September 30, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD #ECTRIMS2021 – ATA188 Benefits in SPMS, PPMS Hint at Remyelination An investigational immunotherapy, ATA188Ā showed it could reverse disability and improve exercise capacity in people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), Atara Biotherapeutics, its developer, reported in an update on a Phase 1 trial and its long-term extension study. EMBOLD trial findings based on MRI brain imaging…
August 23, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Top-line Data on NVG-291 in Healthy Volunteers Expected This Year NervGen Pharma announced that its Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating the safety and pharmacological properties of NVG-291 ā its lead therapeutic candidate for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurologic conditions ā in healthy volunteers is going according to plan, with early top-line data expected later this year. āThe…
April 8, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Mertk Gene Plays Key Role in Myelin Repair, Mouse Study Finds A gene called Mertk has important roles in the repair of myelin, the fatty substance that surrounds and protects neurons and that is lost in multiple sclerosis (MS). The findings were published inĀ Cell Press, in the study “Multiple sclerosis risk gene Mertk is required for…
April 2, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Protecting Myelin-producing Cells From Inflammation May Be Key to Treating MS Prolonging a cellular defense mechanism shown to restore myelin ā the protective sheath around nerve cell fibers that is lost in multiple sclerosis (MS) ā may be key to treating the neurodegenerative disease, a study in MS mouse models suggests. That defense mechanism, called integrated stress response (ISR), helps…
March 12, 2021 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Mouse Study Finds Potential Treatment for Myelin Repair for MS, Aging A decline in the activity of the GPR17 gene is responsible for age-related brain deterioration caused by the loss of myelin, a fatty substance that surrounds nerve cells like a sheath, a mouse study discovered. Researchers identified a small molecule that rejuvenated…
February 15, 2021 News by Forest Ray PhD Pipeline Raises $80M to Pursue Potential Myelin Restoring Therapy Pipeline TherapeuticsĀ announced that it has raised $80 million in investor financing to develop neuroregenerative therapies for neurological disorders, including those like multiple sclerosis (MS) that are marked by the loss of myelin. The money will support the research and development ofĀ several candidate therapies, with three aimed at promoting and…
February 1, 2021 News by Forest Ray PhD Potential for Stem Cells to Repair Myelin Focus of University Toronto Team Teams of scientists at the University of Toronto are sharing a nearly CA$21 million (about $16.36 million) award into research that might lead to self-repair treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological disorders, the university announced in a press release. Eleven teams at the university and its…
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…
October 30, 2020 News by Diana Campelo Delgado Better Repair of Nerve Insulation May Lead to New MS Treatments There may be a better way of repairing the insulation surrounding damaged neurons that could lead to new treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS), a study suggests. The data showed that blocking the protein sphingomyelin hydrolase neutral sphingomyelinase 2, or nSMase2, could improve the quality of the myelin surrounding…
October 1, 2020 News by Forest Ray PhD $373K Grant to Support Discovery of Remyelinating Compounds for MS The National Multiple Sclerosis SocietyĀ has awarded a two-year, $373,000 Fast Forward grant to researchers at the University of California Riverside School of MedicineĀ to identify compounds best able to replace myelin lost over the course of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a press release.
September 15, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD #MSVirtual2020 ā Remyelination Mainly Conducted by Pre-existing Myelin-producing Cells, Study Finds Remyelination ā or the restoration of lost myelin, the protective sheath surrounding nerve cell fibers ā in multiple sclerosis (MS) depends mainly on pre-existing oligodendrocytes (myelin-producing cells), rather than on newly-generated oligodendrocytes, according to a recent study. The data also showed that perineuronal, or satellite,…
September 11, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Progressive MS Trial of Kesimpta Not on Horizon, But Other Possibilities in Works Novartis is not planning to open a clinical trial ofĀ Kesimpta (ofatumumab)Ā as a potential treatment for primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) anytime soon, a company executive said. But it is well aware of the “unmet need” for therapy options among this patient group, and is exploring avenues. “We do…
August 26, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Mechanism Controlling Remyelination May Have MS Therapy Implications, Study Finds Chemical modification of the protein eukaryotic elongation factor 1A1 (eEF1A1) regulates remyelination, a new study suggests, indicating that the processes regulating this protein may provide useful therapeutic targets forĀ multiple sclerosis (MS). The study, “EEF1A1 deacetylation enables transcriptional activation of remyelination,” was published inĀ Nature Communications.
August 20, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Cashew Molecule Promotes Remyelination, Halts Disease Progression in MS Mice Anacardic acid, a compound found in cashew nuts, promotedĀ myelinĀ regeneration and eased neuronal damage and disability in two mouse models of multiple sclerosisĀ (MS). These protective effects were associated with maturation of myelin-producing cells and production of IL-33, an immune-related molecule with a neuroreparative role in the central…
March 16, 2020 News by Ana Pena PhD #ACTRIMS2020 – CNM-Au8 a Potential ‘Breakthrough’ in MS Therapy, Clene CMO Says An investigational therapy that uses nanocrystals of gold to help the brain repair itself represents a breakthrough in the multiple sclerosis (MS) field, says Clene Nanomedicine‘s chief medical officer Robert Glanzman. Glanzman, MD, recently presented promising results at the ACTRIMS Forum 2020 indicating that Clene’s lead…
March 3, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD #ACTRIMS2020 – EHP-101 Shows Promise in Early Studies; Phase 2 Trial Ahead Emerald Health Pharmaceuticalsā investigational cannabidiol-derived EHP-101 continues to show potential to ease inflammation and myelin loss (demyelination) ā a hallmark of multiple sclerosis (MS) ā according to data from healthy volunteers and a mouse model of MS. The data support the advance of EHP-101’s clinical development into…
March 2, 2020 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Remyelination Research in Animal Models, Depression and Neurological Function, Ofatumumab Approval Moves Closer In this column, I’ll be highlighting some of the research presented at this year’s Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) Forum, held last week in West Palm Beach, Florida. #ACTRIMS2020 ā Remyelination in Adult Animal Brains Possible via Cell Transplant, Study Says You’ll need…
February 28, 2020 News by Ana Pena PhD #ACTRIMS2020 – Early Trial Data Support CNM-Au8 Improving Vision, Physical Abilities Clene Nanomedicine shared early results of the VISIONARY-MS trial, suggesting that CNM-Au8 āĀ an investigational remyelinating therapy ā leads to “notable” trends in better vision, as well as benefits in mobility and manual function in relapsing multiple sclerosisĀ (MS) patientsĀ with chronic vision problems.
February 28, 2020 News by Ana Pena PhD #ACTRIMS2020 – Remyelination in Adult Animal Brains Possible via Cell Transplant, Study Says Transplanting humanĀ glial progenitor cells (GPCs) ā brain cells able to generate myelin-producing cells ā effectively led to remyelination in the brains of adult mice with myelin disorders, a study found. These results were presented atĀ the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) Forum 2020, running…
February 19, 2020 News by Forest Ray PhD University Spin-Off Pheno Therapeutics to Search for Compounds to Re-Grow Myelin Lost in MS Pheno Therapeutics, a spin-off from the University of Edinburgh, in Scotland, will search for new molecules capable of inducing the body to repair or replace the myelin sheathĀ that is damaged in multiple sclerosis (MS). In MS, the bodyās own immune system mistakes…
February 17, 2020 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Report on Ocrevus Use, Cognitive Decline in MS, Gold Nanocrystals and Remyelination Study Ocrevus Use Rises Among New Starters with RRMS, Loses Ground to Other Therapies in PPMS Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) bolted out of the starting gate after it was approved for use in the U.S. about three years ago. However, though its use by people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis continues…
February 13, 2020 News by Ana Pena PhD Gold Nanocrystals in Phase 2 Testing Show ‘Robust’ Remyelination Potential in Animal Models Clene Nanomedicine‘s remyelination therapy candidate, CNM-Au8, showed a “robust” ability to stimulate the production of new myelin and increase the number of myelin-wrapped nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord of animals in models of demyelinating disease, allowing mice to recover motor skills, a study reports.
January 23, 2020 Columns by Tamara Sellman Need to Know: Sleep and Myelin Plasticity Editor’s note: “Need to Knowā is a series inspired by common forum questions and comments from readers. Have a comment or question about MS? Visit our forum. This week’s question is inspired by the post “Researcher Receives $130K Grant to Study Sleep and MS” from Aug. 27,…
January 13, 2020 News by Marisa Wexler, MS First MS Patient Dosed in Phase 2 Trial of Potential Remyelinating Therapy CNM-Au8, Clene Announces The first participant has been dosed in the Phase 2 REPAIR-MS clinical trial examining the effects of CNM-Au8,Ā Clene Nanomedicine‘s investigational remyelinating therapy, on brain metabolism in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), the company announced. In MS, the immune system attacks myelin, the protective sheath that surrounds…
December 18, 2019 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Timing Speed of Eye-to-Brain Signals May Be Way of Measuring Myelin Changes, Study Says Measuring the speed of signals sent to the brain by nerves in the eye could help assess if remyelination is taking place, a study in cats suggests. Such measurements could be useful in evaluating multiple sclerosis (MS) treatments aiming to repair myelin in clinical trials ā of particular interest…
October 16, 2019 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc NMSS Awards $339K to Phase 2 Trial of Potential Remyelination Agent, Clene Nanomedicine Announces The National Multiple Sclerosis Society awarded more than $339,000 to Clene Nanomedicine to support clinical tests into its lead candidate CNM-Au8Ā in treatingĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) by protecting nerve cells and restoring myelin. The grant was awarded under the National MS Societyās Fast Forward program, which aims…
October 14, 2019 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Metformin Works to Promote Remyelination in Ways Similar to Fasting, Study Says Metformin, a common diabetes treatment that works to mimic dietary fasting, was seen to promote remyelination in the stem cells of elderly rats, suggesting it may be useful in treating multiple sclerosis. “Metformin Restores CNS Remyelination Capacity by Rejuvenating Aged Stem Cells” was published in…
October 2, 2019 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD NFIA Protein Essential to Astrocytes, Brain Cells Active in Spinal Cord Repair and Remyelination, Study Suggests A protein known as nuclear factor I-A (NFIA) is key for spinal cord repair and timely remyelination by astrocytes ā the most abundant cells in the brain and first responders to sites of injury, findings in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS) suggest. In brain lesions, NFIA is…
September 11, 2019 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD #ECTRIMS2019 – Remyelinating Therapy Liothyronine Well-tolerated by MS Patients, Phase 1b Trial Finds Treatment with a potential remyelinating agent called liothyronine was safe and well-tolerated by people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in a Phase 1b trial. Preliminary results also suggested benefits in cognition, motor function, and fatigue. The study, āA Phase 1b, open-label study to evaluate the safety…
September 9, 2019 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc #ECTRIMS2019 – Mapi Pharma to Detail Latest Trial Data on GA Depot in Treating RRMS and PPMS Mapi PharmaĀ will presentĀ recent advances in its potential multiple sclerosis (MS) therapies, including GA Depot, at the 35thĀ Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) opening this week. ECTRIMS runs from Wednesday through Friday, Sept. 11ā13, in Stockholm. Among the work disclosed will be…