World MS Day is celebrated on May 27 as a day dedicated to those who suffer from multiple sclerosis (MS). In order to mark the occasion, organizations, companies, advocates, and communities are hosting events throughout the world to share inspiring stories, raise awareness about the disease and campaign to support both patients…

A new study confirmed that depression and chronic fatigue often occur in multiple sclerosis (MS); and in a related condition known as neuromyelitis optica (NMO). NMO is similar to MS because myelin–the fatty substance that insulates nerve cells and helps them to communicate–is also lost. In NMO the myelin deteriorates mostly…

Researchers in the Department of Immunology at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis were able to identify a faulty “brake” in immune cells which may be involved in the inflammation triggering multiple sclerosis (MS). This brake is believed to be able to control inflammation, offering the potential for the development of new…

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 “Melanoma cell adhesion molecule–positive CD8 T lymphocytes mediate central nervous system inflammation” and was led by…

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 may underlie neurological disease. In…

A new study recently published in the journal Science Translational Medicine revealed a key difference in immune T cells between multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and healthy individuals. The study is entitled “Functional inflammatory profiles distinguish myelin-reactive T cells from patients with multiple sclerosis” and…

Frost & Sullivan recently published a report entitled “A Product and Pipeline Analysis of the Multiple Sclerosis Therapeutics Market” providing insight into the global multiple sclerosis (MS) drug market. In this report, a competitive evaluation of MS pharmaceutical drugs currently available in the market and experimental drugs in…

Just like any student, Stephanie Butler was excited to start working, in her case as a nurse, when she began experiencing numbness in her limbs and lost sensation below the waist. It was the first time the student nurse was going to administer anesthesia to a patient, three years ago, when after a…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced it will consider marketing approval of ZINBRYTA (daclizumab high-yield process), a potential treatment for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). Biogen and AbbVie, who are jointly developing the therapy, have filed a Biologics License Application…

The Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) recently published the latest MS Research Update both printed and online at mymsaa.org. This update is a comprehensive overview of research findings on FDA-approved disease-modifying therapies, as well as many experimental treatments for relapsing forms of…

A study published in the journal Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders, led by researchers at Mount Sinai in New York and Celgene Cellular Therapeutics revealed that an infusion based on cells derived from the placenta proved to be safe for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and a…

In a recent study entitled “Expression of GM-CSF in T Cells Is Increased in Multiple Sclerosis and Suppressed by IFN-β Therapy,” researchers unraveled a key role for the cytokine GM-CSF in multiple sclerosis progression, suggesting GM-CSF as a target of IFN-β therapy. The study was published in…

The MS Society recently announced it will invest £2 million into the Edinburgh Centre for MS Research. This funding will support the research work of a team of about fifteen world-leading research experts from the University of Edinburgh. The team co-directed by Professors Siddharthan Chandran and Charles ffrench-Constant will continue their…

Gladstone Institutes scientists have discovered a successful new treatment that could potentially be used in multiple sclerosis (MS). The treatment involves suppressing a protein that traditionally is associated with overall good health. The study, SIRT1 Deacetylates RORγt and Enhances Th17 Cell Generation, appeared April 27, 2015 in the Journal…

MS Views and News (MSVN), a non-profit organization focused on collecting and distributing information about multiple sclerosis (MS), is hosting a series of educational patient programs and events during the month of May. The events have different themes, but are all focused on the management of MS, including medication, avoiding…

Actelion Pharma recently announced that it will accelerate the launch of clinical trials involving its lead drug candidate ponesimod, an oral, selective sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P1). This decision came after a group of scientists working on different phases of clinical trials for the therapy observed mostly positive effects of ponesimod in terms of efficacy, efficiency…

A team led by researchers at the New York University (NYU) Langone Medical Center recently assessed what happens when clinically stable patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) stop taking their medication and found that almost 40% of them experience to some extent a return in disease activity and related symptoms. The…

MedDay, a French biotechnology company that studies treatments for nervous system disorders, including multiple sclerosis, announced that MD1003, a highly-concentrated biotin, is effective for treatment of progressive multiple sclerosis, according to results from a recent Phase III trial. MD1003 may have two beneficial effects: 1) increasing myelin, the fatty nerve-insulating…

The non-profit organization MS Views and News (MSVN) has invited two health care experts on multiple sclerosis (MS) to join their new medical advisory board. Brian Steingo, MD and Patricia Pagnotta, MSN, ARNP-C will co-chair the new board to assist the organization with its mission of offering the…

Two already available medications could be used to treat multiple sclerosis (MS). In a new study titled, “Drug Based Modulation of Endogenous Stem Cells,” published in the journal Nature on April 20, 2015, scientists report that two drugs could activate stem cells in the brain, possibly repairing MS-induced damage to…

Dr. Jose Álvarez-Cermeño and Dr. Luisa Villar from Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria in Madrid, Spain recently published in the journal Nature Reviews Neurology a review on the work developed by Dr. An Goris and colleagues on the link between genetic factors and multiple sclerosis…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) commonly experience a low pain threshold and sensitivity to heat and cold. If a person has multiple sclerosis along with fibromyalgia (FM), that could make this sensitivity even more intense. Until now, no group has studied this phenomenon. In a study titled “…

The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) recently announced the results of a new study that evaluated an experimental drug for multiple sclerosis (MS) with the potential to repair damaged myelin layers, a fatty material that covers and protects neurons. These findings will be presented at the 67th AAN Annual Meeting,…

A team led by researchers at the University of British Columbia in Canada recently published results in the European Journal of Neurology showing that treatment with beta-interferon has no effect on secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) disease onset. The study is entitled “Beta-interferon exposure and…

A team of Kessler Foundation researchers recently published their findings on the MEMREHAB trial, whereby treatment with the modified Story Memory Technique (mSMT) may be affected by cognitive dysfunction. The study entitled “The influence of cognitive dysfunction on benefit from learning and memory rehabilitation in MS:…

Biogen plans to present new clinical data at the 67th American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Annual Meeting in Washington D.C., April 18 – 25, 2015, including numerous presentations focusing on multiple sclerosis.  In a company press release, Biogen stated “At AAN, we will feature new scientific data, including research highlighting the…

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society has announced it will grant $28 million to 84 new research projects and training awards focused on multiple sclerosis (MS). The new financial support is included in the society’s comprehensive research strategy, which was designed to not only end MS, but also restore patients’…

A recent study suggests that in the future multiple sclerosis patients could benefit from treatments intended to boost their brain function. The study was published in Nature Neuroscience and received funding from The Wellcome Trust, the Lister Research Prize and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. According to researchers, patients…

The National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society recently released a recent paper on wellness titled “Wellness for People with MS: What do we know about Diet, Exercise and Mood And what do we still need to learn?“ The paper focuses on how wellness can be achieved by…

The Foundation of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (FCMSC) is launching a new mentorship program dedicated to medical residents pursuing a neurology fellowship to accelerate and support their work in treating multiple sclerosis (MS). The initiative was launched at the beginning of the year and seeks to provide information on career…