May 8, 2020 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD ZyVersaās IC 100 Reduced Inflammation in MS Mouse Model, Study Finds IC 100, a monoclonal antibody by ZyVersa Therapeutics that prevents the assembly ofĀ inflammasomesĀ ā a pro-inflammatory cellular complex ā lessened inflammation and halted disease progression inĀ multiple sclerosis (MS), a study of mice shows.xa The study, āIC100: a novel anti-ASC monoclonal antibody improves functional outcomes…
April 17, 2020 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Study of Stem Cell Therapy for Highly Active RRMS Honored by CR Forum The MISTĀ Phase 2 clinical trial, supporting the potential of hematopoietic (blood cell-producing)Ā stem cell transplant (HSCT) to significantly slow disability progression in highly activeĀ relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS)Ā patients, has received a Distinguished Clinical Research Achievement Award from the Clinical Research (CR) Forum. Five years after the transplant, most…
March 24, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Risk of Faster Progression in PPMS Tied to Older Age and Active Disease Older age at onset and evidence of active disease, like clinical relapses or inflammatory brain lesions, significantly increase the likelihood of Ā faster disability progression in primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS), a natural history study suggests. These findings ā which included active disease being seen in 31% of the 178…
February 11, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Cognitive Decline in MS May Not Be Inevitable or Progressive, 10-year Study Suggests Progressive cognitive decline in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) may not be as inevitable as previously thought, a study suggests. The study, “A longitudinal study of cognitive function in multiple sclerosis: is decline inevitable?,” was published in theĀ Journal of Neurology. Statistics indicate that some kind…
February 4, 2020 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplant Safe and Helps Delay MS Progression, Analysis Shows Transplanting patients’ ownĀ mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is a safe therapeutic approach and can delay disease progression in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a meta-analysis review shows. The study also showed that cells transplanted to the spinal cord (intrathecal injection) were associated with significantly slower disease progression rates, compared…
January 21, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Mayzent Approved in Europe as First Oral Treatment for Active Secondary Progressive MS TheĀ European CommissionĀ has approvedĀ Novartis‘s MayzentĀ (siponimod) as the first oral treatment for adults with active secondary progressive multiple sclerosisĀ (SPMS). Active SPMS is defined by the presence of evident relapses or the detection of inflammatory activity in brain lesions on imaging scans. āAs the only indicated oral therapy proven for…
January 14, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD MS Progression Affected by Degree of Relapse Recovery and Timing of DMT Use, Study Says Recovering well after a first relapse and starting aĀ disease-modifying therapy (DMT) immediately afterward considerably increases the likelihood of slowing progression in multiple sclerosis (MS), a study suggests. Its findings support relapse recovery as a critical factor for DMT initiation, and one that should be assessed routinely in MS…
November 27, 2019 News by Iqra Mumal, MSc MS Specialist to Lead Trial of Temelimab in Progressing Disease Without Relapses GeNeuro is collaborating with clinical researchers at theĀ Karolinska Institutet and the Academic Specialist Center (ASC) in Stockholm to open a new clinical trial of temelimab in people whoseĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) is progressing in the absence of relapses. Fredrik Piehl, MD, PhD, a professor of neurology at…
November 18, 2019 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Novel MRI Marker Better at Predicting MS Progression, Study Reports A large retrospective study suggests that a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) marker ā called ābrain atrophied T2 lesion volumeāĀ ā could help predict the timing of multiple sclerosis (MS) progression. According to the study, this marker was the only MRI parameter capable of predicting disease progression, compared with other…
October 23, 2019 News by Alejandra Viviescas, PhD NfL and CHI3L1 Work as Biomarkers of Disease Activity and Progression in MS, Study Says The levels ofĀ neurofilament light chainĀ (NfL) and chitinase3-like1 (CHI3L1) in the cerebrospinal fluid ā the liquid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord ā serve as respective biomarkers of disease activity and progression in multiple sclerosis (MS), a study reports. Measuring levels of both proteins also helps to…
October 21, 2019 News by Ana Pena PhD GAL Gene Variant May Put MS Patients at Risk for Rapidly Progressive Disease, Study Suggests A genetic variant in theĀ galanin gene (GAL) appears to be a risk factor for more severe multiple sclerosis (MS), nearly doubling the risk of rapidly progressive disease, particularly in patients whose disease onset occurs…
September 26, 2019 News by Marisa Wexler, MS MRI Marker May Be Better at Predicting MS Disease Progression, Study Finds The volume of atrophied (shrunken) regions in the brain, as visible through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, can predict disease progression in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), new research reveals. The finding was published in the journalĀ Radiology in an article titled, “Atrophied Brain T2 Lesion Volume…
September 16, 2019 News by Ana Pena PhD #ECTRIMS2019 – Mayzent Reduces Risk of SPMS Patients Becoming Wheelchair Bound, Data Show Mayzent (siponimod) reduces the risk of people with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) becoming dependent on a wheelchair, a new analysis of the EXPAND study shows. These findings further corroborate prior trial data demonstrating that Mayzent use delays disability progression and cognitive decline in SPMS patients. The results…
June 18, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Neurological Disease’s Progression Slows with Lowering of Iron Load in Brain, Study Finds Deferiprone, a compound that lowers iron levels in the bloodstream by binding to iron molecules, can slow progression of a severe neurodegenerative disorder calledĀ pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (PKAN), a study reports. Because a toxic buildup of iron in the brain is also associated with multiple sclerosisĀ and other neurological…
May 31, 2019 News by Ana Pena PhD Cyxone Nears First-in-human Trial for Investigational Preventive MS Treatment T20K CyxoneĀ submitted an application to the Netherlands research ethics committee to start the first clinical trial in humans testing T20K, its investigational preventive treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS). Approval by the Netherlands regulating authority…
March 26, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD T20K in Good Position to Become Preventive MS Treatment, Cyxone Says T20K, Cyxone‘s lead compound for treatingĀ multiple sclerosis (MS), seems able to prevent or slow disease progression, according to data from preclinical studies. Based on these findings, the company is confident that T20K might become a prophylactic (preventive) medication for MS in the near future. T20K is a…
March 18, 2019 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Temelimab Provides Long-term Benefits in RRMS Patients, Extension Study Shows Two-year treatment with temelimab reduced brain atrophy, or shrinkage, preserved myelin, and reduced disease progression in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosisĀ (RRMS), according to findings from an extension study of a Phase 2b clinical trial. Temelimab, previously known as GNbAC1, is a monoclonal antibody that neutralizes the MS-associated human…
March 14, 2019 News by Jonathan Grinstein Non-contrast MRI Effective in Monitoring Progression of MS, Study Shows The evaluation of disease progression in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be performed without the use of a contrast agent, new research has shown. These findings suggest that routine use of contrast-enhanced MRI is unnecessary for most follow-ups with MS patients, reducing both imaging…
March 11, 2019 News by Alberto Molano, PhD Immunic Therapeutics Enrolls First Patient in Phase 2 Trial of IMU-838 for RRMS Immunic TherapeuticsĀ has enrolled the first patient in its Phase 2 clinical trial testing IMU-838, a potential oral therapy forĀ relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). IMU-838 (vidofludimus calcium) is a next-generation selective modulator of the immune system. It works by inhibiting an enzyme called dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH), which plays a role…
February 27, 2019 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Low Socioeconomic, Education Levels Linked to Higher Disability and Disease Progression in MS, Study Says Low income and education levels are linked to a higher risk of physical disability and disease progression in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), study says. The study with that finding, “Socioeconomic status and disability progression in multiple sclerosis,” was published in the journalĀ Neurology. “This study is the…
January 28, 2019 News by Jonathan Grinstein Altered Oligodendrocyte Diversity Contributes to Multiple Sclerosis, Study Suggests Subpopulations of oligodendrocytes ā cells that produce the myelin sheath that protects nerve fibers ā are altered in patients withĀ multiple sclerosis, a study shows. These findings suggest that oligodendrocyte diversity and the different functions of these subpopulations might have a greater role in the disease than previously thought. The severity of MS varies greatly, and the patient's disability level does not correlate well with the degree of myelin loss. This suggests that other factors contribute to MS severity. One such factor may be that oligodendrocytes are heterogeneous ā diverse in makeup and function. For example, oligodendrocytes in mouse spinal cords are known to naturally produce longer myelin sheaths than oligodendrocytes in the mouse brain. Additionally, individual oligodendrocytes have been