January 11, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS High Levels of Gut Bacterial Toxins Found in Spinal Fluid of MS Patients People with multiple sclerosis (MS) have high levels of toxic compounds made by gut bacteria in the fluid around their brain and spinal cord, a study found. “This work not only furthers our understanding of the role of gut-brain communication in neurodegenerative disease progression, but also provides a potential…
August 17, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Probiotics Likely To Be of Help With RRMS, Meta-analysis Finds Probiotic supplements could ease disability, lessen depression, and improve overall health in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS), according to an analysis of four randomized clinical trials. Physicians working with these patients might recommend “confirmed probiotic supplements” to help manage “MS concerns,” its scientists wrote, while noting that studies…
January 28, 2021 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Newly ID’d Group of Astrocytes Seen to Help Prevent Brain Inflammation A newly identified subset of astrocytes ā cells long thought to be responsible for simply providing nutrition and support to neurons ā can prevent brain inflammation by promoting the destruction of pro-inflammatory immune T-cells, scientistsĀ report. Their work also found that the anti-inflammatory activity of this astrocyte subpopulation is dependent on…
June 4, 2020 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Gut Mucus May Help Ease MS, Other Neurological Diseases, Review Suggests Tweaking the protective properties of the gut mucus, a layer lining the inside of the gut, to boost the proliferation of good bacteria potentially could halt the development of neurological disorders, like multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a review of more than 100 studies. The review, ā…
March 4, 2020 News by Ana Pena PhD #ACTRIMS2020 – 3 Ways to Treat MS by Altering Gut Microbiome Under Study Modulating the bacteria that reside in the gut by treatingĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with probiotics, fecal transplants, or gut-related microRNAs may help to ease inflammation and disease severity,Ā researchers withĀ Brigham and Women’s Hospital suggest. Howard Weiner, MD, a group leader at the hospital, presented his team’s findings on…
February 6, 2020 Columns by Tamara Sellman Need to Know: What Is the Microbiome? Editor’s note: “Need to Knowā is a series inspired by common forum questions and comments from readers. Have a comment or question about MS? Visit our forum. This week’s question is inspired by “Newly Diagnosed MS Patients Show Changes in Gut Microbiome, Study Says,” from Dec. 3, 2019.
May 16, 2019 News by Marisa Wexler, MS #AANAM ā Gut Bacteria May Play Role in Pediatric MS, Studies Suggest As strange as it is to think about, many bacteria live in the human body, most of which are found in the gut (often referred to as the gut microbiome). These bodily roommates affect health in many ways that are only beginning to be understood.Ā …
January 8, 2019 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Immune Cells in the Gut Can Suppress Brain Inflammation in MS, Pre-clinical Study Finds Immune cells in the intestine may reduce neuroimflammation in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, a pre-clinical study suggests. Moreover, the augmented number of these cells was sufficient to suppress brain inflammation in an MS mouse model. The findings were reported in the study āRecirculating Intestinal IgA-Producing Cells Regulate Neuroinflammation via…
November 1, 2018 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Protein Produced by Common Gut Bacteria Can Trigger Autoimmunity, Study Suggests Bacteria that reside in human gut may trigger autoimmune reactions by producing human-like proteins that mimic a naturally occurring and crucial cell protein. Researchers at Queenās University Belfast in Ireland report that patients with autoimmune disorders ā such as multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis, and ulcerative colitis ā have…
May 21, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Gut Microbiome May Offer Way to Ease or Halt Brain Inflammation, Study Suggests Metabolites produced by microbes in the gut can ease inflammationĀ in the central nervous system by limiting the damage done by microglia, an immune cell of the brain, an early study reports. Its scientists suggest this gut-brain axisĀ may open new avenues to treatment. “These findings provide a clear understanding of how…
November 27, 2017 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Vegetable-rich Diet Promotes Bacteria That Fights Inflammation in MS, Study Shows A diet rich in vegetables and low in protein reduced inflammation in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients by modulating the gut microbiome and promoting bacteria that helps control a hyper-reactive immune system. The study reporting the findings, āImmunological and Clinical Effect of Diet Modulation of the Gut…
October 25, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #MSParis2017 – Researchers Suggest Propionic Acid Could Be Used as Add-on Treatment in MS Propionic acid supplements alter the composition and behavior of immune cells in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients ā likely by changing the composition of gut bacteria, according to Alexander Duscha from Ruhr University BochumĀ in Bochum, Germany. The finding, presented Wednesday at the 7th Joint ECTRIMS-ACTRIMS MeetingĀ running in Paris…
September 14, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Specific Gut Bacteria May Drive Progression of Multiple Sclerosis, Study Finds Specific gut bacteria may drive the progression of multiple sclerosis, according to a study showing that two bacterial species made the disease worse in a mouse model of MS. Researchers at the University of California, San FranciscoĀ also pinpointed a species ā found in lower numbers in MS patients ā…
August 11, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD University of California at San Francisco Recruiting MS Patients for Gut Bacteria Study University of California medical school researchersĀ are looking for multiple sclerosisĀ patients who want to participate in an international study of the bacteria that live in our gut. The University of California at San FranciscoĀ team decided to study the gut microbiome after recent evidence suggested that it is critical in…
June 2, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #CMSC17 – Ocrevus, Progressive MS and Other Research Highlights: An Interview with CMSC’s Robert Lisak The recent annual meeting of theĀ Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC)Ā brought researchers and healthcare professionals to New Orleans to discuss advances ā and obstacles to advances ā in multiple sclerosis (MS) research. Clinical trials, preclinical studies, basic research, and health interventions were amongĀ the May meeting’s focus. Multiple Sclerosis News…
April 7, 2017 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Exposure to Antibiotics Early in Life May Increase Risk for MS and Other Inflammatory Diseases, Study Suggests The use of antibiotics in childhood, whichĀ alters the microbiome ā or natural bacteria flora in the gut ā may increase the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and other inflammatory diseases, according to an Australian study. The mouse study, āEarly-life antibiotic treatment enhances the…
March 1, 2017 Columns by Laura Kolaczkowski #ACTRIMS2017 – Gut Microbiome Gains Researchers’ Interest as Possible MS Therapy The role of the microbiome and its association with multiple sclerosis was the topic of several sessions and papers at the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) 2017 Forum. More thanĀ 800 researchers and clinicians attended the second annual meeting in Orlando last week to hear…
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…
June 2, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #CMSC16 – Lifestyle Factors and Unconventional Medicine in MS Care A symposium focused on lifestyle factors and unconventional medicine as part of the clinical care provided to patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) took placeĀ today at theĀ 2016 Annual Meeting of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC). The symposium, “Expanding the MS Toolkit: Integrating Lifestyle Factors and Unconventional Medicine…
May 18, 2015 News by admin Gut Bacteria: Key to MS? There has been a great deal of recent interest in the connection between nervous system function and the complex bacteria that are found in the gastrointestinal system, known as the gut microbiome. Some scientists believe that differences in the type of bacteria found in the gut mayĀ underlie neurological disease. In…