, 2019 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Blocking Molecule Prevents B-cells from Entering Brain and Promoting MS Progression, Study Reports Stopping the migration of immune B-cells through the blood-brain barrier by blocking ALCAM, a molecule linked to the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS), lessened disease severity in an MS mouse model, a new study shows. Details of the discovery were reported…
October 4, 2019 News by Ana Pena PhD #ECTRIMS2019 – Is Rituximab a Reasonable Option for MS Patients? Yes, Researcher Says Editorās note: This is the second story in a three-part report examining the question, āIs rituximab a reasonable alternative treatment for MS?ā, which was a topic discussed at this yearās Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS). Here, we take an in-depth look…
September 12, 2019 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #ECTRIMS2019 – 6 Years of Ocrevus Use Tied to Low Rates of Serious Infections Treatment for more than six years with OcrevusĀ (ocrelizumab) is linked to lower levels of blood antibodies among people withĀ primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) and relapsing MS, but rates of serious infections also remain low, an analysis of data from three Phase 3 trials show. Dropping below a certain…
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…
May 23, 2019 News by Alberto Molano, PhD Early Safety Data from Phase 1 Study of Immunotherapy in Progressive MS Patients To Be Detailed at EAN Early, positive safety results from a Phase 1 trial testing a potential immunotherapy,Ā ATA188, in people with progressive multiple sclerosisĀ will be detailed at the 5th Congress of the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) late next month, its developer, Atara Biotherapeutics, announced. ATA188 is an investigational and “off-the-shelf”…
May 14, 2019 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD #AANAM ā Ocrevus Lowers Markers of Inflammation, Damage in Relapsing MS Patients, Phase 3 Trial Shows Treatment with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) decreases the levels of neurofilament light chain (NfL) and immune B-cells in the serum and central nervous system of patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), according to results from a Phase 3 trial. The research, āOcrelizumab treatment reduced levels of neurofilament light chain and…
April 15, 2019 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Anne Cross, Neurologist with Pioneering Work into B-cells and MS, Awarded John Dystel Prize This year’sĀ John Dystel Prize for Multiple Sclerosis ResearchĀ is being awarded toĀ Anne H. Cross, a neurologist and MS chair in the department of neuroimmunology atĀ Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, for herĀ research into the role of immune B-cells in multiple sclerosisĀ attacks and new imaging…
March 5, 2019 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #ACTRIMS2019 – TG Therapeutics’ Investigational Therapy Ublituximab Posts Positive Data in MS Phase 2 Clinical Trial Full results of a Phase 2 clinical trial testing TG Therapeuticsā lead candidate ublituximab (TG-1101) for relapsingĀ multiple sclerosisĀ (MS) showed that treatment for 48 weeks resulted in a marked reduction of brain and spinal cord lesions, an almost complete depletion of relapse-associated immune B-cells, and significantly halted disability…
January 15, 2019 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Ocrevus Targets Certain T-Cells, Along with B-Cells, in MS Patients, Study Reports Treatment with a single dose of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) depleted a subset of immune T-cells within two weeks in patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) or primary progressive MS (PPMS), according to a study. The study, āOcrelizumab Depletes CD20+Ā T Cells in Multiple Sclerosis Patients,ā was published in the journal Cells. AutoreactiveĀ immune T-cells, which attack the bodyās own tissues, have been regarded as the primary mediator of MS; however, this view has been challenged by the effectiveness of therapies targeting immune B-cells that contain the CD20 cell surface protein in reducing disease activity. One such therapy isĀ Genentechās Ocrevus, an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, which was first approved in the U.S. in 2017 for patients with relapsing MS or PPMS. Because CD20 is mainly expressed by B-cell precursors and mature B-cells, Ocrevus is often considered to selectively deplete CD20-containing B-cells. However, CD20 is also expressed by highly activated T-cells with the CD3 protein marker, characterized by the increased production of proinflammatory molecules, or cytokines. These T-cells are found in the blood, cerebrospinal fluid ā the liquid surrounding the brain and spinal cord ā and chronic brain lesions of MS patients, and show an elevated expression of the CD8 and CD45 markers. Off-label use of rituximabĀ (marketed as Rituxan in the U.S. and MabThera in Europe), a lymphoma and rheumatoid arthritis treatmentĀ that also targets CD20, has been associated with the depletion of CD20-containing T-cells in MS patients. Therefore, targeting this T-cell subtype has been hypothesized as an additional mechanism for rituximabās clinical effectiveness. However, scientists did not know whether Ocrevus, which is different from rituximab in terms of CD20 binding and cell toxicity, also depletes CD20-positive T-cells. To address this unknown, a team from Hannover