inflammation

Therapeutic Target for Inflammation Driven by Astrocytes Seen

Using a new approach, researchers have identified new signaling molecules that regulate the activation of certain subsets of astrocytes thought to drive inflammation in multiple sclerosis (MS). The new methodology, called FIND-seq, enables the selection of single cells from a sample based on the expression of specific genes and…

More Inflammation Biomarkers in Spinal Fluid of PPMS Patients: Study

Individuals with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) have significantly higher concentrations of specific inflammation biomarkers in their spinal fluid than healthy people, an exploratory study shows. For most biomarkers, levels in PPMS patients were comparable to or lower than those seen in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).

MS Therapy EHP-101 Boosts Blood Vessel Growth, Targets Inflammation

EHP-101, an experimental treatment being clinically tested for multiple sclerosis (MS), activates a cellular signaling pathway that promotes blood vessel development and reduces inflammation following brain injury, a new study shows. The findings continue to support the use of EHP-101 in MS, a condition marked by excess inflammation and…

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…

Maresin-1 Molecule Eases Inflammation, Symptoms in Mouse Model

Administering the maresin-1 molecule ā€” a natural anti-inflammatory in the body ā€” in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS) led to lower levels of inflammation and improved neurological function, a recent study showed. Maresin-1 and other molecules in its family are called specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs) and are…

BCG Vaccine for TB Not Linked to MS Risk: Large Canadian Study

Getting the Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine to protect against tuberculosis (TB) ā€” an immunization often given to infants and small children in countries where TB is common ā€” does not decrease a person’s risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new study. “Within a large birth cohort…

How Eating Meat Affects MS via Gut Microbiome, Immune Cells Detailed

A relationship between meat consumption and how it affects gut bacteria, immune cell profiles, and metabolism was identified in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) participating in a small study. Specifically, a diet rich in meat was associated with a decrease inĀ Bacteriodes thetaiotaomicron, a common gut bacteriaĀ that works…

Coated Vesicles Found to Safely Reduce Disease Progression in Mice

Extracellular vesicles or EVs ā€” tiny sacs of material excreted by cells ā€” that have been coated with protein receptors were found to safely reduce disease progression in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS). Researchers at the Karolinska Institutet, in Sweden, coated these vesicles with receptorsĀ that block pro-inflammatory…

Cold Eases Inflammation, Disease Severity in MS Mouse Model

Colder ambient temperatures may ease the inflammation that drives multiple sclerosis (MS), early research in a mouse model suggests. Animals whose environment for two weeks was set at 10 C (about 50 F) had a “pronounced attenuation” of disease severity and other benefits compared with those kept at a…

Isoflavone-rich Diet Boosts Gut Health, Lessening MS Severity

Isoflavone-rich diets boost gut health and lessen multiple sclerosis (MS) severity, a new study in mice suggests. In the study, mice with MS that were fed a diet rich in isoflavone ā€” a plant-based compound ā€” developed diverse and abundant gut bacteria, particularly isoflavone-digesting bacteria, which produced compounds that…

Sugar Molecules in Yeast Cells Prevent Inflammation in Mouse Model

A component of yeast cell walls ā€” called MGCP ā€” prevented disease in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS) by activating anti-inflammatory immune T-cells while suppressing inflammatory T-cells, a study showed. This work also supporting the microbiomeā€™s role in affecting inflammation in autoimmune diseases like MS. “We have…

Retinal Layer Thickness May Predict MS Progression, Relapses

Measurements of the thickness of the eye’s retina ā€” the layer of nerve cells lining the back of the eye ā€” could be used to predict disability progression and relapses in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a real-world study from Austria suggests. ā€œOur study shows that both crossectional and…