June 13, 2022 News by Hawken Miller RRMS Put Woman on Path Toward ‘Paying It Forward’ Erin Stevensonās doctor laughed when she asked him 13 years ago if the vertigo she felt while training for a first 100-mile bike ride could be related to her motherās multiple sclerosis (MS). MS isn’t a genetic disease, but Stevenson managed to persuade the doctor to schedule a brain…
December 23, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Results From Trial of Simvastatin for SPMS Expected in 2025 MS-STAT2, a clinical trial testing whether the cholesterol-lowering medication simvastatin might slow disability progression in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS), has finished enrollment. A total of 964 people are now in the trial (NCT03387670), making it the largest progressive MS trial not run by a commercial…
November 18, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Cholesterol Made by Nerve Cells Repairs Myelin Damage in Mice Cholesterol made by neurons is crucial for repairing long-term damage to the myelin sheath, the fatty coating around nerve fibers that is damaged in multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new report based on experiments done on mice. The finding suggests that increasing neuronal cholesterol synthesis may be helpful…
October 19, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS #ECTRIMS2021 ā Nrg-1-treated Immune Cells Can Promote Myelin Repair Editorās note: TheĀ Multiple Sclerosis News Today team is providing in-depth coverage of the virtual 37th Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS), Oct. 13ā15. GoĀ hereĀ to see the latest stories from the conference. A…
January 4, 2021 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Boosting Cholesterol Recycling in Brain Facilitates Myelin Repair, Study Says New research in mice suggests that poor recycling of cholesterol in the brain impairs the repair of myelin, the protective coat surrounding nerve cells that is lost in multiple sclerosis (MS). Pharmacological stimulation of cholesterol synthesis by brain immune cells ā called microglia ā boosted the regeneration of myelin,…
April 17, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Inflammation, Blood Fats Linked to Cardiovascular Disease in MS Scientists have identified a link between systemic inflammation and fat (lipid) metabolism that may underlie the increased risk of cardiovascular disease in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The study with that finding, āLipoprotein profiling in early…
April 2, 2020 News by David Melamed, PhD Diets of MS Patients in Spain Seen to Favor Fats, Proteins and Inflammation A study from Spain found the diet ofĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) patients to contain more fat and protein, and fewer carbohydrates, than recommended, which was linked to abdominal weight gain and higher levels of inflammation. As “an excessive intake of lipids” is known to be “related to oxidative stress…
March 31, 2020 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD Bile Acid Supplements May Ease Symptoms of Progressive MS Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients have lower than usual levels of molecules called bile acidsĀ circulating in their blood, a Ā study found. These molecules, produced in the liver to aid fat absorption in the gut, also appear to block inflammation and nerve cell damage in the brain. Oral treatment withĀ …
June 26, 2019 News by Ana Pena PhD Vegetable-rich Diet, Other Interventions, May Help Lower Fatigue in Progressive MS, Pilot Study Finds One year of a vegetable-rich diet ā combined with exercise, neuromuscular stimulation, and stress reduction techniques ā is effective in easing fatigue in people with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). Researchers say the results may be linked to changes in blood fat levels, in particular cholesterol. This integrative…
June 7, 2019 News by Ana Pena PhD Obesity, Altered Fat Levels May Worsen Severity of RRMS, Study Found Obesity, altered lipid (fat) levels, and elevated leptin ā an hormone produced by fat cells ā may contribute to neuroinflammation, and worse disease severity in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), research has found. A study with the findings, titled “Obesity worsens central inflammation and disability in multiple…
May 22, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Simvastatin, Common Statin, Treats SPMS in Ways Distinct from Cholesterol, Study Suggests Simvastatin, a widely prescribed statin that works to lower cholesterolĀ levels, may slow brain atrophy and disease progression in people with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) for reasons unrelated to changes in blood cholesterol, a new analysis of a Phase 2 clinical trial reports. These findings are in…
May 2, 2019 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Estrogen Promotes Remyelination in Adult Brains of MS Mice, Study Shows Giving estrogen to two different adult mouse models of multiple sclerosis (MS), including the experimental autoimmuneĀ encephalomyelitis (EAE) model, promoted remyelination, a new study shows. Exposure to the hormone affected gene activity in oligodendrocytes, tricking them into producing myelin (the fatty substance that protects nerve cells, and that is destroyed…
