August 31, 2017 News by Janet Stewart, MSc MS and a Type of Schizophrenia May Belong to the Same Class of Disorders, Review Concludes Striking similarities betweenĀ patients with multiple sclerosis and a type of schizophrenia suggest the disorders are related, according to a review of a number of studies. Dr. Boris M. Arneth wrote theĀ article, āMultiple Sclerosis and Schizophrenia.ā It was published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences. MS…
August 22, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Mavenclad Improves Relapsing MS Patientsā Quality of Life, Independent U.K. Study Finds Merckās Mavenclad tablets significantly improve quality of life among relapsing multiple sclerosis patients while reducing the number of relapses, according to new analyses of previously unpublished data from clinical trials assessing the drug. This new data, published in the Multiple Sclerosis Journal, come just as the European Commission ponders whether to approve the once- rejected therapy to treat relapsing forms of MS. Its decision is expected later this month, seven years after a perceived increased of cancer risk led the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to block Mavenclad. In 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rejected the medication, forcing its eventual withdrawal from the Australian and Russian markets, where it had already been licensed. For the study, researchers at Queen Mary University of London used data obtained from the EMA through a Freedom of Information request. They analyzed data from the Phase 3 CLARITY trial, which compared Mavenclad to placebo. The trial's 1,326 participants completed a quality-of-life questionnaire that focused on disease aspects such as mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain or discomfort, and anxiety. After two years, those on Mavenclad had significantly improved their quality of life compared to the control group, particularly in terms of self-care. Mavenclad also helped mobility, which might be related to its ability to prevent relapses and delay progression, researchers said. While researchers assessed quality of life using two different questionnaires, patients had only completed one in sufficient numbers to allow for a solid analysis. The other quality-of-life tool provided researchers with numerically positive results, but the low number of responses made the result difficult to interpret. This wasn't the first time QMUL researchers have contributed in this way to knowledge of Mavenclad in MS. In 2015, they used a Freedom of Information request to obtain data showing that Mavenclad was not related to increased cancer risk. āCladribine seemed to have such excellent potential as a treatment for MS that we thought it was tragic the development program was shelved, and significant parts of the clinical trial data remained unpublished,ā study leader Klaus Schmierer, a neurologist at both QMUL and Barts Health NHS Trust, said in a press release. āIn addition to the drug being highly effective, well tolerated and safe as far as short-term studies can show, we now know it also improves patientsā quality of life. The new results seemed so clear, we felt it was extremely important to publish and share these data." Mavenclad has now been studied in some 2,700 patients with relapsing MS in the Phase 3 trials CLARITY, CLARITY EXTENSION, and ORACLE-MS, as well as the Phase 2 ONWARD trial, and the ongoing long-term study PREMIERE. The treatment differs from most other oral MS therapies in that a short treatment course ā a maximum 20 days ā triggered effects that were upheld for two years. Studies of Mavencladās mechanisms suggest the drug gets such results by resetting the immune system. In June 2017, the EMA's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use urged the European Commission to approve Mavenclad. Merck also plans to seek U.S. approval for its therapy and is now in talks with the FDA about Mavenclad's future.
August 22, 2017 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Autoimmunity Traced to Failure of B-cell Protein, Caveolin-1, to Work as Intended in Study A newĀ and potentially important mechanism in the development ofĀ autoimmune diseases likeĀ multiple sclerosis was discovered by scientists at the University of Freiburg, Germany. They identify aĀ protein, called Caveolin-1, that is essential to immune cells called B-cells working as intended to protect a person from pathogens or ā in its absence…
August 14, 2017 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Human Gut Microbes May Help Suppress MS, New Research Suggests A bacteria present in the gut, called Prevotella histicola, prevented multiple sclerosis from developing in a preclinical mouse model, found researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, along with colleagues at the University of Iowa. Current research suggests that alterations to the gut microbiome residing in human intestines may potentially trigger inflammatory diseases such as MS. In an attempt to identify which gut resident bacteria are capable of modulating immune responses, researchers studied cultured small pieces of intestine tissue extracted from biopsies of patients with celiac disease. The team then isolated three bacteria strains and found that one of species ā P. histicola ā had the capacity to suppress MS in a preclinical animal model of the disease. āThis is an early discovery but an avenue that bears further study," Dr. Joseph Murray, a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist and the study's lead author, said in a press release. "If we can use the microbes already in the human body to treat human disease beyond the gut itself, we may be onto a new era of medicine. We are talking about bugs as drugs." By investigating how P. histicola modulated immune responses to suppress MS, researchers found that bacteria decreased the expression of two pro-inflammatory cytokines ā interferon-gamma and interleukin (IL)-17. Overall results show that P. histicola has immune modulatory activity and can suppress abnormal immune responses, which ultimately prevent autoimmunity. This supports the idea that maintaining a healthy microbial community within our intestines is a potential therapeutic strategy for MS. "Our work is a classic example of a bedside-to-bench and potentially back to bedside study. Recent MS microbiome studies have shown the lack of Prevotella genus in patients with the disease and an increase when patients were treated with disease-modifying drugs," said Ashutosh Mangalam, the study's first author and an assistant professor of pathology at University of Iowa's Carver College of Medicine. "And it's not just for MS, because this may have a similar modulating effect on other nervous system and autoimmune diseases."
August 11, 2017 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Children and Teens with Multiple Sclerosis Consume Less Iron, Study Reports Children with multiple sclerosis consume less iron, which may affect their immune and nervous systems, according to a study. Most MS cases occur between the ages of 20 and 40, but sometimes children under 18 develop it. Pediatric-onset MS, as it is called, is believed to account for 3 to 5 percent of cases that adults have now. Despite their low frequency, they are important because "the study of factors early in life which could affect their disease may provide important insight into the disease more generally," the researchers from the Network of Pediatric MS Centers wrote. One of the factors that could be important in the onset of MS is diet. But little has been known about how diet influences the risk and progression of the disease, particularly in pediatric MS. In a study funded by the National MS Society, researchers decided to investigate the association between diet and MS in children, according to a press release. The team recruited 312 MS patients 18 and younger from 16 children's hospitals in the United States, and 456 controls without MS. The participants, or their parents, answered a questionnaire dealing with the participants' medical history, their physical development, and whether they were exposed to potentially harmful environmental factors. The questionnaire also covered demographic information and race. Researchers used the Block Kids Food Screener questionnaire to obtain information about the participants' diets, including their intake of fiber, fat, carbohydrates, proteins, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and iron. The analysis showed no meaningful link between the consumption of fiber, fat, carbohydrates, proteins, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products and children's development of MS. Children with the disease did have lower iron intake than the controls, however. Although in this exploratory study researchers didnāt look at whether there was a cause-and-effect relationship between iron and MS, the results suggested that children with the disease may be less likely to consume iron, a fact that warrants further investigation. Iron is a vital mineral for our body to function properly, and low iron intake may affect the immune and nervous systems. Future studies on the risk of children developing MS should "investigate the role of specific vitamins and minerals," the team said. They should also "investigate the influence of dietary factors on disease outcomes in already established" cases of MS.
