People with multiple sclerosis (MS) have significantly higher and potentially damaging blood levels of zinc and a greater activity of the superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme than is evident in people without MS or similar diseases, a study reported. SOD is an enzyme that requires zinc to function properly, including…

Treatment with the antioxidant N‐acetyl cysteine is well-tolerated, but failed to outperform a placebo at easing fatigue in people with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), a small clinical trial found. More studies now are needed to determine if oxidative stress contributes to fatigue or clinical progression in MS patients, and…

Alterations in gut bacteria and bacterial metabolism were found in Japanese people at different stages of multiple sclerosis (MS) compared to healthy controls, a study reports. Reduced fatty acid synthesis in gut bacteria found in those with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS)…

Scientists have built a map of the toxic immune cells that contribute to neurodegeneration in multiple sclerosis (MS). Their findings may open the door to the development of new medications that protect the brain from the effects brought on by these harmful immune cells. Results were reported in the study,…

Treatment for two months with N-acetylcysteine, or NAC — a natural molecule that enhances the levels of antioxidants — significantly improved metabolic activity in certain brain regions among people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a small clinical study reports. This increase in metabolic activity was accompanied by improvements…

Targeting the excessive activation of immune cells called neutrophils, and the associated oxidative stress, may be a therapeutic strategy in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a mouse study. The study, “Deficiency of Socs3 leads to brain-targeted EAE via enhanced neutrophil activation and ROS production,” was…

The Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis (WUSTL) will create a new research center to investigate and advance the development of tracers for positron emission tomography (PET) scans. The center, which will be established at WUSTL’s Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology (MIR), is going to focus on the…

Inhibiting an oxidative stress enzyme called myeloperoxidase protects the blood-brain barrier in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS), limiting the migration of immune cells and halting their attack on nerve cells, researchers have found. Disruption of the blood-brain barrier is a hallmark of various disorders, including MS, and when…

Inhibiting an oxidative stress enzyme reduced nerve cell damage and promoted the formation of new nerve cells, a multiple sclerosis study in mice showed. It also helped regenerate cells that produce the nerve cell-protecting myelin sheath, researchers said. The team used a mouse model of the progressive form of MS in…

The online multiple sclerosis community GeneFo will hold a webinar next week to discuss the latest research findings on how mitochondrial antioxidants may affect MS. The webinar, which will be open to patients who register, will start at 1 p.m. U.S. Eastern Standard Time on Thursday, Aug. 24. GeneFo…

Genetically silencing the transcription factor Nrf2 in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS) results in visual deficits, inflammation of the optic nerve, and degeneration of the retinal ganglion cells (RGC), according to a study published in the scientific journal Molecular Vision.

A pilot study in patients with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) found a steroid treatment of benefit by decreasing oxidative stress in the cerebrospinal fluid. The study, “One-time intrathecal triamcinolone acetonide application alters the redox potential in cerebrospinal fluid of progressive multiple sclerosis patients: a pilot study,” was published in the journal …

In a recent study, researchers show how a natural antioxidant within pomegranate seeds is capable of inhibiting demyelination in a mouse model for multiple sclerosis (MS), supporting novel formulations of natural antioxidants as therapeutics for demyelinating diseases. The study, “Treatment of a multiple sclerosis animal model by a novel nano drop formulation of…