September 5, 2023 News by Margarida Maia, PhD MS Australia awards incubator grants to four research projects Four researchers working in multiple sclerosis (MS) were awarded incubator grants in MS Australiaās latest funding round, which theyāll 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…
June 21, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS T-cells in Bone Marrow Work to Drive Inflammatory MS Attacks Unusual growth in anĀ immune cell classĀ called myeloid cells is evident in the bone marrow of people with multiple sclerosis (MS), and these cells likely contribute to the inflammation that drives the disease, according to a new study. Experiments in mice suggest that myelin-reactive T-cells can migrate to the bone…
June 20, 2022 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Bioasis Purchases EGF Therapy Platform for MS, Other Diseases Cresence AS has sold its epidermal growth factor (EGF) platform comprising investigational therapies for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurodegenerative diseases to Bioasis Technologies. Under the terms of the agreement, Bioasis will own all intellectual property related to the EGF platform. In exchange, it will issue…
June 8, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Cancer Therapy Topotecan Could Be Repurposed to Treat MS: Study A medication currently approved to treat certain kinds of cancer, called topotecan, could be repurposed for treating neuroinflammatory conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS) because it reduces the inflammatory activity of immune cells called microglia. That’s according to the study, “Myeloid cell-specific topoisomerase 1 inhibition using DNA origami…
February 24, 2022 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Bryostatin-1, Molecule to Protect Synapses, May Move Into MS Trials SynaptogenixĀ announced plans to advance bryostatin-1, its lead candidate, into clinical trials forĀ multiple sclerosisĀ (MS), marking the third neurological disease the small molecule therapy is being developed to potentially treat. āMultiple sclerosis joins Alzheimer’s disease (“AD”) and Fragile X syndrome as our third indication with potential clinical…
January 14, 2021 News by Forest Ray PhD Public-private Partnership Will Assess Therapy Potential, Effects of CBD Open Book Extracts (OBX) and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have partnered to investigate how cannabinoids like CBD affect brain cells, particularly in regard to neuroinflammation, according to an OBX press release. CBD (cannabidiol) and other cannabinoids, such as THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), have attracted interest for…
August 31, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Immune T-cells Trigger Early MS Inflammation, Twin Study RevealsĀ A comparison of immune cells isolated from identical twins ā in which only one of each pair was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) ā identified a population of immune-regulating T-cells present in those with asymptomatic brain inflammation, a study has found.Ā …
August 17, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Blocking Protein, Reelin, Seen to Protect Immune System From Inflammation Lowering levels of a protein calledĀ reelin ā which regulates how permeable blood vessels are to immune cells ā reduced infiltration of these cells into the central nervous systemĀ (CNS), preventing neuroinflammation and disease progression in a mouse model of multiple sclerosisĀ (MS). These data, which also showed that Reelin…
August 10, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Immune Cell Protein CD36 Shows Potential as Therapeutic Target, Study Suggests For the first time, scientists have shown that a protein known as CD36 on the surface of some immune cells is crucial for clearing myelin debris and suppressing nerve cell inflammation in disorders such as multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new…
July 8, 2020 News by Mary Chapman BMS, Dragonfly Working on Immune System-targeting Therapies for MS Dragonfly Therapeutics andĀ Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) announced an expanded partnership focused on discovering and developing treatment candidates for multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuroinflammation targets. The companies have been working together in therapy research and development for cancer and autoimmune diseases using Dragonflyās proprietary immunotherapy targeting platform.