Medical SchoolĀ in Germany analyzed blood samples of MS patients through a technique called multicolor flow cytometry prior to the first dose of Ocrevus and after two weeks, immediately before the second dose. They intended to evaluate the characteristics of the patientsā peripheral blood mononuclear cells, which include T-cells, B-cells, monocytes, and macrophages. A total of 21 patients (13 women) were included, with a median age of 43 years (range 22-65 years). Of the participants, 17 had the relapsing form of the disease forĀ a median of 14.6 years, while four had PPMS for a median of 5.6 years. The analysis found T-cells containing CD20 and CD3 in all patients. These cells accounted for 2.4% of all CD45-expressing lymphocytes ā white blood cells that include T- and B-cells ā and for a significant proportion (18.4%) of all CD20 cells. Evaluation of the cellsā fluorescence intensity revealed that CD20 levels were significantly lower on T-cells than on B-cells also expressing this marker. Treatment with one dose of Ocrevus substantially lowered the levels of CD20-positive T- and B-cells within two weeks, reflected by a frequency of 0.04% and an absolute cell count decrease from 224.9 to 0.57/microliter. āOur results demonstrate that treatment with [Ocrevus] does not exclusively target B-cells, but also CD20+ T-cells, which account for a substantial amount of CD20-expressing cells,ā the researchers wrote. āThese findings suggest that CD20+ T-cells might play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of MS, and we speculate that depletion of CD3+CD20+ cells by anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies might contribute to the efficacy of anti-CD20 therapy,ā they added. However, they also emphasized that the findings need to be confirmed in studies with larger groups of MS patients.
January 8, 2019 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Immune Cells in the Gut Can Suppress Brain Inflammation in MS, Pre-clinical Study Finds Immune cells in the intestine may reduce neuroimflammation in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, a pre-clinical study suggests. Moreover, the augmented number of these cells was sufficient to suppress brain inflammation in an MS mouse model. The findings were reported in the study āRecirculating Intestinal IgA-Producing Cells Regulate Neuroinflammation via…
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 19, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: New Thinking About MS Development, Rhythm to Improve Walking, UK Nurse Shortage, B-cells MS-specific Lineage of Oligodendrocytes May Provide New Hints on MS Development Our immune system, according to this study, may not be the only thing playing a role in the development of our MS. The same cells that produce the myelin that coats our nerves may also be…
November 12, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Controlling B-cell Numbers, Activity Key to Preventing Inflammation in MS, Study Suggests Appropriate control of immune B-cell numbers and activation in the nervous system is key to preventing inflammation in multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study. These findings also showed that patients with higher levels of a specific B-cell-regulating cell type had less disease activity. The study, ā…
September 10, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: B- and T-cells, Tysabri, Sexual Silence How B-cells Work to Promote T-cell Attacks on Myelin That Lead to MS Detailed in Study I keep a close eye on reports about B-cells and T-cells because they’re the targets of Lemtrada, which is my current disease-modifying therapy. (The DMT Ocrevus targets B-cells alone). So, this…
September 7, 2018 News by Ana Pena PhD How B-cells Work to Promote T-cell Attacks on Myelin That Lead to MS Detailed in Study B-cells in the immune system play an important role in the unfolding of inflammation and brain lesions in multiple sclerosis (MS), largely by how they influence the actions of another immune system cell, called T-cells, a new study reports. Its findings help explain why therapies…
August 20, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Lemtrada and B-cells, DMT Efficacy, Botox and the Brain, a Diet Recommendation Lemtrada Can Lower Number of B-cells Infiltrating Nervous System and Forming Clumps, Animal Study Shows I usually stay away from recommending articles about mice studies, but this article does a nice job of explaining how Lemtrada works and the role of B-cells in multiple sclerosis (MS). As…
August 16, 2018 News by Iqra Mumal, MSc Lemtrada Can Lower Number of B-cells Infiltrating Nervous System and Forming Clumps, Animal Study Shows Treating mice in a model of multiple sclerosis with Lemtrada (alemtuzumab)Ā prevented the formation of B-cell aggregates in the animals’ central nervous system and disrupted already existing ones, researchers report. The treatment alsoĀ reduced disease activity when administered at the peak of disease. The study, āAnti-CD52 antibody treatment depletes B…
August 10, 2018 News by Iqra Mumal, MSc TG Therapeutics Reaches Target Enrollment in Phase 3 Trials to Test Ublituximab in Relapsing MS TG Therapeutics announced it has reached target enrollment in the ULTIMATE I and II Phase 3 clinical trials assessing the use of ublituximab (TG-1101) to treat relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). Ublituximab is a modified anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, which is designed to target a protein present onĀ mature…