July 17, 2017 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Copaxone Benefits RRMS Patients in the Long Term by Modulating Immune System Responses, Study Shows First-line treatment with Copaxone (glatiramer acetate)Ā benefits relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patientsĀ by boosting the number of anti-inflammatory immune cells and restoring the balance of regulatory immune cells, an Italian study shows. TheĀ study, āBiological activity of glatiramer acetate on Treg and anti-inflammatory monocytes persists for more than 10…
July 7, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Mavenclad Reduces MS Relapses by Resetting the Immune System New analyses of how Merckās Mavenclad (cladribine tablets) act to treat relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) give researchers an entirely new picture of immune processes leading to the disease. Data showed that the drug lowers both immune B-cells and, to a lesser degree, T-cells. But the numbers of both cell…
July 7, 2017 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc FOXP3 Gene Mutations May Explain Immune System Excitability in MS and Other Diseases A gene mutation may explain the uncontrolled, inflammatory immune response seen in autoimmune and chronic inflammatory diseases like multiple sclerosis, scientists at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) report. It's a discovery that, they said, appears to be "a big step in the right direction." According to the study, published in the journal Science Immunology, alterations in the FOXP3 gene affect specific immune cells called regulatory T-cells, or Tregs. Those mutations hamper Tregs in performing a crucial regulatory role, leading to a loss of control over the immune systemās response to a perceived threat. āWe discovered that this mutation in the FOXP3 gene affects the Treg cellās ability to dampen the immune response, which results in the immune system overreacting and causing inflammation,ā Ciriaco Piccirillo, the study's lead author and an immunologist in the Infectious Diseases and Immunity, Global Health Program, at the RI-MUHC, said in a news release. Tregs are known to be the immune system players responsible for keeping other immune cells under control, preventing them from attacking the hostās own tissues, while maintaining a proper immune response against harmful agents. The normal activity of Treg cells is essential for preventing excessive immune reactions. The FOXP3 gene is also well-known, and documented, to be essential for proper Treg cell function. However, the mechanisms by which FOXP3 gene is involved in Treg cell activities are still poorly understood. In the study, āSuppression by human FOXP3+ regulatory T cells requires FOXP3-TIP60 interactions,ā the research team ā in collaboration with researchers at University of Pennsylvania, University of Washington School of Medicine, and Teikyo University School of Medicine in Japan ā evaluated the impact of a FOXP3 gene mutation in autoimmunity response. Taking advantage of cutting-edge technology, the team studied samples from two patients carrying a common FOXP3 gene mutation, which caused a genetic immune disorder called IPEX. Interestingly, the researchers found that this genetic variant did not reduce the number of Treg cells or the levels of FOXP3 protein. Instead, the mutation altered the way Tregs could suppress other immune cells to prevent overactivation. āWhat was unique about this case of IPEX was that the patientās Treg cells were fully functional apart from one crucial element: its ability to shut down the inflammatory response,ā said Piccirillo. āUnderstanding this specific mutation has allowed us to shed light on how many milder forms of chronic inflammatory diseases or autoimmune diseases could be linked to alterations in FOXP3 functions,ā added Khalid Bin Dhuban, the study's first author and a postdoctoral fellow in Piccirilloās laboratory. The team developed a compound capable of restoring Treg cells' ability to control the immune system in the presence of this specific FOXP3 gene mutation. Tested in animal models of colitis and arthritis, two chronic inflammatory diseases, the compound reduced inflammation and restored normal Treg function. Researchers now plan to develop similar drugs that may be of use in other diseases where Treg cells are known to be defective, including multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, and lupus. "Currently, we have to shut down the whole immune system with aggressive suppressive therapies in various autoimmune and inflammatory diseases," said Piccirillo. āOur goal is to increase the activity of these Treg cells in certain settings, such as autoimmune diseases, but we want to turn it down in other settings, such as cancer.ā āThis discovery gives us key insights on how Treg cells are born and how they can be regulated,ā Piccirillo added. āWith this discovery, we are taking a big step in the right direction.ā
April 5, 2017 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD UMD Team Reverses Paralysis in MS Mouse Model Using Novel Immunotherapy Strategy Scientists at the University of MarylandĀ have developed an experimental treatment to control the immune system and recover movement in a paralyzed mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS). The team presented its research April 2 during theĀ 253rd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical SocietyĀ in San Francisco. In…
March 10, 2017 News by Ćzge Ćzkaya, PhD Researchers Rewire Immune System to Treat MS, Type 1 Diabetes, Other Autoimmune Diseases Researchers managed to retrain the immune system to ignore antigens that trigger an autoimmune reaction. This approach alleviated the symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) and type 1 diabetes in a mouse model.