May 7, 2020 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD NurOwn May Curb Damaging Neuroinflammation in MS, Study Finds NurOwn, believed to haveĀ neuroprotective and repairing effects,Ā may also be able to curb the damaging immune responses that contribute to multiple sclerosis (MS) progression, a recent study found. This newly identified potential may extend the benefits of this cell-based therapy, its researchers believe. The findings were to be presented…
April 20, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Sanofi to Detail Trial Results of Oral Relapsing MS Therapy Online on Thursday Sanofi will host an online science session to present results of a Phase 2b clinical trial testing the safety and efficacy of its investigational, oral BTK inhibitor SAR442168 in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The virtual session, owing to the cancellation of the American Academy…
April 1, 2020 News by Forest Ray PhD Blood Levels of Nerve Cell Protein Likely Marker of Brain Injury to Come A nerve cell protein found in the blood shows potential as a biomarker of neuroinflammation and future neurodegeneration in the early stages ofĀ multiple sclerosis (MS), a study reports. The protein, called serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL), is a known marker of injury to axons (nerve…
October 10, 2019 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Blocking LRP1 May Halt Inflammation, Promote Remyelination, Mouse Study Suggests Blocking production of the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1) ā involved in inflammatory and immune responses ā specifically in myelinĀ repair cells halts neuroinflammation and promotes myelin repair, a preclinical study shows. These results, fromĀ two mouse models of multiple sclerosis (MS), shed light on the underlying mechanisms…
July 25, 2019 News by Ana Pena PhD Abundant T-helper Cells Evident in MS Patients May Cause Inflammation, Study Reports Scientists identified and “fingerprinted” a group of T-helper cells that are unusually numerous in the blood and central nervous system of people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), and may be the reason behind the neuroinflammation seen in these patients. This T-cell population carries specific markers involved in the transmission…
July 9, 2019 News by Ana Pena PhD Cannabidiol-based Oral Treatment Seen to Promote Remyelination in Mice, Trial Planned in MS Patients EHP-101, a cannabidiol-based experimental therapy for multiple sclerosis, was able to recover myelin in damaged nerve fibers and lessen neuroinflammation in a mouse model of MS, data show. Emerald Health Therapeutics, the manufacturer of EHP-101, also announced plans to open Phase 2 clinical trials in patients by…
June 10, 2019 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Stem Cell Therapy Based on Exosomes May Treat MS, Study in Mice Suggests Exosomes ā tiny vesicles secreted by cells ā collected from bone marrow stem cells and injected into a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS) helped to treat the disease, a study reports. Specifically, this treatment eased myelin loss and neuroinflammation in the mice, and improved motor function, the…
May 24, 2019 News by Vijaya Iyer, PhD First Patient Dosed in Phase 2B Trial Testing SAR442168 Therapeutic Candidate for RRMS The first patient has been dosed in a Phase 2B clinical trial evaluating the safety, efficacy, and tolerability of SAR442168 in people with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS). SAR442168, formerly known as PRN2246, is being developed by Principia Biopharma,Ā in collaboration withĀ Sanofi Genzyme, for MS and other central nervous…
May 21, 2019 News by Ana Pena PhD Fibrinogen-containing Vesicles in Blood May Play Key Role in MS Relapses, Mouse Study Suggests Vesicles in the blood that contain a protein called fibrinogen important for blood clotting were found to be “sufficient and required” for the occurrence of spontaneous disease relapses in mouse models of multiple sclerosis (MS), a study reports. In mice, these vesicles were associated with immune cell infiltration, inflammation,…
April 2, 2019 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Analysis of TWEAK Protein Levels May Help Identify Active Inflammation in MS Patients, Study Suggests High blood levels of a signaling protein known as TWEAK are associated with active neuroinflammation in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), a study shows. This finding suggests that TWEAK may be a valuable biomarker to assess ongoing inflammation and overall MS activity, and potentially help optimize patient care. The…
February 18, 2019 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Natural Neurosteroid Seen to Block Inflammatory Response in Immune System and Brain in Animal Study A naturally occurring compound, a neurosteroid called allopregnanolone, prevents the activation of the TLR4 protein in macrophages Ā ā a type of immune cell ā and in the brain, new research in animal models found. This effect blocks an inflammatory response in cells, and may lead to new treatments for…
February 7, 2019 News by Jonathan Grinstein Discovery of Immune Cell Subtypes in Mice is an MS ‘Breakthrough,’ Researcher Says Previously unknown immune cell subtypes are present in the inflamed brain of mice models of multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study reports. According to the researchers, these subsets of myeloid cells (cells derived from hematopoietic stemĀ cellsĀ in the bone marrow) can offer a strong basis for therapeutic targets in neuroinflammatory and…
January 8, 2019 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Immune Cells in the Gut Can Suppress Brain Inflammation in MS, Pre-clinical Study Finds Immune cells in the intestine may reduce neuroimflammation in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, a pre-clinical study suggests. Moreover, the augmented number of these cells was sufficient to suppress brain inflammation in an MS mouse model. The findings were reported in the study āRecirculating Intestinal IgA-Producing Cells Regulate Neuroinflammation via…
October 22, 2018 News by Ana Pena PhD Antibody Targeting Clotting Factor Seen to Lessen Inflammation, Nerve Cell Damage in MS Model An antibody that blocks a blood-clotting factor from leaking into the brain was seen to lessen neuroinflammation and nerve cell damage in mouse models of multiple sclerosis (MS) and Alzheimerās disease. Scientists developed an antibody that selectively inhibits the inflammation-triggering capacity of fibrin in…
