Researchers have shed new light on the molecular mechanisms that help immune cells get into the brain to drive inflammation in multiple sclerosis (MS). Two proteins called MMP-9 and MMP-2 were found to break down some components of the barrier that keeps immune cells out of the brain, helping…

A blood-clotting protein called fibrin can activate immune cells in the brain and contribute to inflammation and neurodegeneration in multiple sclerosis (MS), a study revealed. Because blood vessels become leaky in neurodegenerative conditions like MS, the blood can cross into the brain, which is known to activate multiple pro-inflammatory…

A risk variant in the BDNF gene is tied to increased brain inflammation and reduced cortical thickness on MRI scans in people newly diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), a recent study found. “We report for the first time an association between the BDNF [genetic variant] and central inflammation…

Into-the-vein treatment with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) failed to significantly reduce brain inflammation or improve clinical conditions among adults with active multiple sclerosis (MS) in an international Phase 2 clinical trial, according to final study data. The trial, which used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to assess…

A comparison of immune cells isolated from identical twins — in which only one of each pair was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) — identified a population of immune-regulating T-cells present in those with asymptomatic brain inflammation, a study has found. …

With the help of 7 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), investigators discovered that leptomeningeal enhancement — a radiographic finding indicative of brain inflammation — is more common than previously thought in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), and is tied to lesions in specific regions of the brain.

A type of immune cell from the gut can reduce brain inflammation in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), and increasing the numbers of these cells in a mouse model of the disease halts inflammation completely, new research reports. These findings were reported in the study, “Recirculating…

A review of data concerning the multiple sclerosis (MS) medicine Zinbryta (daclizumab) confirmed its association with the risk of developing severe and potentially fatal immune reactions in the brain, liver and other organs, according to the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA)’s Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC). Zinbryta was authorized…

Falls Common Among Wheelchair, Scooter Users in People with MS, Study Reports It’s happened to me. I’ve gone over backward when I tried to “gun” the throttle of my lightweight scooter when its rear wheels were up against a door threshold. And my heavier scooter can have a…

MS brain inflammation is a result of interactions between processes in the brain and the rest of the body, with interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) being a key player, according to a detailed analysis of cytokines in the spinal fluid and serum of MS patients. Russia’s Kazan Federal University found that IFN-gamma activates other…

Two multiple sclerosis (MS) patients developed severe brain inflammation after being treated with Lemtrada (alemtuzumab), researchers report, raising questions about the therapy. A definite link between the lesions and the treatment, however, was not established. The patients’ symptoms were successfully controlled with a blood transfusion and treatment with rituximab (brand name Rituxan,…

A research team from the University of Alberta, Canada, is exploring a new therapeutic way of reducing brain inflammation in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with fewer side effects. The study, titled “Granzyme B-inhibitor serpina3n induces neuroprotection in vitro and in vivo,” appeared in the Journal of Neuroinflammation. Most available…