July 25, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Heart Medication Digoxin Helps With Remyelination in Early Study Digoxin, an approved medication for certain heart conditions, promoted the repair of myelinĀ ā the protective sheath around nerve fibers that is progressively lost in multiple sclerosis ā in mouse models of the disease, a study reports. Combining digoxin with an experimental immune-modulating therapy was more effective at promoting myelin…
February 25, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS #ACTRIMS2022 ā Blocking Fibulin-2 Protein May Increase Remyelination A matrix protein called fibulin-2, which is increased in multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions, blocks the activity of oligodendrocytes, the cells responsible for making myelin. Blocking this protein may be a promising approach to restore myelin in people with the neurodegenerative disease, a study in mice showed. The data was…
February 16, 2022 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Newly Created Cells Better at Repairing Myelin in Preclinical Study Therapeutics designed to produce new oligodendrocytes ā the cells responsible for the protective myelin sheath that is damaged in multiple sclerosis (MS) ā might be the most effective approach for disorders such as MS, according to a study conducted in a fish model. That’s because oligodendrocytes that survive being…
February 4, 2022 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Oligodendrocyte Gene Changes Evident Near MS Risk Mutations Changes in the genome of oligodendrocytes were found in DNA regions associated with immune genes and risk mutations linked to multiple sclerosis (MS), a study shows. The changes identified make it possible for these immune genes and MS-associated regions to have an altered expression ā meaning being…
November 18, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Cholesterol Made by Nerve Cells Repairs Myelin Damage in Mice Cholesterol made by neurons is crucial for repairing long-term damage to the myelin sheath, the fatty coating around nerve fibers that is damaged in multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new report based on experiments done on mice. The finding suggests that increasing neuronal cholesterol synthesis may be helpful…
October 4, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Study Finds Myc Gene Can Boost Efficiency of Myelin-repairing Cells Increasing the activity of a gene called Myc can make oligodendrocyte precursor cells, or the cells that repair myelin, more efficient ā “ground-breaking research” that could have implications for advancing MS treatments, according to a new study by Cambridge researchers. The study, “Myc determines the functional age…
December 8, 2020 News by Forest Ray PhD MS Patient-derived Stem Cells May Be Viable Source for Myelin Repair, Mouse Study Shows Scientists have demonstrated that stem cells derived from the skin cells of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) can grow into normal myelin-producing nerve cells, called oligodendrocytes, in a mouse model of MS. These patient-derived cells migrated throughout the brain of myelin-deficient mice, producing myelin ā the fatty…
November 6, 2020 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Small, Myelin-rich Vesicles May Help Control Immune Response in MS, Animal Study Shows Extracellular vesicles (EVs), tiny sacs released from myelin-producing cells called oligodendrocytes, may help dampen the immune systemās attack against myelin, whose loss is the hallmark of multiple sclerosis (MS), a new mouse study shows. The findings suggest that oligodendrocytes-released EVs could work as an universal immunotherapy for MS…
July 16, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD NeuroScientific Biopharmaceuticals’ Lead Candidate, EmtinB, Shows Promise in Preclinical Model of MS NeuroScientific Biopharmaceuticals (NSB)ās lead candidate EmtinBĀ induces significantly greaterĀ myelin regeneration in a cellular model ofĀ multiple sclerosisĀ (MS) than the market-leading therapyĀ Copaxone, the company announced. āThese results represent a potential breakthrough in the treatment of MS as there are currently no approved therapeutic drugs available to patients that…
May 22, 2020 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Cell Transplant Restores Myelin Production in Brains of Adult Mice in MS Model Human glial progenitor cells ā forerunners of nerve cells that protect and support neurons ā transplanted into adult mice in a model of multiple sclerosis (MS) were seen to restore myelin production and motor function in the animals. This study and others it builds on “establish an operational…
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 3, 2019 News by Ana Pena PhD NervGen to Advance NVG-291 as Potential Remyelination Therapy for MS NervGen wants to advance the development of NVG-291, its lead investigational therapy for spinal cord damage, as a potential remyelination treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS), the company announced. Following preclinical data showing that NVG-291 promotes myelin repair and regeneration of damaged nerves in animal models 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…
December 12, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Protamine, Anticoagulant Blocker, Seen to Aid Remyelination in Mice Within Limits Protamine āĀ an agent used to stop the anticoagulant effects of heparin ā was seen to trigger remyelination in mice with myelin damage. But while pointing a way forward for studies of myelin regeneration in multiple sclerosis (MS), the research team underscored that protamine itself is not an optimal treatment candidate.
March 16, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Discovery of T-cells’ Role in Myelin Regeneration Could Lead to Therapies That Mimic Processes Regulatory T-cells in the central nervous system trigger the maturation of stem cells that increase the production of myelin at injured neurons ā a discovery that places the idea of regeneration in multiple sclerosis (MS) in a whole new light. Myelin is a substance essential to the functioning of the…
January 23, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Astrocytes Can Turn Aggressive and Kill Neurons, Potentially Groundbreaking Study Says In what may be one of the most significant discoveries in neurodegenerative disease, researchersĀ have found that brain cells, called astrocytes, contribute to killing neurons and myelin-forming oligodendrocyte cells, which may drive neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). Experiments indicate an aggressive astrocyte type kills cells by secreting a yet-unidentified…
December 12, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Discovery of Calcium Channel Crucial to Myelin Formation May Provide New MS-treatment Leads A specific type of channel that facilitates calcium flow is needed for normal development of cells that produce a shield, called myelin, around nerve fibers ā a finding that could open up new approaches to regenerating the myelin-producing cells (called oligodendrocytes) lost in multiple sclerosis (MS). Researchers now hope to…
June 22, 2016 Columns by admin Unexpected Diversity of Crucial Brain Cells Discovered in MS Mouse Study Discovery of an unexpected diversity of oligodendrocytes in mice could lead to new insights into mechanisms of degeneration and regeneration in multiple sclerosis and other diseases where myelin is lost. Oligodendrocytes, a type of brain cell that plays a crucial role in diseases such as MS, are more diverse than…
June 17, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Myelin-Producing Brain Cells Seen for 1st Time to Be Highly Diverse and Specialized Oligodendrocytes ā brain cells that wrap themselves around neurons to produce myelin ā are much more diverse than previously believed. ScientistsĀ in Sweden, using a newĀ type of sequencing, have discovered more thanĀ a dozen different kinds, including anĀ oligodendrocyte subtype involved in motor learning, a finding that might spur new research into protecting…
February 18, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc Anavex Life Sciences to Present Preclinical Data on Lead MS Drug Candidate at ACTRIMS 2016 Anavex Life Sciences, a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of new therapies for neurodegenerative and central nervous system (CNS) diseases, among others, recently announced the presentation of preclinical data forĀ one of its lead drug candidates, ANAVEX2-73, as a multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment. The preclinical studyās lead investigator, Dr.
December 22, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Experimental RRMS Therapy to Be Tested in a Phase 2b Clinical Trial GeNeuro, a company developing therapies for neurological and autoimmune disorders, recently announced the initiation of a Phase 2b clinical trial to assess its lead investigational antibody GNbAC1 in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The trial, called āCHANGE-MS,ā plans to enroll 260 patients across 68 centers acrossĀ theĀ European Union and…