December 13, 2017 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Taurine Seen to Boost Effectiveness of MS Therapies in Remyelination Process, Study Shows A natural metabolite called taurine may boost the effectiveness of existing multiple sclerosis (MS) therapies, researchers say. Taurine helps oligodendrocytes, which are cells responsible for myelin production, to fully mature and activate the remyelination process of damaged nerve cells. The findings were reported in the study, ā…
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.
November 7, 2017 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Targeting Blood-clotting Protein Can Restore Brainās Potential to Repair Myelin Layer, Study Shows A blood-clotting protein called fibrinogen prevents myelin production and blocks the neuron remyelination repair process in mice, a study finds. The study, āFibrinogen Activates BMP Signaling in Oligodendrocyte Progenitor Cells and Inhibits Remyelination after Vascular Damage,ā appeared in the journal Neuron.Ā Its conclusions offer new insights and…
November 6, 2017 News by Iqra Mumal, MSc Thin But Persistent Regrowth of Myelin Layers Sign of Health in CNS, Study Says The generation of a thin myelin sheath during remyelination ā one that continues to protect nerve cells over time ā is indicative of the long-term health and activity of the central nervous system (CNS) in demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study shows. These findings, which aim…
October 30, 2017 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #MSParis2017 – GNbAC1 Promotes Restoration of Protective Myelin Coating, Phase 2b Trial Shows GeNeuro‘s humanized antibodyĀ GNbAC1Ā promotes the rejuvenation of the myelin coating that protects nerve cells in patients withĀ relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, or RRMS, a Phase 2 clinical trial shows. The treatment is also safe, the study showed. Dr. Hans-Peter Hartung of theĀ Heinrich-Heine-University DĆ¼sseldorfĀ in Germany presented the results at theĀ 7th…
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 Columns by Ed Tobias When You Read About MS Treatments, Read Past the Headline There’s been some internet buzz recently about the possibility of an over-the-counter allergy drug that helps to repair the myelin that MS damages. The drug is clemastine fumarate, and I suspect that some of that buzz may have been generated by headlines found on Twitter and…
October 13, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Common Allergy Treatment Restores Protective Neuron Coating in MS, Trial Suggests Scientists have been trying to find a way to restore a protective covering around nerve cells whose loss leads to the neuron damage associated with multiple sclerosis. A team at the University of California, San FranciscoĀ may have found a way to do it. And perhaps surprisingly, the possible solution…
August 29, 2017 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Pancreas Secretes Factor That Can Rejuvenate Damaged Neuron Coating, Mouse Study Reports A substance that the pancreas secretes can promote the regeneration of the protective nerve-cell coating that is damaged in multiple sclerosis, a mouse study shows. The substance isĀ fibroblast growth factor 21, or FGF21. It promotes remyelination, the renewal of the myelin sheath protecting the central nervous system, according to the…
May 2, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Remyelination Candidate Opicinumab Failed in Phase 2 Trial in MS, But Biogen Won’t Give Up Although a Phase 2b trial of the remyelination drug candidate opicinumabĀ (also known as anti-LINGO-1 and BIIB033) failed to meet its primary goal of improving disability in relapsing and secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), researchers believe the drug did cause āfairly strongā improvements. The trial evaluated four doses of the…
April 13, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD 3D Laboratory Cell Growth System Should Speed Up MS Remyelination Research A physical scaffold that allows lab-grown brain cells to grow in a three-dimensional manner is giving scientists a whole new way of studying the regeneration of myelin, nerve coatings whose damage is at the heart of multiple sclerosis. The scaffold is allowing researchers to test large numbers of compounds for…
April 4, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Research on Faulty Stem Cells Suggests MS Patients Need Tailored Therapies Brain stem cells from primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) patients lack the ability to repair brain damage and to trigger the maturation of protective myelin-producing cells, a surprising study with far-reaching implications indicates. The study also showed that stem cells from individual patients reacted differently to compounds developed to trigger…
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…
March 1, 2017 News by Joana Fernandes, PhD People with MS Are Three to Six Times More Prone to Seizures Than Others, Study Reports People with multiple sclerosis (MS) are three to six times more likely to develop epilepsy than the general population, a study says. Researchers believe the loss of myelin in certain neurons — a hallmark of MS — is what causes the seizures. The study was published in the journal…
January 5, 2017 News by Joana Fernandes, PhD CHANGE-MS Phase 2 Study Fully Enrolled Early, Results Due in Fall GeNeuro recently announced that it has finished enrolling multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in the CHANGE-MS Phase 2b Ā studyĀ ā several months ahead of schedule.Ā The company nowĀ expects to reportĀ topline results in mid- to late autumn rather than at year’s end. āCompleting enrollment in CHANGE-MS several months sooner than previously anticipated…
January 4, 2017 News by Joana Fernandes, PhD Top 10 Multiple Sclerosis Articles of 2016 A number ofĀ important discoveries, therapeutic developments, and events related to multiple sclerosis (MS) were reported dailyĀ by Multiple Sclerosis News Today throughout 2016. Now that the year is over, it is time to briefly review the articles that appealed most toĀ ourĀ readers. Here are the top 10 most-read articles of 2016, with…
