March 19, 2024 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Antibodies against EBV viral protein help prevent infection in mice Using antibodies against a viral protein that’s needed for the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) to invade human cells was found to successfully prevent viral infections and EBV-associated cancer in mice in a new study. By identifying sites where these antibodies bind to the viral protein ā called gp42 ā researchers…
December 6, 2023 News by Andrea Lobo, PhD EBV-001 vaccine prevents EBV infection in lab-grown human cells EBV-001, a vaccine candidate being developed by EBViously to target the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), triggered the production of potent antibodies against the virus in mice, and blood samples from these animals prevented EBV infection in lab-grown human cells. That’s according to new data presented by the company, which is…
October 20, 2022 News by Patricia Valerio, PhD Infections Nearly 4 Times as Likely for Patients With Progressive MS People with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) are nearly four times more likely to have serious infections ā those leading to hospitalization ā than those with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), according to a large study in Germany. This higher infection risk was found despite the fact that, during…
July 7, 2022 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Higher COVID-19 Risk Tied to 2 MS Therapies, Even With Vaccination Fully vaccinated multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who are treated with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) or Gilenya (fingolimod) have a significantly higher risk of COVID-19 infection than those given other immunosuppressive therapies, according to a study in Italy. Called breakthrough infections, these post-vaccination cases of SARS-CoV-2 ā the virus that causes…
May 23, 2022 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: DMTs and Symptoms, Aquatic Exercise, Infections āHiddenā Disabilities Fairly Common at RRMS Diagnosis, Study Finds This headline doesn’t report the full nature of this story. In addition to being “fairly common,” the research concludes that disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) have little effect on these so-called “hidden disabilities.”Ā I don’t agree with that conclusion. Most of…
December 28, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Ocrevus, Gilenya May Limit Efficacy of COVID-19 Vaccines: UK Study COVID-19 infection rates after widespread vaccination were significantly higher among multiple sclerosis (MS) patients on Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) or Gilenya (fingolimod) than in the general population, but not among MS patients given other immunosuppressive disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), a data study in England reports. While information on patientsā vaccination…
September 8, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Serious Infections in Adolescence Linked to Increased MS Risk Experiencing serious infections during adolescence is tied to an increased risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) later in life, but those occurring in childhood don’t increase MS risk, according to a new Swedish study. The study also found that certain types of infections, especially those that affect the central…
November 6, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Study Flags Possible DMT Risk for MS Patients Over Age 45 The use of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) in adults with multiple sclerosis (MS) increased the risk of precancerous growth in those older than 45 years of age, according to an age-related adverse events analysis of several dozen clinical trials.Ā …
August 26, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Infection Risk Higher for Ocrevus Than Rituximab, But Cancer Risk Lower Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), a second-generation anti-CD20 antibody, may be associated with a greater risk of infections. But it carries a lower risk of cancer and immune reactions than first-generation rituximab inĀ people with multiple sclerosisĀ (MS), according to a real-life study. The higher incidence of infections linked with Ocrevus’…
August 10, 2020 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Epstein-Barr and Smoking, Infections, Oral DMT Trial, Exercise and the Brain Smoking and Epstein-Barr Virus Combine to Raise MS Risk, Study Says A number of studies over several years have demonstrated a likely link between the Epstein-Barr virus and MS. Of course, there’s no question about the health risks of smoking. Put the two together, and it looks like double…
August 6, 2020 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD MS Patients Show Greater Risk of Infections Before and After Diagnosis, Study Finds Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients have a greater risk of infections, particularly urinary and kidney infections, around the time of their diagnosis, compared with individuals without MS, a large Swedish population-based study found. Rates of serious and non-serious infections, as well as infections caused by bacteria, virus, and fungus, also…
May 15, 2020 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD EBV Infections Evident in All 901 MS Patients in German Study Supporting evidence that infection with Epstein-Barr virusĀ (EBV) could be one of the root causes ofĀ multiple sclerosis (MS), a recent study found all of its 901 early disease patients carry antibodies against this virus, meaning that all are or have been exposed to it. The study, “…
