MS lesions

Using brain tissue from people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and mouse models of MS, scientists identified a key pathway that drives astrocytes to promote inflammation in the brain and spinal cord. The study, “MAFG-driven astrocytes promote CNS inflammation” published in the journal Nature, uncovered potential therapeutic targets that may be…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who self-identify black African or Latin American have a higher number of disease-associated antibody-secreting cells in their blood compared to those who identify as Caucasian, a U.S. study reports.  This difference may account for disparities related to ethnicity in MS…

The experimental BTK inhibitor SAR442168 showed an acceptable safety profile and met its primary endpoint — a significant reduction in the number of new lesions visible on a brain imaging scan — in a Phase 2 trial in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), study results show. SAR442168,…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) have a more diverse set of immune cells in their cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the fluid that bathes the central nervous system, but no such diversity is seen in their blood, a study reports. Instead, MS causes changes in the activation of immune cells in…

Epstein-Barr Virus and Certain Genes Interact in Ways That Can Promote MS, Study Finds Much has been written over the years about a possible connection between the Epstein-Barr virus and multiple sclerosis. Here’s further evidence of a link that has to do with how particular genes interact with the…

Scientists discovered new interaction between immune cells from the central nervous system (CNS) — consisting of the brain and spinal cord — and immune cells from the blood that may lead to new treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological diseases.

EyeStat, a portable device to measure blink reflex, has been cleared for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). On the heels of promising results for assessing brain injury, the manufacturer, Blinktbi, plans to test if the device can be used for the early detection…

Nerve impulses travel in a “dual cable” with myelin, playing additional roles to what was previously thought, new research has found. This discovery advances human knowledge of how brain connections work, and may help scientists understand more accurately what happens when myelin is lost — which is what occurs…

Early research in animal models and human samples reveals how loss of communication between nerve cells contributes to the symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS), and shows how gene therapy could be used to preserve such connections and protect against vision loss. Researchers say their work identifies a…

A new study has found a link between the amount of fat in the blood and changes to the arteries surrounding the necks and skulls of people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The finding was described in the study “Lipoprotein(a) Levels Are Associated with the…

Blocking a protein called PAR1 may enhance the regeneration of myelin, the protective fatty layer that covers nerve fibers and is damaged in multiple sclerosis (MS), a mouse study shows. Therapeutic targeting of PAR1 may promote remyelination and delay MS progression, according to the study, “Blocking the Thrombin Receptor…

Prospective memory — the ability to remember to carry out a future task — is significantly impaired in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, and may contribute to worse cognitive performance for everyday tasks, according to recent research. The study “Time-Based Prospective Memory Is Associated with Functional Performance in Persons…

A grant awarded recently by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will fund research to explore how brain changes in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients affect mobility. The five-year grant (1R01NS109023-01A1), totaling $3.5 million, was awarded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, part of…

Editor’s note: “Need to Know” 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 two forum topics about silent inflammation from August 2019. Have an experience you want…

Processes related to metabolism in brain cells known as astrocytes may be at the origin of multiple sclerosis (MS), particularly underlying the inflammation and damage to the nervous system seen in progressive disease, a study in mice found.

A signaling protein (Smad7) that usually blocks the activity of a molecule called transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) appears to be overactive in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), leading to the activation and migration of immune cells from the intestine to the central nervous system, a study reports. The study,…

Stopping the migration of immune B-cells through the blood-brain barrier by blocking ALCAM, a molecule linked to the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS), lessened disease severity in an MS mouse model, a new study shows. Details of the discovery were reported…

A large retrospective study suggests that a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) marker — called “brain atrophied T2 lesion volume” — could help predict the timing of multiple sclerosis (MS) progression. According to the study, this marker was the only MRI parameter capable of predicting disease progression, compared with other…

A 30-year study of outcomes in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients reports that radiological findings in the first year of disease onset, and the amount of disability evident at five years, helps to predict both the likelihood of a person advancing to secondary progressive MS (SPMS) and long-term survival. The study,…

Editor’s note: “Need to Know” 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 the forum topic “Grey Matter Atrophy in MS Shown to Follow a Pattern” from July…

Siemens Healthineers has signed a license and supply agreement with Quanterix that helps it in developing blood tests for neurofilament light chain (NfL) to aid in early disease detection, evidence of progression, and measuring treatment response in people with neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis (MS). Siemens Healthineers…

Mutations in genes related to the immune system’s first line of defense are associated with a greater likelihood of more severe forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) linked to faster vision loss, a team led by Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers report. Combining high-resolution eye scans and genetic tests,…

Editor’s note: “Need to Know” 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 the forum topic “MS Lesions and Silent Inflammation” from Aug. 16, 2018. Have an experience you…

Exposure to UV-B light prevented multiple sclerosis (MS)-like symptoms in a mouse model regardless of the presence of vitamin D or the vitamin D receptor, a new study discovered.  The study, “UV light suppression of EAE (a mouse…

The levels of neurofilament light chain (NfL) and chitinase3-like1 (CHI3L1) in the cerebrospinal fluid — the liquid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord — serve as respective biomarkers of disease activity and progression in multiple sclerosis (MS), a study reports. Measuring levels of both proteins also helps to…

The MS MindShift: A New View of MS initiative is continuing its travels to raise awareness and educate people about brain health in multiple sclerosis (MS), with the next stop for its “Brain Bulb” hot air balloon the Owl-O-Ween Hot Air Balloon Festival in Kennesaw, Georgia. This weekend’s event, Oct. 18–19,…

Blocking production of the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1) — involved in inflammatory and immune responses — specifically in myelin repair cells halts neuroinflammation and promotes myelin repair, a preclinical study shows. These results, from two mouse models of multiple sclerosis (MS), shed light on the underlying mechanisms…

Scientists observed for the first time the molecular structure of the P2X 7 receptor, a protein that plays a key role in cell death, inflammation, and cancer progression. This breakthrough could lead to new ways of treating multiple sclerosis (MS), coronary artery disease, cancer, and inflammation. The findings…

A protein known as nuclear factor I-A (NFIA) is key for spinal cord repair and timely remyelination by astrocytes — the most abundant cells in the brain and first responders to sites of injury, findings in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS) suggest. In brain lesions, NFIA is…

A specific type of immune cell in a particular activation state is linked to such immune diseases as multiple sclerosis (MS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a collaborative research study found. Disease-associated genetic variants — changes in DNA sequences or mutations in genes — can affect the response of immune…