October 10, 2016 News by Joana Fernandes, PhD Myelin Regeneration Achieved in Mouse Model of MS Therapies aimed at regenerating the myelin sheath can work to restore proper brain activity and may be a viable way of treatingĀ multiple sclerosis (MS), according toĀ researchers atĀ the University of California San Francisco. In the study, āAccelerated Remyelination During Inflammatory Demyelination Prevents Axonal Loss And Improves Functional Recovery,ā published…
September 7, 2016 News by Joana Fernandes, PhD Breast Cancer Therapy, Tamoxifen, May Promote Myelin Repair in MS Tamoxifen (brand name, Nolvadex), a widely used treatment for breast cancer, can also be used to treat myelin loss in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study suggests. The finding, by a team of researchers at the University of Cambridge, U.K., was published in a study titled “…
August 31, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD RegeneRx to Receive EU Patent for Molecule That May Lead to MS Remyelination Therapy RegeneRx BiopharmaceuticalsĀ announced that it has received anĀ Intent to Grant notice from the European Patent Office (EPO) regarding a patent for itsĀ proprietary molecule Thymosin beta 4 (TĪ²4), aĀ potential therapyĀ forĀ multiple sclerosis (MS)Ā designed to promote remyelination. The patent will cover the use of TĪ²4 in a composition for treating or reducing…
August 22, 2016 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD Umbilical Cord Blood-derived Cell Therapy Promotes Remyelination in Mice A cell therapy product derived from human umbilical cord blood cells may be a promising treatment approach for patients with demyelinating diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS) or leukodystrophy, according to a recent study developed at theĀ Duke University Medical Center. The study, “A cord blood monocyteāderived cell…
August 3, 2016 News by admin Phase 2 Study of Oral Antibiotic to Treat Relapsing MS, RHB-104, Nearing Finish RedHill Biopharma announced that theĀ final patient has completed the last step of itsĀ Phase 2 clinical study (CEASE-MS) of RHB-104 as a potential treatment forĀ people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). RHB-104 is an antibiotic oral medication that blocks inflammation in addition to killing bacteria. RHB-104 was originally developedĀ as a treatment for…
July 28, 2016 Columns by admin Remyelination Studies Abound, But How About a Workable Therapy? Remyelination at the moment is the buzzword to beat all buzzwords in the world of research into, and treatment for, the vicious disease that isĀ multiple sclerosis. Now, as you are reading this, you must have some knowledge of MS and are sure to know about the link between the…
July 18, 2016 Columns by admin MS Patientās Pick of the Weekās News: Remyelination Drug Patent, Gut Microbiota, Statins, Cognition and Depression Quite a mixed bag in theĀ pick of the week’sĀ news: A drug in development, microbiota in the gut, statins and MS, DMTs and cognitive skills, and images of depression. Endece Granted New U.S. Patent for NDC-1308, Therapy to Induce Remyelination in MS This is a bit of an…
July 14, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Endece Granted New U.S. Patent for NDC-1308, Therapy to Induce Remyelination in MS Endece wasĀ recently issued an additional U.S. patent for its lead investigational product, NDC-1308, being developed to induce remyelination in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and prevent disease progression. Currently in late preclinical development, NDC-1308Ā is designed to repair the myelin sheath of demyelinated axons (nerve fibers), a major cause…
July 2, 2016 News by Charles Moore Potential Remyelination Therapy for MS, NDC-1308, Advancing in Preclinical Studies As Multiple Sclerosis News Today reported in mid-July, Endece Neural was issued an additional U.S. patent for its lead investigational product, NDC-1308. The drug is under development to repair the myelin sheath damaged in multiple sclerosis (MS), a major causing disease progression and increasing disability. The sheath, an…
May 11, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Fluorosamine Seen to Boost Remyelination in MS Mouse Model by Blocking Scarring Molecules AĀ substance called fluorosamine was seen to boost remyelination in mice by preventing the synthesis of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans and by promoting oligodendrocyte function. The findings showed that targeting molecules that block remyelination may be a promising therapeutic approach in multiple sclerosis (MS). Upregulation of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans ā large molecules…
April 19, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc Antihistamine Aids in Reversing Visual Damage in MS Patients, Appears to Have Remyelination Properties, AAN Presentation Reports AĀ Phase 2 clinical trial testing the efficacy of a common antihistamine, clemastine fumarate, to treat optic nerve damage in peopleĀ with multiple sclerosis (MS) found the drug able to slightlyĀ reverse damage to their visual system. The Ā study, conducted by researchers at theĀ Multiple Sclerosis Center at the University of California San…
March 31, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Signaling Molecule Seen to Induce CNS Remyelination in Mice with Spinal Injuries Neuregulin-1 is a signaling molecule of interestĀ in the context of synaptic plasticity Āā the ability of our nerve cells to form new connections and get rid of those that are no longer needed. Now, a study showed that the factor is also indispensable for repairing myelin in models of spinal…
March 24, 2016 News by admin MS Animal Study Suggests That Placental Cells Might Serve as Future Stem Cell Therapy Research on a specific type ofĀ stem cell found in the placenta, known asĀ decidua-derived mesenchymal stem cells (DMSC), suggests these cells might be the source of futureĀ treatments for multiple sclerosis. The report,Ā “Restrained Th17 response and myeloid cell infiltration into the central nervous system by human decidua-derived mesenchymal stem…
March 21, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc CONy16: MS Researchers Question Possible Long-term Benefits of Remyelination Therapies Multiple sclerosis was a main focus at the four-dayĀ 10thĀ World Congress on Controversies in Neurology (CONy), inĀ Lisbon, Portugal, that concluded on March 20. Among the topics of debate was demyelination as the disease’s main pathogenic precursor and the clinical potential of remyelination. The debate, titledĀ āCan we expect long-term…