October 17, 2019 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Rituximab Linked to Greater Risk of Infections in MS Patients in Real-world Swedish Study Newer disease-modifying treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS) are effective but also known to carry a greater risk of infections in a patient group already more likely to be troubled by infections ā and this higher risk is particularly evident in treatment with rituximab, a DMT often used off-label in…
December 3, 2018 Columns by Debi Wilson Recognizing and Avoiding MS Triggers to Prevent Exacerbations I remember the feeling of having a terrible cold or flu before I had multiple sclerosis (MS). The stuffy nose that made breathing nearly impossible. That elusive tickle in the back of my throat combined with a hacking cough. Cold and flu season is a miserable time, and I…
October 11, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD #ECTRIMS2018 ā Infections, Severe Disability Complications More Likely Causes of Death in MS Patients, Study Shows Infections and complications from severe disability are the greatest contributors to mortality amongĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, according to a population-based study in British Columbia, Canada, which also found that that MS is a more common underlying cause of death among younger patients. The study, āCauses that…
August 20, 2018 Columns by Debi Wilson Deciding if Ocrevus Is Right When You’re Over 55 As a 61-year-old woman diagnosed in 2010 with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS), I was overjoyed when theĀ U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the therapy Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) in March 2017. Because Ocrevus is the first treatment approved to possibly slow the progression of PPMS, theĀ FDA’s green…
July 27, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias A Fall, a Scratch, and an MS Lesson Learned In mid-July, the woman who writes the Multiple ExperienceS blog had a little fall. As Jamie explains, her rollator went forward, but her feet didn’t. The fall left a small cut on her knee. Over the next few days, Jamie’s knee swelled, and a trip to her doctor,…
October 12, 2017 Columns by Laura Kolaczkowski Did You Wash Your Hands? Iāve been at a conference the last few days where scholars from around the world are discussing health literacy. Itās a subject much more complicated than just wondering at what level a person might read, or if they can read at all. Itās also a discipline rooted in…
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 21, 2017 News by Iqra Mumal, MSc MS-related Death Rate in British Military Is Much Higher Than in Other Professions, Study Finds British military personnel are at significantly higher risk of dying from multiple sclerosis than people in other occupations, a study reports. University of Southampton researchers had done a previous study of mortality rates by occupation by checking records of residents of England and Wales. They noticed that the death rate among MS patients in the armed forces was much higher than that of people in other professions over three successive decades. MS has a genetic component but is also influenced by environmental factors, including vitamin D deficiency, smoking and certain viruses. Researchers wanted to learn why so many military people die of MS, and the causes. The team looked at the death records of men aged 20-74 between 1979 and 2010. They compared military people's MS-related mortality rates and death rates from all motor neuron diseases with those of other occupations. They also compared rates across social classes, which in the military presumably means lower-ranking enlisted people, higher-ranking enlisted people, and officers. They discovered that the MS-related mortality rate among military people was significantly higher than in other professions. The death rate from MS was also significantly higher than the rate from all motor neuron diseases in the armed forces. Interestingly, military people did not have a higher MS-related death rate when the team divided those in the study into three social classes or when they compared the armed forces mortality rate to those of similar occupations, such as police and fire services. The consistency of the findings, together with the high statistical significance observed, indicated that the results were not due to simple chance or a problem with the study method, the team said. They speculated that the higher military death rate could stem from the close proximity in which military personnel live and work, which could facilitate the transmission of infections that have the potential to cause MS. The results conflicted with those of a study that analyzed hospital admissions due to MS in a population of former military personnel. It reported no increased incidence of MS-related admissions in former military people, compared with non-military controls. Since such cohort studies are less prone to bias, the Southampton team called for more research on the topic.
February 24, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #ACTRIMS2017 – 3 Trials Show MS Patients Receiving Ocrevus Had No Elevated Infection Risk A detailed analysis ofĀ relapsing and primary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in the three Phase 3 trials of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) showed that the treatment did not significantly increase their risk of infections ā serious or otherwise. Certain infections, including common colds and influenza, were numerically more common among Ocrevus-treated patients,…