March 23, 2023 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Itaconate, a common metabolite, shows promise in MS mouse model Itaconate, a metabolite produced during cellular energy production activities, was found to restore the balance of immune T cells and reduce multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms in a mouse model of the disease, a study reported. The common metabolite specifically suppressed the production of pro-inflammatory T cells while promoting the…
February 23, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Mitochondria changes found early on in progressive MS: Mouse study Changes in mitochondria ā cells’ energy production centers ā are evident in early disease stages in a mouse model of progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), but were not found in a model of relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), according to researchers. These changes, seen before symptoms of the disease started, were…
August 29, 2022 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD TRE-515 Appears to Block Immune Cell Attacks in Mouse Study An experimental oral therapy called TRE-515 significantly reduced disease severity and the growth of the abnormal immune cells that drive multiple sclerosisĀ (MS) in two mouse models of the disease, a study found. Notably, the efficacy of Trethera Corp.ās potential treatment, administered either in a preventive or therapeutic…
August 3, 2022 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Astrocytes May Promote MS Inflammation via D2 Receptors A set of receptors involved in dopamine signaling may play a key role in the activation of astrocytes, nerve support cells that contribute to the inflammation that drives multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study inĀ a mouse model of the neurodegenerative disease. Mice lacking these receptors ā called dopamine…
July 25, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Heart Medication Digoxin Helps With Remyelination in Early Study Digoxin, an approved medication for certain heart conditions, promoted the repair of myelinĀ ā the protective sheath around nerve fibers that is progressively lost in multiple sclerosis ā in mouse models of the disease, a study reports. Combining digoxin with an experimental immune-modulating therapy was more effective at promoting myelin…
July 27, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Targeting Ion Channel Piezo1 in T-cells Eased MS in Mice Removing an ion channel called Piezo1 from immune T-cells lessened disease severity in a mouse model of multiple sclerosisĀ (MS), a study showed. Notably, these beneficial effects were associated with an expansion of regulatory T-cells (Tregs) ā a type of immune cell that typically dampens immune and inflammatory responses ā…
May 19, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Male Immune Cells Drive More Severe MS, Study Suggests Due to differences in sex chromosomes, certain immune cells cause more severe disease in males than females, according to a new study in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS). The findings could help to explain why biological males with MS tend to have more severe disease. The study,…
January 22, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD SERPINA3 Nerve Injury-induced Protein May Be Biomarker of PPMS People with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) have significantly higher levels of a nerve injury-induced protein, called SERPINA3, in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) than do those with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) and those without the neurodegenerative disease, a study shows. Of note, the CSF is the liquid that bathes…
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,…
December 7, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Prenatal Stress Linked to Worse MS Outcomes in Adulthood in Mouse Study Exposure to stress before birth can worsen the clinical symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) during adulthood, a study in a mouse model of MS suggested. Investigators also found that prenatal stress can change the levels of a protein critical for neurological development, called…
October 27, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Metabolic Enzyme PKM2 a Potential Therapeutic Target for MS, Preclinical Study Suggests SuppressingĀ pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) ā an enzyme involved in cellular metabolismĀ ā in T-helper (Th) immune cells lessenedĀ myelin loss and disease severity in a mouse model of multiple sclerosisĀ (MS). Myelin,Ā the protective sheath around nerve fibers that helps speed transmission of signals between nerve cells, isĀ damaged and lost…
October 15, 2020 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD New Immune Cells Therapy Found to Suppress MS Symptoms in EAE Mice Scientists developed a new therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS) that prevents immune cells from exiting the lymph nodes and entering the spinal cord of mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) ā a condition that mimics MS in humans. The therapy, which consists of a…
