November 8, 2022 News by Margarida Maia, PhD NMSS Grant Supports Work Into Epstein-Barr Virus as MS Trigger AĀ National Multiple Sclerosis SocietyĀ grant is supporting an Australian-led research team aiming to better understand how the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) may be acting as a trigger for multiple sclerosis (MS). The funding will particularly be used to understand what molecules are being targeted by lymphocytes, immune cells that…
February 25, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Age, Gender, Blood Glucose Affect Immune Cells’ Response to Tecfidera in RRMS Patients, Study Reports Immune cells from patients withĀ relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) respond differently to Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate) based on age, gender, and serum blood glucose levels, a study found.Ā The results suggest these patient-specific factors can modulate the response of immune cells, and should be…
February 12, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Gilenya Works to Treat RRMS by Specifically Targeting B-cells and T-helper Cells, Study Finds Treating people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) for one year with the immune-modulating therapy Gilenya (fingolimod)Ā reduced the numbers of antibody-producing B-cells and of T helper cells, a study finds.Ā While the…
December 20, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Genetic Variant Linked to MS Affects More Than Immune Cells, Study Finds A genetic variant associated with an increased risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) due to its impact on certain immune system cells can also affect brain cells called astrocytes, a study shows. Reported in the study, āEnhanced astrocyte responses are driven by a genetic risk allele associated with multiple…
November 26, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Gilenya-induced Changes in Heart Rate May Predict Degree of Drop in Lymphocytes, Study Reports Assessing changes in a person’s heart rate can help to predict the degree to which lymphocyte numbers will decrease in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients usingĀ Gilenya (fingolimod), according to a small study. The research, āFingolimod-induced decrease in heart rate may predict subsequent decreasing degree of…
October 16, 2018 News by Ana Pena PhD #ECTRIMS2018 – Shifting from Gilenya to Lemtrada Doesn’t Increase Risk of MS Reactivation, Study Says Shifting from treatment with Gilenya (fingolimod) to Lemtrada (alemtuzumab), and doing a short washout period between the two therapies, does not seem to increase the risk of disease reactivation in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), an Italian study shows. Lemtrada, marketed by…
August 27, 2018 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Small Vesicles Involved in MS Seen to Be Affected by Gilenya, Suggesting Potential as Biomarker Gilenya (fingolimod) influences the release and function of small membrane particles, called extracellular vesicles, that are involved in the development of multiple sclerosisĀ ā and these vesicles may serve a biomarker of treatment effectiveness in people with relapsing MS, researchers report. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) may also work…
November 3, 2016 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Lemtrada Targets Circulating Innate Immune Cells in RRMS Patients Lemtrada (alemtuzumab), a humanized monoclonal antibody, is able to remodel the immune responses of innate immune cells in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), according to a recent study. This previously unreported phenotype may contribute to the benefits of the drug for RRMSĀ patients. The study, āAlemtuzumab…
September 16, 2016 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #ECTRIMS2016 – Protein Seen as New Target in Preventing Brain Inflammation in MS Researchers found that blocking a protein,Ā known asĀ integrin alpha 8, may workĀ to prevent inflammation in the central nervous system of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The results were revealedĀ in an oral presentation, āIntegrin alpha8 is a novel mediator of T lymphocyte migration across the CNS barriers,ā atĀ theĀ 32nd Congress of theĀ European Committee…
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…
May 21, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD New Potential Therapeutic Strategy to Halt Disease Progression in Multiple Sclerosis Developed A new study recently published in the journal Annals of Neurology revealed a potential new therapeutic strategy to halt multiple sclerosis (MS) disease progression. The study is entitled āMelanoma cell adhesion moleculeāpositive CD8 T lymphocytes mediate central nervous system inflammationā and was led by…