MS lesions

Symptoms of Sjögren’s syndrome, including dry eyes and mouth, were observed among 16 people with multiple sclerosis (MS), three of whom met the diagnostic criteria for Sjögren’s in a recent study. Given this low number, however, it’s unclear if there is a true association between the two diseases,…

NVG-291, an experimental therapy designed to promote nervous system repair, has so far been well tolerated in an ongoing Phase 1 study with healthy volunteers. “The Phase 1 study is progressing very well, and we are encouraged by the data we are seeing so far,” Daniel Mikol, MD, PhD, chief…

Photo courtesy of Anna Sochocky Day 31 of 31 This is Anna Sochocky’s (annasochocky.com) story: “The MRI shows lesions on your brain and the upper part of your cervical spine, which explains the numbness throughout your body and the limited function on your right side,” my new neurologist…

The MS Society of Canada is providing thousands in funding to 66 research projects that aim to accelerate scientific understand of multiple sclerosis (MS) and to improve care for people with the disease. The society announced the winners of its 2022–23 Annual Research Competition in four categories…

Reviewing an MRI of one’s brain and seeing lesions on it is a frightening prospect for people with multiple sclerosis (MS). “The lesions, the bright spots on a brain scan, that’s probably the last place in your body most of us want to see things. [It’s] such an important…

A team of researchers has discovered that the key to bypassing the blood-brain barrier — a semipermeable border that protects the brain against toxins in the blood but also blocks potential treatments — is the Unc5B receptor in the endothelial cells that line the tiny blood vessels in the brain.

A researcher in Barcelona, Spain, has been chosen to receive the 2022 John Dystel Prize for his work advancing the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). The $40,000 prize, given jointly by the National MS Society and the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), will be…

Photo courtesy of Ken Bach Day 21 of 31 This is Ken Bach’s (@kens.ms.fitmess) story: Ten years ago, on the day my youngest son was born, I woke up unable to move my right arm. A month later, results from an MRI confirmed my suspicions and showed nine…

For the first time, researchers have brought to light the precise three-dimensional structure of Mayzent (siponimod) as it binds to its molecular target, the sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1P1). These findings are expected to aid in developing next-generation MS therapeutics with better selectivity for S1P1, enhancing their potency while reducing…

While people who smoke cigarettes are more likely to be diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, MS patients who are daily alcohol drinkers are more likely to show signs of faster neurodegeneration, a new study highlights. The findings suggest that quitting smoking and cutting back on alcohol would be beneficial for people…

The experimental medication ublituximab significantly reduces the number of new brain lesions with severe nerve cell degeneration in people with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) as compared with Aubagio (teriflunomide), according to new data from the Phase 3 ULTIMATE clinical trials. The findings showed that ublituximab induces a rapid…

A higher burden of lesions in the brain’s cortex is associated with a greater likelihood of disability worsening in multiple sclerosis (MS) and transition to secondary progressive MS (SPMS), researchers report. These results suggest that “monitoring cortical lesion volume … could be useful when stratifying risk of disability…

Iron rim lesions, or specific regions of chronic inflammation seen on MRI scans of the brain, are associated with greater disability and poorer outcomes in multiple sclerosis (MS), a study indicates. These findings “could support the use of iron rim lesions as an imaging biomarker for disease severity and…

Researchers developed a new mouse model that more closely captures a specific type of inflammation characteristic of progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) — and found, in experiments, that treatment with an oral medication called evobrutinib can lessen disease activity. This new mouse model may help scientists in MS to better study…

A matrix protein called fibulin-2, which is increased in multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions, blocks the activity of oligodendrocytes, the cells responsible for making myelin. Blocking this protein may be a promising approach to restore myelin in people with the neurodegenerative disease, a study in mice showed. The data was…

Paramagnetic rim lesions, a specific form of inflammatory damage to the brain, are rarely found in people with disorders other than multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study in adults with suspected MS. Its findings suggest that looking at PRLs could be useful for diagnosing the disease. Brain Renner,…

Levels of a protein called neurofilament light chain (NfL) in the blood can be used to predict the risk of future disease activity in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new study. The results also suggest that changes in NfL levels could be used to deduce the extent…

Fatigue Severity in MS Predicted by Shrinkage of Certain Brain Regions For several years, I’ve been a believer, along with many neurologists, in the theory that it’s best to treat MS as quickly and effectively as possible. Though directed at only fatigue indicators, this research looking at brain atrophy…

A researcher at the University of Adelaide, in Australia, has received an AU$390,000 grant (about $280,000) to investigate how inflammatory T-cells reach the blood and brain of people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The 3-year fellowship grant was awarded to Iain Comerford, PhD, for his project, titled “Stopping T cells…

Lower-than-normal volumes of certain brain regions at disease onset — indicating shrinkage, or atrophy, in those regions — are significantly associated with current and future fatigue severity in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a study in Germany shows. Some of these regions also were found to be central brain…

My immediate thought after reading a recent MS News Today headline stating that trigeminal neuralgia (TN) affects more than 3% of MS patients was, “Really, only 3%?” The reason is I’ve seen several complaints about the condition, which causes excruciating pain in the face. As the story noted, TN…

Changes in the genome of oligodendrocytes were found in DNA regions associated with immune genes and risk mutations linked to multiple sclerosis (MS), a study shows. The changes identified make it possible for these immune genes and MS-associated regions to have an altered expression — meaning being…

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is characterized by changes in methylation — a type of chemical modification in the DNA that changes how genes are read — in immune cells called T-cells, according to a new study. The results also suggest that treatments for MS can help to normalize methylation…

Trigeminal neuralgia, a chronic pain condition characterized by shocks or burning sensations in the face, seems to be much more common among people with multiple sclerosis (MS) than in the general population, according to a review of published studies. This condition also is more prevalent in women with…

Women with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) have more brain lesions and accelerated brain volume loss (BVL) after pregnancy compared with pre-pregnancy measurements, recent data showed. Brain lesions in the early postpartum period — the first months following childbirth — were associated with a higher risk of worsened disability and relapse…

A new imaging technique called magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging, or MRSI, could be useful for diagnosing and monitoring multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a small study. “If confirmed in longitudinal clinical studies, this new neuroimaging technique could become a standard imaging tool for initial diagnosis, for disease progression and…

Differences in the physical architecture of the brain may explain why some people with multiple sclerosis (MS), but not others, experience a placebo effect, according to a new study. The results suggest that MS itself may make some individuals unable to experience the benefits of a placebo. “Our findings…

Atara Biotherapeutics has partnered with Imeka to use its proprietary biomarker imaging technology in the ongoing EMBOLD Phase 2 clinical trial, which is investigating ATA188 for the treatment of progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). The imaging technology will be used to determine if Atara’s ATA188…

A new machine learning algorithm — designed to analyze healthcare records — could help in diagnosing multiple sclerosis (MS) sooner by identifying patients’ symptoms earlier. The algorithm, devised by scientists at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), was described in a study titled “Embedding electronic health records…

NervGen Pharma has received approval to begin testing multiple ascending doses of NVG-291, its lead therapeutic candidate for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurologic conditions, in a Phase 1 trial with healthy volunteers. This multiple ascending dose (MAD) part, in which participants will receive increasing doses of NVG-291…