February 24, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #ACTRIMS2017 – Sex Hormones and Chromosomes Lead to Gender Differences in MS, Studies Report Sex hormones, and genes in the two sex chromosomes, impact the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) in men and women differently, and lead to differences in the course of the disease between the sexes, according to two studies. Two speakers at the ACTRIMS 2017 ForumĀ highlighted the role of sex…
February 9, 2017 Columns by Debi Wilson How the Blood Brain Barrier May Thwart MS Progression Lately, I have been reading more and more about the potential connection between the blood brain barrier and multiple sclerosis. I have been researching the blood brain barrier (BBB) to better understand it and share my findings with readers. The BBB is a network of endothelial cells…
November 7, 2016 News by Joana Fernandes, PhD Immune System May Harbor Natural Way of Fighting MS, Other Autoimmune Diseases A variant in theĀ TYK2Ā gene, which encodes an immune system protein, may work to protect people fromĀ autoimmune disorders, including multiple sclerosis (MS), without overly depressing the body’s ability to fight opportunistic infections, researchers at theĀ University of Oxford report. Their study, āResolving TYK2 Locus Genotype-To-Phenotype Differences In Autoimmunity,ā was published…
October 24, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD ‘Rare’ Molecule in Immune System Turns Out to Be Common, and May Be Part of What Goes Wrong in MS Researchers have discovered that a type of immune molecule ā called “spliced epitopes,” once believed to be very rare Ā ā in fact makes up a large part of the molecules labeling cells as belonging to the body, and those that are invaders. The finding may wellĀ change our understanding of multiple…
October 21, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Genome-wide Analysis Pinpoints 200 Gene Variants Common to MS A genome-wide analysis of over 110,000 peopleĀ allowed researchersĀ withĀ theĀ International Multiple Sclerosis Genetics Consortium (IMSGC)Ā to discoverĀ 200 genetic loci (the position of genes on a chromosome) that areĀ common to peopleĀ withĀ multiple sclerosis (MS). The findings were given in theĀ presentation, ā200 loci complete the genetic puzzle of multiple sclerosis,ā by Dr. Nikolaos…
September 30, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Instability of Myelin Membranes May Be True Trigger of MS, Study Reports In multiple sclerosis (MS), scientists have long believed that the body’s own immune systemĀ attacked myelin sheaths,Ā the “insulating tape” that surrounds neurons, causingĀ the disease. But researchers at Tel Aviv University are challenging that view, inĀ a study reporting that MS may in fact be triggeredĀ byĀ an instability inherent in the myelin membranes. The…
September 23, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Protein Biomarker Identified for MS May Predict Disease Severity, Treatment Response A newly discovered potential biomarker of multiple sclerosis (MS) may help to distinguish between peopleĀ who will go on to have less severe disease and those in whom the disease will progress,Ā researchers at Linkƶping University in Sweden report. The biomarker’s discovery came through an investigation into the immune system of MS…
September 1, 2016 News by Malika Ammam, PhD MS Treatments May Lower Levels of Immune White Blood Cells Multiple sclerosis patients are at risk ofĀ developing lymphopenia, or abnormally low levels of immune defense white blood cells, called lymphocytes, according to a study that investigatedĀ lymphocyte counts in people with relapsing MS both before and after the start of treatment. The study, āLymphopenia in treatment-naive relapsing multiple…
July 25, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Gut Bacteria and Multiple Sclerosis: What We Already Know, and What We’ve Still to Learn Gut bacteria and health have been topics of considerable scientific speculation in recent years,Ā and the field of multiple sclerosis (MS) research is no exception. But what do we really know about MS and our intestinal inhabitants? A review,Ā āEmerging Concepts on the Gut Microbiome and Multiple Sclerosis,āĀ published in…
July 11, 2016 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Gut Microbiota Seen to Differ in People with Relapsing MS, Especially Those with Active Disease Fecal samples from a group of people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) showed evidence of a different gut microbiota than that found in healthy controls, and may be a non-genetic reason for the altered immune system responses seen in MS patients. The study, āMultiple sclerosis patients have…