September 26, 2018 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Nyrada Identifies Novel IRAK4 Inhibitors that May Prevent Neuroinflammation Nyrada, a subsidiary company of Noxopharm, discovered a set of novel compounds that can cross the blood-brain barrier and blood-nerve barriers, and inhibit a master regulator of chronic inflammation in autoimmunity called IRAK4. The Australian company believes that these novel IRAK4 inhibitors may represent an alternative strategy to…
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 8, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Increase in Blood-Brain Barrier Protein May Protect Against MS, Study Finds One way the body may protect itself from nerve cell inflammation is to have cells in the blood-brain barrier increase their production of a protein that keeps immune cells from entering the brain, researchers in Germany and Canada report. The finding suggests that scientists could develop a multiple sclerosis therapy around the protein, known as EGFL7. It would work by preventing as many inflammation-generating immune cells from entering the brain. The underlying trigger for MS is immune cells crossing the blood-brain barrier to invade theĀ central nervous systemĀ (CNS). The barrier isĀ a selective membrane that shields the CNS from general blood circulation. Therapies that prevent immune cells from entering the brain can help control the disease, studies have shown. They includeĀ Tysabri (natalizumab, marketed by Biogen). But āas with other highly effective disease-modifying therapies which influence a broad range of peripheral immune cells, potential devastating adverse events limit the use of this therapy as a first-line agent,ā the researchers wrote. The team at Mainz University Medical Center in GermanyĀ and the University of MontrealĀ wondered if epidermal growth factor-like protein 7 (EGFL7) could prevent the brain inflammation in MS. Ā Although scientists had not previously linked it to MS, it was shown to regulate the migration of immune cells into breast cancer tumors. The CNS response to the chronic inflammation seen in MS patients and a mouse model of the disease was to increase EGFL7 in the blood-brain barrier, the researchers found. Researchers said the increase prevented pro-inflammatory immune cells from crossing into the CNS. Endothelial cells that line blood capillaries in the blood-brain barrier are the ones that secrete EGFL7. āWe postulate that EGFL7 upregulation by BBB-ECs [brain blood barrier-endothelial cells] is induced as a compensatory mechanism to promote survival and recovery of BBB function in neuroinflammatory conditions,ā the team wrote. Researchers then tested what happened in mice that lacked EGFL7. They found that the mice developed MS earlier and that their blood-brain barrier membrane was less efficient at keeping immune cells out. Treatment with EGFL7 improved the disease severity in the MS mice and tightened the blood-brain barrier, they said. āIn light of our findings, smaller EGFL7 agonists, in development for other diseases, could therefore constitute an appealing therapeutic avenue for MS,ā the team concluded.
October 27, 2017 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc #MSParis2017 ā Anti-inflammatory Therapies May Be More Beneficial for Younger SPMS Patients, Study Suggests Older patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) have reduced risk of experiencing disease relapse, according to a study presented at theĀ 7th Joint ECTRIMS-ACTRIMS Meeting, being held Oct. 25-28, in Paris, France. The study, āRelapses in patients with secondary progressive MS: a matter of disease duration…
October 27, 2017 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc #MSParis2017 ā Inhibiting Protein in Brain Cells Can Rejuvenate Protective Nerve Cell Coating, Study Shows Inhibiting a protein found at high levels in immune cells located in the brain can rejuvenate myelin, the protective coating around nerve cells, according to a multiple sclerosis study in mice. Blocking the protein, known as the colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor, or CSF1R, can also prevent the immune cells from…
October 24, 2017 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Two Studies Show IL-35 Protein’s Potential to Curb Inflammation in Autoimmune Diseases An immune signaling protein called interleukin-35 has anti-inflammatory properties that scientists might harness to develop a therapy for multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune disorders, according to two studies. Researchers at the National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of HealthĀ discovered that a subunit of interleukin 35, which is also known as IL-35, significantly reduced inflammation in mouse models of eye inflammation and multiple sclerosis. Immune B-cells produce IL-35 to communicate with, and regulate the behavior of, surrounding cells. In aĀ previous study, the research team found that the protein could inhibit inflammation in the eyes of animals with autoimmune uveitis, or inflammation of the inner layers of the eye. An autoimmune disease is one in which the immune system attacks healthy cells instead of invaders. A drawback of trying to use a synthetic version of IL-35 as a therapy is that it's difficult to produce because of its complex structure and it's unstable in a solution. Natural IL-35 is composed of two subunits, IL-12p35 and Ebi3, which bind to create the full protein. The team wondered if they could use a subunit, instead of the full protein, as an anti-inflammatory agent. Their study,Ā āIL-12p35 induces expansion of IL-10 and IL-35-expressing regulatory B cells and ameliorates autoimmune disease,ā was published in the journal Nature Communications, They demonstrated that the IL-12p35 subunit could generate anti-inflammatory effects similar to those of the full IL-35 protein. Giving IL-12p35 to mice with uveitis promoted the expansion of immune B-cells that counteract autoimmune responses, reversing the animals' eye symptoms. In the second study, researchers discovered that the subunit tempered inflammation in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis. Giving the animals IL-12p35 every other day for up to 12 days promoted immune cell proliferation that inhibited inflammation in the mice's brains and spinal cords, improving their symptoms. The research demonstrated IL-35 and its subunit's potential to treat nerve-inflammation disorders.Ā The team published its findings in the journal Frontiers of Immunology. The article is titled āIL-12p35 inhibits neuroinflammation and ameliorates autoimmune encephalomyelitis.ā The team is now looking at IL-12p35's ability to treat other degenerative eye diseases, such as diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration.