March 6, 2024 News by Marisa Wexler, MS ACTRIMS 2024: 2 treatments to aid remyelination near clinical trials Convelo Therapeutics is developing two experimental oral treatments to promote myelin repair in multiple sclerosis (MS) and both have shown promise in preclinical models. The company is in the final stages of safety studies in large animals. Once those studies are done, it plans to start studies that…
March 1, 2024 News by Marisa Wexler, MS ACTRIMS 2024: Molecule made by gut bacteria seen to ease MS in mice Supplements of indole 3-lactate (ILA), a molecule made by gut bacteria, significantly reduced disease severity and promoted myelin repair in mouse models of multiple sclerosis (MS). That’s according to new findings presented by Larissa Jank, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher at Johns Hopkins University, at the Americas Committee for Treatment…
August 17, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Benefits of intranasal Nogo-A antibody observed in mouse model Delivering an antibody against the Nogo-A protein to a specific region of the nose called the olfactory mucosa improved motor function and preserved myelin in the spinal cord of a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a recent study. This intranasal mode of delivery enabled significant concentrations…
May 12, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias My 5 wishes for the future of multiple sclerosis A recent post on the MS-Selfie blog asks and answers this question: What is the “greatest unmet need” concerning multiple sclerosisĀ (MS)? Professor Gavin Giovannoni, the London-based neurologist who writes that blog, lists five unmet needs, many of which I agree with. But those needs are from the viewpoint…
April 18, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS New formulation of ibudilast found to ease inflammation in MS mice A novel formulation of ibudilast, delivered into the nose, was able to reduce inflammation and prevent nerve damage in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS), a study found. The nasal formulation also improved regeneration of myelin, the protective sheath around nerve fibers that is progressively lost…
February 15, 2023 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Frequency moving to test agents with remyelination potential Frequency TherapeuticsĀ announced that it is shifting its focus to advancing small molecules that aim to restore myelin, the protective cover around nerve fibers that is damaged and lost with multiple sclerosis (MS). This decision follows the failure of an investigative treatment for people with acquired hearing loss to…
January 31, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Rewind’s Remyelinating Therapy Pipeline Backed by New Investments Rewind Therapeutics has received new investments to support the development of its therapeutic candidates designed to promote remyelination in neurodegenerative diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS). Currently, the company is focused on advancing its lead candidate toward the clinic as it continues to build a pipeline of additional…
January 27, 2023 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Fractalkine Found to Promote Remyelination in MS Mouse Model The signaling protein fractalkine was found to promote the repair of myelin ā the protecting coating around nerve fibers ā that is damaged by the mistaken immune attack that leads to multiple sclerosis (MS), a mouse study demonstrated. In an animal model of the disease, the molecule…
January 13, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Pheno, UCB Team Up to Bring New Remyelination Therapies to Trial Pheno Therapeutics has entered into an agreement with UCB to develop new therapies aimed at remyelination to treat multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological disorders that are characterized by the loss of myelin, the companies announced. “This license allows us to accelerate a promising drug target towards…
September 30, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Quick MRI Method May Reliably Detect Myelin Repair in People A quick MRI-based method called SyMRI may be useful in future clinical trials to test experimental myelin-repairing therapies in diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study shows. The study, “Quantification of individual remyelination during short-term disease course by synthetic magnetic resonance imaging,” was published inĀ Brain…
August 22, 2022 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD MS Spasticity Therapy Baclofen Helps to Repair Myelin: Early Study Baclofen, an approved therapy for spasticity in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, promoted the repair of myelin ā the protective sheath around nerve fibers that’s progressively lost in MS ā in a mouse model of the disease, a study showed. These findings suggest baclofen ā sold as oral tablets,…
August 17, 2022 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD CNM-Au8 Lessens Vision Problems in RRMS Patients in Phase 2 Trial CNM-Au8, Clene Nanomedicineās experimental oral therapy, safely and effectively improves vision and neurological function in adults with stable relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and disease-related visual impairment. Those are the findings of the VISIONARY-MS Phase 2 clinical trial (NCT03536559), a proof-of-concept study that investigated CNM-Au8 in people with…
August 3, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Ocrevus Outperforms Rebif in Preventing Myelin Loss in Trial Two years of treatment with Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) outperformed Rebif (interferon beta-1a) at preventing myelin loss in people with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new analysis of data from the OPERA II clinical trial. Ocrevus’ protection against demyelination was observed both in MS lesions,…
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…
July 21, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Semi-synthetic Compound Promotes Myelin Repair in MS Mice A man-made molecule derived from a naturally occurring amino acid was able to promote the repair of the myelin sheathĀ ā a fatty coating around nerve fibers that is damaged in multiple sclerosisĀ ā in a mouse model of the disease, a new study reports. “These findings suggest that ……
July 6, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Researchers Distinguish Remyelinated Brain Lesions Via MRI An MRI technique called quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) can be used to accurately identify remyelinated brain lesions in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a research team has discovered. Remyelinated lesions are those in which the myelin sheath ā the protective coating around nerve fibers that is progressively lost…
June 27, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Proteins Called Tenascins Found to Block Myelin Repair in Mouse Model Proteins called tenascins block the regeneration of myelin by modulating the activity of oligodendrocytes, myelin-making cells of the central nervous system, a study in mouse modelsĀ indicates. “Our research results open up new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis,” Juliane Bauch, a researcher at Ruhr-University…
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 14, 2022 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Find Therapeutics, SATT Conectus Team to Develop New MS Therapy Find Therapeutics and SATT Conectus have joined forces to develop a promising therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS) and optic neuritis based on a new class of compounds that shows the potential to regenerate myelin. Myelin is the fatty protective sheath around nerve fibers that’s progressively lost…
May 19, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Preclinical Data Support Remyelinating Potential of ABX-002 ABX-002, an experimental treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS) being developed by Autobahn Therapeutics, promoted the restoration of the myelin sheath in preclinical models of the disease, new data show. The research, which specifically tested an analog of ABX-002 called LL-341070, will be presented by Autobahn’s academic collaborators at…
May 11, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Treatment With XPro1595 Promotes Remyelination in Mouse Model The experimental therapy XPro1595 was found to promote remyelination ā the repair of the myelin sheath ā in a mouse model of myelin loss, new data show. Myelin, the fatty covering that helps nerve fibers send electrical signals, is damaged by the immune system inĀ …
April 26, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Trial of Metformin-Clemastine Combo Enrolls First Patient The first participant has been enrolled in a new clinical trial that is testing whether an antihistamine in combination with a diabetes medication might promote the repair of the myelin sheath in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The trial’s first participant, Annabelle, was diagnosed with relapsing MS over a…
April 19, 2022 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Atara Planning Phase 3 Trials of ATA188 in Non-active SPMS, PPMS Atara BiotherapeuticsĀ plans to launch two Phase 3 clinical trials of its investigational immunotherapy ATA188 in people with non-active, progressive forms of multiple sclerosisĀ (MS). Whether efforts for these trials will go forward, however, depends on positive results from an interim analysis of the Phase 2 portion of the…
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…
November 19, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias Can Focusing on the Epstein-Barr Virus Help Researchers Fight MS? There are continuing signals that the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a fuel that can spark a multiple sclerosis (MS) fire. EBV is a herpes virus that causes infectious mononucleosis, more commonly known as mono. Sometimes called the “kissing disease” because the virus that causes it is easily spread through saliva,…
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 28, 2021 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD T20K Combo Shows Promise in MS Preclinical Studies New preclinical data continues to support the potential of Cyxoneās investigational plant-derived peptide T20K for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). In a collaboration with its academic partner, the Medical University of Vienna, Cyxone has shown that a combination of T20K plus an activator of the kappa…
October 19, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS #ECTRIMS2021 ā Nrg-1-treated Immune Cells Can Promote Myelin Repair Editorās note: TheĀ Multiple Sclerosis News Today team is providing in-depth coverage of the virtual 37th Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS), Oct. 13ā15. GoĀ hereĀ to see the latest stories from the conference. A…
October 4, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Ublituximab, ATA188, COVID-19, Cognitive Rehab Ublituximab, Potential Relapsing MS Therapy, Up for FDA Approval Like Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) and Kesimpta (ofatumumab), ublituximab targets the CD20 protein that’s found on the surface of B-cells in the immune system. It then binds to it and kills the cell, reducing the number of cells that are attacking the…
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…