July 11, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Workings of Common Statin, Simvastatin, Explored in Ways Relevant to Multiple Sclerosis One of the worldās most commonly used medications ā the cholesterol-lowering drug simvastatin ā was found to affect the immune system in a way that can be explored to treat inflammatory diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). Researchers have earlier noted that simvastatin, a cholesterol-lowering drug, is beneficial for MS…
June 16, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD New Zealand Clinical Trial to Test Potential of Antipsychotics to Treat SPMS An immunologist atĀ Victoria University of WellingtonĀ is leading a clinical trial that will use existing drugs in a new way to try toĀ treat secondary progressiveĀ multiple sclerosis (SPMS), a disease form that affects more than one-third of all multiple sclerosisĀ patients but has no effective treatment options. Anne La Flamme, a professor…
May 17, 2016 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD Study of Immune System Response to Viral Infection Revives Possibility of Link Between MS and Viruses Researchers investigatingĀ immune B-cell response to the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and cytomegalovirus (CMV) found that it may correlate with the amount of brain-specific B-cells in the blood ā a marker of multiple sclerosis (MS) ā and with higher disease activity. The findings were published in the journalĀ Viruses, in…
May 13, 2016 News by admin Dimethyl Fumarate, a Common MS Drug, Found to Work Independently of Nrf2 Pathway AĀ commonly prescribed multiple sclerosis (MS) medication may act to modulate the immune system. The finding is describedĀ in the articleĀ “Dimethyl fumarate treatment induces adaptive and innate immune modulation independent of Nrf2,“Ā published in Ā the journalĀ Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. MS develops due to an…
April 5, 2016 News by admin Fingolimod (Gilenya) Shown to Benefit Neurons as Well as Immune System The immune system-suppressing multiple sclerosis (MS) drug fingolimod (Gilenya) also has potentially beneficialĀ effects on the nervous system, according to a recent study,Ā “The multiple sclerosis drug fingolimod (FTY720) stimulates neuronal gene expression, axonal growth and regeneration.“Ā The article appeared onlineĀ March 12 in an earlyĀ version ofĀ the journalĀ …
January 25, 2016 News by admin Some Forms of MS Might Be Treatable with Hematopoietic Stem Cells Clinical trials suggestĀ that hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), a common treatment for bone marrow and blood cancers, could also help people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The technique involves harvesting new, undeveloped blood or bone marrow (hematopoietic) cells, typically from the person affected with the disease (autologous). The goal is to…
January 21, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MS Treatment that Reboots Immune System Featured on BBC Panorama A recentĀ BBC Panorama program titledĀ āCan you stop my Multiple Sclerosis?ā featuredĀ a ground-breaking treatment for select patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) that has been developed at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals in the United Kingdom. The program tells the stories ofĀ four patients, each with aĀ diagnosis of relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), who underwent the…
December 16, 2015 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD MS May Be Triggered by the Death of Brain Cells Researchers are proposing for a first timeĀ thatĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) is triggered by the death of a specific cell population within the central nervous system called oligodendrocytes. The study, titled āOligodendrocyte death results in immune-mediated CNS demyelination,ā was published in the journal Nature Neuroscience. Oligodendrocytes,…
December 15, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MS Nerve Degeneration Triggered by Chain Reaction in Cells Researchers in theĀ United Kingdom recently discoveredĀ that a small molecule triggers the destruction of axons, a phenomenon observed in neurodegenerative diseases likeĀ multiple sclerosis (MS). The study is titled āWallerian Degeneration Is Executed by an NMN-SARM1-Dependent Late Ca2+ Influx but Only Modestly Influenced by Mitochondriaā and appears inĀ the journal…
December 3, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD MS Society of Canada Helps Fund Pediatric Study of Gut Bacteria The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada and the Multiple Sclerosis Scientific Research Foundation recently announced the funding of new research on pediatric multiple sclerosis (MS) and on the role played by the gut microbiome in brain and autoimmune diseases. Although onlyĀ around 5% of all newly diagnosed MS cases…