August 28, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Gut Bacteria Working in Concert May Promote MS, Early Study Suggests Two specific bacteria present together in the gut led to more immune attacks on myelinĀ and harsher symptoms in a mouse model of multiple sclerosisĀ (MS). These findings add toĀ existing evidenceĀ supporting the link between gut microbiota and MS, and highlight the need to consider potential combined effects of these…
August 20, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Cashew Molecule Promotes Remyelination, Halts Disease Progression in MS Mice Anacardic acid, a compound found in cashew nuts, promotedĀ myelinĀ regeneration and eased neuronal damage and disability in two mouse models of multiple sclerosisĀ (MS). These protective effects were associated with maturation of myelin-producing cells and production of IL-33, an immune-related molecule with a neuroreparative role in the central…
August 10, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Immune Cell Protein CD36 Shows Potential as Therapeutic Target, Study Suggests For the first time, scientists have shown that a protein known as CD36 on the surface of some immune cells is crucial for clearing myelin debris and suppressing nerve cell inflammation in disorders such as multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new…
April 16, 2020 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Scientists Build Map of Toxic Immune Cells Contributing to Neurodegeneration in MS Scientists have built a map of the toxic immune cells that contribute to neurodegeneration in multiple sclerosis (MS).Ā Their findings may open the door to the development of new medications that protect the brain from the effects brought on by these harmful immune cells. Results were reported in the study,…
June 10, 2019 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Stem Cell Therapy Based on Exosomes May Treat MS, Study in Mice Suggests Exosomes ā tiny vesicles secreted by cells ā collected from bone marrow stem cells and injected into a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS) helped to treat the disease, a study reports. Specifically, this treatment eased myelin loss and neuroinflammation in the mice, and improved motor function, the…
May 31, 2019 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Abnormal Activation of Neutrophils a Potential Therapeutic Target in MS, Mouse Study Suggests Targeting the excessive activation of immune cells called neutrophils, and the associated oxidative stress, may be a therapeutic strategy in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a mouse study. TheĀ study, āDeficiency of Socs3 leads to brain-targeted EAE via enhanced neutrophil activation and ROS production,ā was…
May 21, 2019 News by Ana Pena PhD Fibrinogen-containing Vesicles in Blood May Play Key Role in MS Relapses, Mouse Study Suggests Vesicles in the blood that contain a protein called fibrinogen important for blood clotting were found to be “sufficient and required” for the occurrence of spontaneous disease relapses in mouse models of multiple sclerosis (MS), a study reports. In mice, these vesicles were associated with immune cell infiltration, inflammation,…
February 7, 2019 News by Jonathan Grinstein Discovery of Immune Cell Subtypes in Mice is an MS ‘Breakthrough,’ Researcher Says Previously unknown immune cell subtypes are present in the inflamed brain of mice models of multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study reports. According to the researchers, these subsets of myeloid cells (cells derived from hematopoietic stemĀ cellsĀ in the bone marrow) can offer a strong basis for therapeutic targets in neuroinflammatory and…
January 28, 2019 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Tiny Cell Membrane Disruptions Lead to Nerve Fiber Degeneration in MS, Mouse Study Suggests Tiny ruptures in the cell membrane of nerve fibers enable the entry of calcium and ultimately lead to their degeneration, a study in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS) suggests. The study, āCalcium Influx through Plasma-Membrane Nanoruptures Drives Axon Degeneration in a Model of Multiple…
January 10, 2019 News by Jonathan Grinstein Targeting Gut Immune Cells May Alleviate Brain Inflammation in MS, Study Suggests 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, āRecirculating…
December 5, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Aspirin Suppresses MS Symptoms by Preventing Loss of Regulatory T-cells, Mouse Study Shows Aspirin, administered orally at low doses, was sufficient to suppress multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms in a mouse model of relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) and chronic MS, a study reports. The clinical benefits of aspirin were linked to an increase in the number of regulatory T-cells, those responsible for shutting…
July 2, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Winter Months Spent in Sunny Climes Can Lower MS Risk, Study Suggests Greater exposure to sunlight during the winter months ā part of a person’s lifetime exposure to ultraviolet radiation ā can help to lower the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS), a large U.S. cohort study suggests. The study, āLifetime exposure to ultraviolet radiation and the risk of multiple sclerosis in…