shown to have different molecular makeups. However, the extent of human oligodendrocyte diversity and its possible contribution to MS pathology remains unknown. Researchers from the Karolinska Institutet and the MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine studied the differences of individual human oligodendrocytes from healthy and MS brains to assess their diversity. Specifically, the team examined oligodendrocytes from the white matter areas of post-mortem human brains both from MS and non-MS patients. The team examined the RNA content ā the messenger molecule carrying instructions from DNA for the production of proteins ā from individual oligodendrocytes. Researchers identified groups of RNA molecules that defined features of oligodendrocytes from healthy human white matter. Some of these groups match those that defined oligodendrocytes in healthy mice. Strikingly, some of these RNA molecules in healthy brains were under-represented in oligodendrocytes from MS brains, whereas others were more prevalent. āWe found that oligodendrocytes are a diverse population of cells and that different types are likely to have different functions in the brain,ā Charles ffrench-Constant, the study's co-lead author, said in a Karolinska InstitutetĀ news release written byĀ Katarina Sternudd. These differences in oligodendrocyte RNA content may indicate different functional states of oligodendrocytes in MS lesions. āThe proportions of different resident oligodendrocytes in the lesions are changed, along with their properties, suggesting that they might have important roles in MS,ā said Eneritz Agirre, PhD, a study co-author. Furthermore, the researchers believe that this altered diversity in oligodendrocytes in MS may be important to understand disease progression and develop therapeutic approaches. āUnderstanding which types of oligodendrocytes are most beneficial in repairing myelin will be crucial for maximizing the chances of developing much-needed treatments for MS,ā said Anna Williams, PhD, study co-lead author. The team concluded that theĀ changes in different oligodendrocyte subpopulations in MS suggest "a more complex role of these cells in the pathology of the disease, but also in regeneration of new cells,ā said GonƧalo Castelo-Branco, PhD, another study co-lead author.
January 18, 2019 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Blood Stem Cell Transplant Better than DMTs at Reducing Risk of Disease Progression in RRMS Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant is better than disease-modifying therapies (DMT) at reducing the risk of disease progression in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), results from the MIST clinical trial show. The study āEffect of Nonmyeloablative Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation vs Continued Disease-Modifying Therapy on Disease Progression…
December 17, 2018 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Each Major Risk Factor (Like Genes, Smoking and Obesity) Can Affect Disease Course, Study Finds Risk factors often associated with multiple sclerosis (MS), such as genetic background, obesity and smoking, contribute independently to the disease’s variability and may be an early influence on progression, a study reported. The retrospective study, “Multiple sclerosis risk factors contribute to onset heterogeneity,” was published in the journalĀ …
October 15, 2018 News by Ana Pena PhD #ECTRIMS2018 – Smoking and Vitamin D Deficiency Likely to Worsen CIS Prognosis, Model Suggests Smoking and low levels of vitamin D can worsen prognosis for people with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), researchers who developed a model for predicting long-term disability progression report. Their study, āPredicting the course of CIS patients adding…
September 11, 2018 News by Ana Pena PhD Truly ‘Benign MS’ Evident in Only Small Minority of Patients, Large UK Study Reports Multiple sclerosis (MS)Ā that appears to be "genuinely benign" 15 years after diagnosis is evident in a small number of patients, a large population-based study from the U.K. reports. But, its researchers note, the term ābenignā is often not clinically accurate as used, because it is based largely on perceptions of disease impact. The study āHow common is truly benign MS in a UK population?ā was published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry. The concept of benign MS is controversial, especially among clinicians. Still, long-term epidemiological studies have consistently identified a small fraction of patients whose MS progresses very slowly over a long span of years. Determining the prevalence of this type of MS in the population has been difficult, as estimates can vary significantly depending of the definition of ābenignā that is adopted. Researchers sought to determine an accurate estimate of benign MS in the U.K. population, using a rigorous and comprehensive clinical definition of a truly benign disease. This definition included minimal physical disability (EDSS scoreĀ of less than 3), and no significant fatigue, mood disturbance, cognitive impairment or interrupted employment in the absence of treatment with disease-modifying therapies over 15 years or more years after symptom