October 8, 2018 News by Diogo Pinto National MS Society Awards $12M to 40 Research Projects in US and Elsewhere The National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS)Ā has pledged $12 million to support 40 new, multi-year research projects focused on āstopping MS, restoring lost function, and ending the disease forever,ā the organization announced in a press release. This commitment ā the last allocation set aside for research in 2018 ā…
September 24, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Treating MS with a Statin, Ocrevus, Remyelination Phase 3 Trial in the UK Soon to Test Statin, Simvastatin, in Slowing SPMS Progression I’ve taken a statin medication for years to keep my cholesterol in check. Now, a study is getting underway to see if one statin pill can also be used to treat MS. It’s particularly…
September 24, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Oligodendrocytes, Cells That Produce Myelin, Can Be Generated from Astrocytes, Study Reports A molecule known as Sox10 enables brain cells called astrocytes to convert into myelin-forming oligodendrocytes, a new study in mice reports. The findings suggest an approach for myelin repair in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and similar disorders, its researchers said. The study, āIn vivoĀ conversion of…
September 17, 2018 Columns by Debi Wilson This Is What Excites Me About Remyelination Therapy Research RemyelinationĀ therapies are on the horizon as an innovative multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment, according to my neurologist. These therapies have been on my radar the last few years, but to hear my neurologist say they could soon be a reality makes me hopeful of the possibilities. To offer a…
September 12, 2018 News by Ana Pena PhD Fat Carrier Protein May Protect Nerve Cells, Help Myelin Regrow During MS, Research Suggests Apolipoprotein D (Apo D), a brain-produced carrier of fat molecules, seems to have a neuroprotective role and helps in the regrowth of myelin during multiple sclerosis (MS), a finding that may help develop new therapeutic approaches to fight the disease, new research shows.
August 29, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Small Molecule TDP6 Activates Myelin Regeneration in Mice with MS, Other Diseases, Study Finds A small synthetic molecule called TDP6 mimics a natural growth factor and promotes myelin regeneration in a mouse model of demyelination diseases such asĀ multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study from Australia shows. TDP6 works by targeting a receptor at the surface of myelin-producing cells called oligodendrocytes. The study, ā…
August 6, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Loss of Specific microRNA Seen to Lessen Disease Severity and Myelin Loss in MS Mouse Model Removing a specific microRNA molecule ā miR-150 ā eased disease severity, inflammation, and loss of myelin in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS), researchers report. Their study, āSilencing miR-150 Ameliorates Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis,ā was published in the journal Frontiers in Neuroscience. Micro RNAs (miRNAs) are…
July 31, 2018 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Researchers Succeed at Generating Oligodendrocytes, Key to Myelin Renewal, in Tissue Created in Lab Researchers atĀ Case Western Reserve University School of MedicineĀ have developed a cutting-edge laboratory technique able to turn human stem cellsĀ ā special cells able to grow into any type of cell in the body ā into brain-like tissues in a culture dish. They intend to use their tool to study how myelination ā the deposition of myelin around nerve cells ā occurs in the central nervous system, and how diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) impair this process. The experimental protocol to grow these structures outside an organis) is described in the study, "Induction of myelinating oligodendrocytes in human cortical spheroids," published in the journalĀ Nature Methods. These structures, called āoligocortical spheroids,ā are small spheres that contain all the major cell types usually found in the human brain, including oligodendrocytes ā cells that produce myelin, which is the fatty substance that insulates nerve fibers. Previous cerebral organoid techniques failed to include oligodendrocytes. āWe have taken the organoid system and added the third major cell type in the central nervous system ā oligodendrocytes ā and now have a more accurate representation of cellular interactions that occur during human brain development,ā Paul Tesar, PhD, associate professor of genetics and genome sciences at Case Western's medical school and the study's senior author, said in a press release. Oligodendrocytes are essential to good brain health. Without these cells, myelin production is hampered and nerve cells cannot communicate effectively, and eventually they start to deteriorate. This is the starting point for many neurological disorders caused by myelin defects, including MS and rare pediatric genetic disorders like Gaucher disease. Using this new organoid system and these myelin-producing cells, researchers intend to study the process of myelination ā how it occurs in normal circumstances and how neurodegenerative diseases disrupt this process. āThis is a powerful platform to understand human development and neurological disease,ā Tesar said. āUsing stem cell technology we can generate nearly unlimited quantities of human brain-like tissue in the lab. Our method creates a āmini-cortex,ā containing neurons, astrocytes, and now oligodendrocytes producing myelin. This is a major step toward unlocking stages of human brain development that previously were inaccessible.