MS lesions

Treatment with the investigational therapy fenebrutinib significantly reduced the number of new inflammatory lesions visible on MRI scans in people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). Pharmacological data from the study suggest the anti-inflammatory experimental medication can get into the brain and spinal cord at levels high…

Treatment with tolebrutinib for up to nearly three years was tied to low relapse rates, stable disability, and few new brain lesions among people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to new data from the long-term safety (LTS) extension of a Phase 2b trial. The data…

Infection with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) may prime the immune system to accidentally attack a brain protein called ANO2, new research shows. The findings may explain how EBV infection can lead to developing multiple sclerosis (MS), at least in some patients. Daniel Jons, PhD, a scientist at the…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who develop progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) as a side effect of Tysabri (natalizumab) often see their neurological symptoms worsen severely during the infection and their disability gradually accumulate over time. That’s according to a study in Austria, which also showed that most disability progression…

The expression of a viral protein known as W-Env leads to the inflammatory activation of brain cells and impairs myelin repair in mouse models of multiple sclerosis (MS), a study reports. “Our study shows that the presence of W-Env in the brains of MS patients appears to generate a…

Researchers have identified nearly two dozen genes that help to control the movement of immune cells into the brain and spinal cord during multiple sclerosis (MS). Findings may form the basis for the further development of MS treatments that aim to reduce disease activity by blocking the infiltration…

Note: This story was updated Sept. 15, 2023, to clarify ANK-700 was developed based on the preclinical work described in the study. An “inverse vaccine” that’s designed to teach the immune system not to attack a specific target, effectively reduced disease activity in mouse models of multiple sclerosis (MS),…

Octave Bioscience plans to test its precision care program in an observational, real-world study with people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The program, called MS Precision Care Solution, uses blood biomarkers to monitor disease activity alongside MRI scans of the brain and spinal cord. An app tracks…

Mice exaggerate and monkeys lie, some researchers jokingly say. (Or is it the other way around?) Testing on rodents and animals is a typical early step in creating medications, and Multiple Sclerosis News Today publishes news articles about many of these studies. It’s interesting to read what researchers are…

A test that assesses the levels of 18 proteins in the blood and uses artificial intelligence algorithms can help to measure the level of new disease activity in multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new study. The test, developed by …

Four researchers working in multiple sclerosis (MS) were awarded incubator grants in MS Australia’s latest funding round, which they’ll use to kickstart projects designed to better understand the progressive neurodegenerative disease. Worth a total of AU$92,565, or roughly $60,000, this round of incubator grants provides seed funding…

A new system that can use MRI scans to effectively measure myelin content in brain tissue may help assess the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS) and evaluate the effectiveness of treatments. The technique was described in “Quantitative magnetic resonance mapping of the myelin bilayer,” which…

The presence of lesions, or regions of damage, in a brain circuit tied to memory in stroke patients also associate with memory problems in multiple sclerosis (MS), a study shows. Findings may help to determine which lesions are likely to cause memory issues in people with the neurodegenerative condition,…

ASH41020, an investigational therapy from Ashvattha Therapeutics, significantly reduced disease severity and exhibited immunomodulatory properties in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a recent presentation. Evidence indicated the therapy works by shifting the balance of immune cells called macrophages toward a less inflammatory and more…

Aubagio (teriflunomide) can significantly reduce the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) among adults with signs of MS-like brain damage who don’t yet have any disease symptoms, according to findings from a clinical trial. The results were presented earlier this year at the American Academy of Neurology…

Noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) may offer promise for treating spasticity in multiple sclerosis (MS), but more work is needed to identify the best approach to use for patients, according to a new review study. The studies under review generally indicated that a type of brain stimulation called repetitive…

Researchers have shed new light on the molecular mechanisms that help immune cells get into the brain to drive inflammation in multiple sclerosis (MS). Two proteins called MMP-9 and MMP-2 were found to break down some components of the barrier that keeps immune cells out of the brain, helping…

Levels of GFAP protein in the blood — a marker of damage to support cells in the brain — were associated with the enlargement of brain lesions and of fluid-filled brain cavities called ventricles in people with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) undergoing Tysabri (natalizumab) treatment, a study showed. While…

Delivering an antibody against the Nogo-A protein to a specific region of the nose called the olfactory mucosa improved motor function and preserved myelin in the spinal cord of a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a recent study. This intranasal mode of delivery enabled significant concentrations…

A higher quality diet is associated with reductions in certain types of brain lesions in multiple sclerosis (MS), but no link was seen between a good diet and the risk of MS relapses or disability progression, a new study from Australia indicates. The study, “Higher…

An antibody biomarker may help to distinguish people with a disease that resembles multiple sclerosis (MS), but may actually be its own clinical disorder, according to a new study. The biomarker was present in about 1% of MS patients and in 6% of those with a related demyelinating condition…

Treatment with ibudilast — an anti-inflammatory being developed to treat people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) — significantly preserved tissue integrity in a brain region called the thalamus in patients in a clinical trial, according to new analyses from SPRINT-MS. While the therapy appeared to exert these…

A new imaging technique was able to detect inflammation in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS) before disease symptoms appeared, and to monitor the animals’ responses to treatment, a study reports. “With this new non-invasive imaging approach, we can detect toxic inflammation that could help us better understand…

Neurofilament light chain (NfL) protein levels can be used to assess neurodegeneration in children and adolescents with neurological disease, including multiple sclerosis (MS), even when they are not experiencing any symptoms, a study has found. The protein already had been established as a biomarker of disease activity and poor…

The presence of spinal cord lesions — alone or with brain lesions — on MRI scans was associated with a higher risk of clinical relapse for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients over those with just brain lesions, according to a recent study. Spinal and brain lesions together were also predictive…

Editor’s note: “MS News Notes” will return to its regular Monday morning schedule next week. Welcome to “MS News Notes,” a column where I comment on multiple sclerosis (MS) news stories that caught my eye last week. Here’s a look at what’s been happening: A 10-minute injection of…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) are at a greater risk than the general public of developing any type of dementia, with that of Alzheimer’s disease being more than twice as high and vascular dementia nearly four times as high, a study from Korea suggested. This risk also was higher…

INmune Bio‘s experimental therapy XPro1595 may promote myelin restoration through the activation of two types of nervous system support cells, according to new data that may lead to novel treatment strategies for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurodegenerative disorders. The findings highlight the activation of microglia, key…

Adding optic nerve damage — reflected by a thinning of the nerve layer in the eye’s retina — to the existing diagnostic criteria for multiple sclerosis (MS) was found to enhance diagnostic accuracy among people who had a single, MS-like event, according to a new study. The study “demonstrated…

Up to five years of treatment with Kesimpta (ofatumumab) continues to keep the number of relapses and brain lesions low in people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), with most patients showing no evidence of disease activity. These are new data from the ongoing ALITHIOS study…