onset. They screened an U.K. population-based registry containing data on 3,062 MS patients to identify those with "unlimited walking ability" 15 or more years after diagnosis. A representative sample of 60 patients Ā from this pool was analyzed (45 women and 15 men, mean age of 57); they had a mean disease duration of 28 years. Nine out of these 60 (15%; 8 women and one men) fulfilled the studyās criteria for truly benign disease. These nine people had a mean age of 27 at symptom onset, a median EDSS disability score of 1.5 (minimal signs of disability), and a mean disease duration of 31 years. "Those nine individuals with truly benign MS all remained in a relapsingāremitting state," the study noted. "However, only two out of nine showed disease arrest within the first decade; the remainder all continued to experience relapses well into their second or third decade of MS," but the rates of such relapses were low. MS in the remaining patients was not classified as benign, mostly due to evidence of cognitive difficulties (57%), and the disease's impact on employment status (52%) with many taking early retirement. Based on these results, a population frequency for "benign MS" under the definitions used was estimated at 2.9%. But the researchers noted that a large proportion of patients (65%; 39 patients out of 60) reported their disease as benign, according to a lay definition. Their self-reported status poorly agreed with the clinical assessments done throughout the study. "There is no accepted definition to offer patients when exploring whether they feel their MS is benign; the definition we chose incorporates the fundamental principles of low impact on a person, absence of complications and a favourable outcome and is in line with definitions provided by third-party support groups," the researchers wrote. Many Ā considering themselves with benign disease did so based on their "perception" of their disease, the team added, and one that "appeared to be driven as much by mood, fatigue and bladder function as by physical ability."Ā āIn conclusion, after detailed clinical assessment, a small minority of people with MS appear genuinely unaffected by symptoms after 15 years,ā the researchers added. They also called attention to the fact that EDSS-based definitions of benign MS and the inconsistency between patient and clinician perception of benign MS compromise the use of the term ābenignā in clinical practice. They also emphasize that studying individuals with benign MS āhas the potential to uncover clues to mechanisms underlying favorable outcomes in MS, provide insights into new therapeutic targets and have implications for patient counselling, individual patient management and the construct of clinical trials.ā
August 15, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Long-term DMT Use Seen to Lower Likelihood of RRMS Progressing to SPMS in Study Long-term treatment with disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) appears to lessen the risk of disease worsening inĀ relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients, an 18-year follow-up study suggests. But these therapies were not seen to benefit those who had progressed to secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). The study, āOnset of secondary…
July 19, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Brain Iron Levels Correlate with MS Progression, Disability Risk, Study Shows Evaluating the local differences in iron accumulation in the deep gray matter of the brainĀ using a specialĀ magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique, may help identify multiple sclerosis (MS) patients at greater risk for disease progression and disability, a study reports. The study “Brain Iron by Using Quantitative MRI…
June 21, 2018 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc #EAN2018 – Pupil Response to Light Linked to RRMS Duration and Severity in Study Measuring the response of the pupil to light stimulating the eye is a non-invasive and easy way to assess multiple sclerosis (MS) severity and progression, researchers report. A clinical study found that poor, or dysfunctional, pupil response was associated with longer disease duration and greater disease severity inĀ relapsing-remitting multiple…
June 18, 2018 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MSAA Expands Financial Aid Fund for MRI Scans to Meet Growing Demand TheĀ Multiple Sclerosis Association of AmericaĀ (MSAA) announced that it will expand its MRI Access Fund to help meet the growing demand for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tests within the multiple sclerosis (MS) community. The fund is designed to help cover the costs of brain and spinal MRI scans…
April 26, 2018 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc #AAN2018 ā MS Progresses Quickly in African-Americans and May Warrant Aggressive Treatment Multiple sclerosis in African-Americans progresses much faster than in Caucasian patients, new research reports, suggesting that blacks would benefit from a more aggressive treatment approach. Led by researchers at Johns Hopkins UniversityĀ and presented at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) annual meeting taking place in Los Angeles through…