ā Researchers not only demonstrated that they were capable of generating mature oligodendrocytes derived from human stem cells in vitro, but they also showed these cells were able to exert their function and produce myelin starting at week 20 in a culture dish. Their improved organoid system could also be used to test the effectiveness of potential myelin-enhancing treatments. āThese organoids provide a way to predict the safety and efficacy of new myelin therapeutics on human brain-like tissue in the laboratory prior to clinical testing in humans,ā said Mayur Madhavan, PhD, co-first author on the study. To prove this point, researchers treated organoids with promyelinating compounds known to enhance myelin production in mice, and measured the rate and extent ofĀ oligodendrocyte generation and myelination. Under normal conditions, adding promyelinating drugs to cultured organoids increased the rate and extentĀ of oligodendrocyte generation and myelin production, the team reported. But results differed in important ways using diseased organoids. Ā Specifically, treating organoids generated from patients with Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease ā a fatal genetic myelin disorderĀ ā brought an in vitroĀ recapitulation of the patients' symptoms. āPelizaeus-Merzbacher disease has been a complicated disorder to study due to the many different mutations that can cause it and the inaccessibility of patient brain tissue,ā said Zachary Nevin, PhD, co-first author on the study. āBut these new organoids allow us to directly study brain-like tissue from many patients simultaneously and test potential therapies.ā Altogether, these findings demonstrate that oligocortical spheroids could be a versatile in vitro system to study how myelination occurs in the central nervous system, and a possible model for testing new therapies for neurodegenerative disorders. āOur method enables generation of human brain tissue in the laboratory from any patient,ā Tesar said. āMore broadly, it can accurately recapitulate how the human nervous system is built and identify what goes wrong in certain neurological conditions.ā
July 30, 2018 News by Vijaya Iyer, PhD New Therapy Candidates Could Provide Basis for Regenerative Medicines to Treat MS, Study Suggests Therapy candidates that block enzymes responsible for making cholesterol can promote myelin regeneration, a discovery that could lead to new regenerative medicines capable of treating multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological diseases, according to a study. In fact,Ā ConveloĀ TherapeuticsĀ plans to do just that, announcing its intention to use…
July 25, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Immune Response Promotes Remyelination in MS Mouse Model Activation of the immune response mediated by cells called microglia favors remyelination and myelin repair in multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new Canadian study using mice. The research, āmCSF-Induced Microglial Activation Prevents Myelin Loss and Promotes Its Repair in a Mouse Model of Multiple Sclerosis,ā was…
July 24, 2018 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Enzyme Key to Myelin Renewal and Nerve Cell Health Possibly Identified in Study A better understanding of the processes behind a continual and healthy renewal of myelin ā the fatty, protective substance wrapping nerve cell fibers ā may now exist. Researchers identified an enzyme, called PRMT5, that they believe regulates the number of myelin-producing cells in the brain and spinal cord. Their discovery…
July 19, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Blocking Protein Receptor Called M3R Seen to Promote Remyelination in Mice Model, Study Reports Blocking a protein receptor called muscarinic type 3 (M3R) could be an effective way to promote remyelination in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, according to aĀ State University of New York at Buffalo (UB) study in mice. The research, āMuscarinic receptor M3R signaling prevents efficient remyelination by…
June 18, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: A Myelin Discovery; Comparing Gilenya and Tecfidera; Measuring a Fall Risk; Smoking, Obesity, and MS Discovery of āFieryā Cell Death Mechanism May Be MS āGame-Changerā Researchers at the University of Alberta have discovered a process that may be responsible for destroying myelin. Better than that, they also think they have a way of limiting that process using a medication. The inhibitor, known…
June 15, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Discovery of ‘Fiery’ Cell Death Mechanism May Be MS ‘Game-Changer’ Researchers have unveiled a new cell death mechanism called pyroptosis ā also known as āfiery deathā ā as a main factor driving neurodegenerationĀ and loss of myelin in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). An inhibitor of pyroptosis, currently undergoing testing in human clinical trials for epilepsy, decreased central nervous system inflammation…
June 1, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Chemical that Stimulates Estrogen Receptors Seen to Promote Myelin Repair Through ‘Good’ Inflammation in Mouse MS Model A chemical compound called indazole chloride promotes repair of myelin, the protective layer of nerve fibers, through ābeneficialā inflammation in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS), a study reports. The preclinical research, āIncrease in chemokine CXCL1 by ERĪ² ligand treatment is a key mediator in…
May 14, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: An MS Program for Young Adults, Rituximab Report, Repairing Myelin, and Reducing Inflammation Organizations Join Forces to Launch New Adventure Program for Young MS Patients It seems we too often ignore the needs of younger people who have MS. (I’ve written a couple of columns about this.) This program isn’t a medical approach, but it may serve some other…
May 10, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Molecule Whose Fragments Appear to Block Myelin Repair Identified in Study A molecule responsible for preventing the repair of white matter in the brain, a process critical to treatingĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) and cerebral palsy, has been identified. The research, āA TLR/AKT/FoxO3 immune-tolerance like pathway disrupts the repair capacity of oligodendrocyte progenitors,ā was published in The Journal…