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…
July 30, 2018 News by Vijaya Iyer, PhD New Therapy Candidates Could Provide Basis for Regenerative Medicines to Treat MS, Study Suggests Therapy candidates that block enzymes responsible for making cholesterol can promote myelin regeneration, a discovery that could lead to new regenerative medicines capable of treating multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological diseases, according to a study. In fact,Ā ConveloĀ TherapeuticsĀ plans to do just that, announcing its intention to use…
January 9, 2018 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Cholesterol Buildup Limits Regeneration of Nerve-cell-protecting Sheath, Study Shows The nerve-cell-protecting myelin sheath’s failure to remove cholesterol after the membrane has been damaged limits its ability to regenerate, German researchers report. Their finding has important implications for multiple sclerosis because a hallmark of the disease is nerve cell deterioration stemming from damaged myelin. Cholesterol is a waxy, fatty substance…
January 3, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Tailored Approaches May Lead to More Effective MS Treatments, UCLA Study Shows Tailored molecular treatments for specific disabilities may be a breakthrough for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, finds a new study by researchers atĀ University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA). The study, āCell-specific and region-specific transcriptomics in the multiple sclerosis model: Focus on astrocytes,ā appeared in the journal Proceedings…
September 15, 2017 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Probiotics Consumption May Improve Certain Disease Parameters in MS Patients, Study Suggests Probiotics may improve the health of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) by reducing disability and improving inflammatory and metabolic parameters, an Iranian study shows. Live microorganisms linked to health benefits, known as probiotics, have long been known to help chronic disease patients. In a previous study of people with major depressive disorder, probiotics treatment for eight weeks improved patientsā depression and metabolic parameters. More recently, authors investigated the impact of probiotics on a group of MS patients, looking not only at mental health and metabolic indicators, but also disability scores. Researchers at Tehran's Shahid Beheshti Hospital recruited 60 MS patients, divided them in half, and assigned 30 to take a probiotic capsule and 30 a placebo once a day for 12 weeks. The probiotic contained the healthy bacteria Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, Bifidobacterium bifidum and Lactobacillus fermentum. Researchers measured patientsā health parameters and disability scores at baseline and after treatment. The results showed that probiotic intake after 12 weeks improved MS patients' disability scores (assessed by the expanded disability status scale, EDSS) when compared to placebo controls. Although this improvement was statistically significant, it was not clinically significant ā which is defined as a change of 1.0 point or more at EDSS levels less than 5.5, or 0.5 point or more at EDSS levels greater than 5.5). Moreover, benefits were also detected in several mental health parameters ā Beck Depression Inventory, general health questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28), depression anxiety and stress scale. Consuming probiotic capsules also significantly decreased insulin levels and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in circulation, researchers also found. It also lowered certain markers of inflammation and oxidative stress, such as serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and malondialdehyde (MDA).
May 12, 2017 Columns by Ed Tobias Cholesterol Medication Shows Promise as MS Treatment I’ve been taking a statin drug for years to keep my cholesterol low, and it’s doing a really good job. Now, there’s hope that this class of drug also might be useful for MS patients. A major trial in the U.K. is testing the drug simvastatin (used to control…
August 12, 2016 News by Joana Fernandes, PhD Pilot Study Finds Fatigue, Mood in MS Patients Improved by Low-Fat, Plant-Based Diet Though approved therapies for multiple sclerosis (MS) exist,Ā the disabling disease remains currently incurable leading to greater interestĀ for promoting healthier lifestyles that could ease or slow disease impacts such asĀ hyperlipidemia, hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease which increase progression of disability, brain injury, and atrophy. In fact,…
October 7, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Good Cholesterol Helps Prevent Brain Lesion Formation in Multiple Sclerosis A number of studies have previously suggested a negative effect of high cholesterol levels on the development of brain lesions in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), however, little is known about the effect of HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, or “good” cholesterol, on MS. A team of scientists from the University…