April 10, 2024 News by Marisa Wexler, MS New assay measures molecular immune response to EBV Scientists have created an assay that can measure immune cells’ inflammatory attack against the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a known risk factor for multiple sclerosis (MS). Researchers found preliminary evidence that some MS treatments, but not others, may alter the immune system’s response to EBV. The scientists said the…
April 10, 2024 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Immune signatures may predict MS course, treatment response Researchers have identified three distinct immune signatures in the blood of people with early multiple sclerosis (MS)Ā that seem to be linked to specific disease trajectories and response to treatment, potentially offering a path to personalized care. āThese findings represent a pivotal shift towards precision medicine in MS,ā Heinz Wiendl,…
December 14, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Immune responses to ancient viral protein divide active, stable RRMS Immune responses against an ancient viral protein called pHERV-W that’s encoded in the human genome are higher in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients with active disease compared with those who are clinically stable, according to recent research. The findings offer further support for a link between multiple sclerosis…
August 11, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD New EBV-targeted vaccine induces durable immune response in mice Researchers have developed a vaccine against the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) ā a leading environmental risk factor for multiple sclerosis (MS) ā that induced durable immune responses in mice. If it’s moved to the clinic, the vaccine could help prevent infections that drive MS and certain cancers, according to…
August 7, 2023 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Cow milk proteins likely trigger of broader immune response with MS A significantly higher immune response against proteins found in cow milk is evident in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), likely because of similarities between milk proteins and proteins in the human central nervous system (CNS, the brain and spinal cord), a study reported. No such differences were seen between…
March 17, 2023 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Vitamin D receptor defines 2 distinct lines of immune cells: Early study The body has two distinct lineages of immune cells that can be distinguished by the presence or absence of the vitamin D receptor, a preclinical study reports. The findings shed more light on how vitamin D fine-tunes immune responses and may help researchers better understand the link between vitamin…
December 1, 2022 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Good Immune Responses to CMV Infection Linked to Better Outcomes People with good immune responses against the human cytomegalovirus (CMV), a common herpes virus, around the time of their first symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) may go on to have a slower disease course, a study has found. Compared with people showing weaker immune responses to CMV, these patients…
September 13, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS T-cells Targeting Epstein-Barr Virus at High Levels in MS Patients People with multiple sclerosis (MS) have significantly more T-cells equipped with receptors that specifically recognize the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) than do healthy individuals, a study revealed. Notably, no such differences were detected for T-cells with receptors specifically against other viruses. These findings add to previous data highlightingĀ EBV infection…
February 25, 2022 Columns by John Connor Does 2 + 2 = 4, 5, or 0? Am I about to share my first conspiracy theory, even if it’s just about me? Why not? Itās all the rage, though this one may have a loose connection to a possible truth. Stick with the story, please. It requires some scene-setting. It was years ago, at the end of…
October 26, 2020 News by Diana Campelo Delgado Variants in Key Gene Interact With Insults Like EBV to Cause MS, Study Suggests The HLA-DR15 haplotype ā a set of gene variants that tend to be inherited together ā in the HLA-DRB1 gene plays a role in autoimmune response and, in combination with environmental factors, contributes to the development of multiple sclerosis (MS), a study suggests. The study, ā…
May 23, 2019 News by Ana Pena PhD Stress-induced Changes in Gut Bacteria May Increase Risk of Autoimmune Disorders, Mouse Study Suggests Stress-induced changes in gut bacteria, or gut microbiota, may play a significant part in the possible link between exposure to stress and the risk of autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis (MS), a mouse research study says. In the study ā…
August 21, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Deregulated RNA Molecules May Contribute to RRMS, Study Finds The levels of three small, regulatory RNA molecules ā long non-coding RNAs ā are deregulated in blood samples of patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), a study reports. The long non-coding RNAs are involved in the regulation of the natural immune response and DNA-damage response, supporting the theory that these…
May 9, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Subtle Myelin Damage May Occur Before Inflammatory Reactions in MS, Study Suggests Subtle changes in myelin, the protective layer of nerve fibers, may be an early event in multiple sclerosis (MS) prior to the inflammatory reaction, a new University of CalgaryĀ study shows. The study, āBiochemically altered myelin triggers autoimmune demyelination,ā was published in the journal Proceedings…
August 16, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Ulcer Bacterium Might Play Role in MS, but More Studies Needed, Greek Researchers Say Secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) patients have larger quantities of certain antibodies to the stomach ulcer bacterium Helicobacter pylori than thoseĀ with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RMSS), finds a Greek study which also showed that MS patients in general differ from healthy people in this aspect. Although researchers atĀ theĀ University of ThessalyĀ think…
March 6, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Altered Immune Response in MS Is What May Allow Infections to Kill, Mouse Study Suggests It is no coincidence that multiple sclerosis (MS) patients are prone to airway infections, according to research showing that MS disease processes allow suppressive immune cells to travel to the lungs and block inflammatory responses against invading viruses. The study may offer guidance on how vaccines should be used to…
December 8, 2016 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Imbalances in Brain Microbiota May Be Behind Demyelination in MS, Study Says Alterations in microorganisms in the brains of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients could contribute to underlying disease mechanisms, including demyelination, according to researchers. The study, āBrain microbiota disruption within inflammatory demyelinating lesions in multiple sclerosis,ā was published in the journalĀ Scientific Reports. It is widely recognized that the…
February 17, 2016 News by admin MS Patients’ Likely Response to Interferon-Ī² May Be Evident in a Blood Biomarker A new study underscoresĀ the variability of immune responses in different people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and suggests this heterogenityĀ affects responsesĀ to the commonly prescribed MS medication interferon-Ī², but blood biomarkers may exist that can help to determine those most likely to benefit from such treatment. The study,Ā “Cytokine profiles…
January 8, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc Rise in MS and Autoimmune Disease Linked to Processed Foods In a new study, researchers found that additives common to processed foods can damage the tight junctions that protect the intestinal mucosa, and which are essential to theĀ intestinalĀ tolerance and immunity balance that works to prevent autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). The article, titled āChanges in…
December 15, 2015 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc Potential Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Seen in Addex’s mGluR4 Modulator Addex Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company developing novel small molecule allosteric modulators for neurological disorders, recently announced the publication of positive results from studies evaluating the therapeutic effect of ADX88178, a metabotropic glutamate receptor 4 (mGluR4)Ā modulator, in an animal model of multiple sclerosis. The research article, titled āAllosteric modulation…
November 10, 2015 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc Hemispherx Biopharma and myTomorrows Collaborate to Provide South American MS Patients with Interferon Therapy MyTomorrows, a company that provides information and facilitates requests regarding clinical trials, diagnostic tests and medicines through its internet-based platform, and Hemispherx Biopharma, Inc, a pharmaceutical company specialized in the development of new therapiesĀ for life-threatening disorders, have partnered in an effort to make Hemispherxās natural alpha interferon therapy…