May 9, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Subtle Myelin Damage May Occur Before Inflammatory Reactions in MS, Study Suggests Subtle changes in myelin, the protective layer of nerve fibers, may be an early event in multiple sclerosis (MS) prior to the inflammatory reaction, a new University of CalgaryĀ study shows. The study, āBiochemically altered myelin triggers autoimmune demyelination,ā was published in the journal Proceedings…
April 3, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Study Receives $1.7M from NIH to Research New Therapeutic Strategies for MS, Others A new project aimed at boosting the development of new therapies for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other demyelinating diseases recently won $1.7 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In the five-year study, a research team at theĀ University at BuffaloĀ (part of the State University…
March 23, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Emerald’s Cannabinoid-derived EHP-101 Enhances Remyelination in 2 MS Mouse Models Emerald Health‘sĀ investigational cannabidiol-derived EHP-101 reduces neuroinflammation, the risk of loss of myelin, and nerve cell damage in two mouse models of multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study shows. These results support the potential therapeutic benefits of EHP-101 for MS, and Emerald Health Pharmaceuticals expects to launch a human…
March 19, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: PPMS Treatments, Myelin Repair, the Blood-brain Barrier, Sunlight New Spherix Report Finds PPMS Treatment Increased Significantly in Past Year Primary progressive MS has, in some eyes, been the stepchild of the disease-modifying therapies. PPMS patients move steadily downhill, and some believe treatments haven’t kept pace with their disease. Now, the research company Spherix has news…
March 19, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Poorer Sense of Smell Can Be Evident Even in Early Stages of MS, Study Says People with multiple sclerosis (MS) can indeed have a poorer-than-usual sense of smell, with problems possibly starting at early diseases stages, a small Turkish study reports. This work supports previous research noting olfactory problems in MS patients. It also argues that longer disease duration and more relapses are associated…
March 13, 2018 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Genetically Engineered Cells Have Potential to Restore Neuronās Myelin Sheath, Study Shows Genetically modified human umbilical cord blood cells can help nerve cells recover the myelin layer necessary for normal functioning, researchers found in a preclinical study. This finding may support the development of cell-based therapeutic approaches to help patients with spinal cord injuries or demyelinating diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS).
March 13, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD High Levels of Protein Can Disrupt Blood-Brain Barrier in MS, Study Finds High levels of a protein called calnexin in the brain may disrupt the blood-brain barrier of patients with multiple sclerosis, a Canadian study suggests. The finding could lead to new treatment strategies to prevent brain damage in MS. The research, āCalnexin is necessary for T cell…
February 21, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD University at Buffalo to Do Cognitive Training and Myelin Repair Studies University at BuffaloĀ researchers are working on ways to improve multiple sclerosis patients’ cognitive function and to repair damage to the mylein coating that protects nerve cells. TheĀ National Multiple Sclerosis SocietyĀ awarded the researchers more than $1.1 million to conduct the studies. One, āThe Effects of Working Memory…
February 19, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Stem Cell Trial, Medical Marijuana, Myelin Repair, Tysabri Study Stem Cell Treatment Benefits Three-fourths of MS Patients in Phase 1 Trial This is encouraging news for MS patients hoping to see some action in the stem cell area. A Phase 1Ā mesenchymal stem cell trial is reporting positive results, and a Phase 2 trial is underway in…
February 16, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Inhibiting Enzyme Can Reverse Myelin Damage, Improve Limb Function, Mouse Study Shows Inhibiting an enzyme responsible for turning genes on and off can reverse damage to the myelin sheath that protects nerve cells, improving limb function, a multiple sclerosis-related study in mice shows. The research, which involved mice with sciatic nerve damage rather than MS,Ā was published in the journal Nature Medicine.
February 7, 2018 News by Iqra Mumal, MSc #ACTRIMS2018 – Clene Nanomedicine Presents Positive Results for MS Remyelinating Therapy Clene Nanomedicine says its pre-clinical studies demonstrate the remyelination effects of CNM-Au8, supporting its potential to treat multiple sclerosis (MS) and other demyelinating disorders. Clene presented its data in a session,Ā “Nanocrystalline Gold As a Novel Remyelination Therapeutic for Multiple Sclerosis,”Ā thatĀ took place at the third annual Americas…
January 30, 2018 News by Patricia Silva, PhD FDA Approves Swedish Company’s Technology for Getting More out of MRI Scans The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved technology that the Swedish companyĀ SyntheticMRĀ developed to give doctors more information from magnetic resonance imaging scans. This means the company can begin selling itsĀ SyMRI NEUROĀ packages to American medical facilities. Traditional MRIs offer only one level of contrast when depicting tissue.Ā SyMRI NEURO…
January 22, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Ocrevus in the EU, Salt and Cognitive Problems, Searching for Myelin, Tecfidera Tolerance European Commission Approves Ocrevus to Treat RRMS, PPMS Throughout EU This is a biggie. It’s been nearly a year since the FDA approved the use of Ocrevus here in the U.S. Finally, it’s been given the green light in Europe. Canada, Australia, Switzerland, and various countries in…