Oligodendrocytes, the cells responsible for making myelin, are constantly being made throughout the brain and spinal cord, even when there’s no myelin damage, according to a new study by U.S. researchers. These findings challenge the long-held view that oligodendrocyte precursor cells mostly differentiate into oligodendrocytes at sites of damage…
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Inflammatory gut bacteria that carry proteins structurally similar to myelin, a protective layer surrounding nerve fibers that is damaged in multiple sclerosis (MS), may trigger the development and progression of the disease, according to a new study done in mouse models. The findings may pave the way toward new…
Multiple sclerosis (MS) may follow two distinct biological paths that differ in how early and how quickly nerve damage develops, according to a new study. Using artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze brain MRI scans together with a blood test linked to nerve damage, researchers identified one MS pattern marked…
The balance between two immune signaling molecules — CXCL13 and BAFF — may help identify the hard-to-treat inflammation in the brain and spinal cord that’s thought to be a major driver of disability progression in multiple sclerosis (MS), a study found. The findings may help identify which patients are…
Women with multiple sclerosis (MS) who have children experience significantly longer waits before receiving a diagnosis than women without children, according to a new U.S. study. On average, each child was associated with an additional 1.28-year delay in diagnosis. The delay was even longer among women whose symptoms…
Quantum Biopharma has completed dosing in two toxicology studies requested by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that aim to support the launch of clinical studies of Lucid-MS, an experimental treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS) that’s designed to slow myelin loss. The 180-day toxicity and toxicokinetic…
Throughout 2025, the team at Multiple Sclerosis News Today brought our readers the latest advances and updates in research related to multiple sclerosis (MS). Below are the top 10 most-read news stories we published this year. We look forward to continuing to serve the MS community in 2026 and…
Immutep’s experimental immunotherapy, IMP761, continues to demonstrate a favorable safety profile, along with sustained suppression of T-cell activity, immune cells that are overly active in multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune diseases. These findings are based on data from healthy people enrolled in an ongoing first-in-human Phase 1…
Relapses in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) may be more common in spring and summer, coinciding with warmer temperatures, low humidity, and greater fluctuations in atmospheric pressure, according to a study from Poland. Stressful life events and infections were the most frequent potential relapse triggers, the study found.
In people with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), treatment with the antioxidant lipoic acid did not improve walking or lessen other symptoms, such as fatigue, but it did show signs of slowing brain atrophy, or the loss of brain tissue. According to the researchers, this suggests possible positive biological…
An enzyme called CEMIP could be a target for small-molecule inhibitors that aim to promote myelin repair in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other conditions marked by myelin loss, a study found. Researchers discovered that CEMIP, which is elevated in areas of inflammatory nerve damage in people with…
Myelin, the protective coating that helps nerve signals travel quickly and efficiently, also plays a key role in the precise timing of communication between brain cells, a new study from scientists in the Netherlands shows. In a mouse model, the researchers found that the loss of myelin disrupted the coordination…
Children with multiple sclerosis (MS) who have more paramagnetic rim lesions (PRLs) — areas of chronic active inflammation seen on MRI scans — tend to lose more brain volume over time, a new study found. These lesions were common in pediatric MS, a rare form of the disease…
A signaling molecule called erythropoietin (EPO) plays a key role in allowing the immune system to distinguish the body’s own cells from foreign threats, a study found. The findings could lead to new treatments for diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS), in which the immune system inadvertently starts to attack…
A Georgia State University researcher won a $1 million U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) grant to study whether a program combining cognitive training with exercise can help prevent falls in older adults with multiple sclerosis (MS). “Falls are so common — and frightening — in older adults,” Katherine…
Octave Bioscience is entering into a collaboration with Quest Diagnostics to expand access to its multiple sclerosis disease activity (MSDA) test, which uses data from a set of blood biomarkers to measure how active a patient’s disease is in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Although the MSDA…
People who drink coffee may have a more than 20% lower risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) compared with those who do not, according to a new analysis of published studies that pooled data from more than 4,500 participants from seven countries. “These results suggest that coffee consumption might…
People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who have higher levels of Fusobacterium nucleatum in the mouth — bacteria that can contribute to periodontitis, a serious gum infection — may be more likely to experience more severe symptoms, according to a study from Japan. This finding adds to recent preclinical evidence…
Resistance training may be the most effective type of exercise for easing fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), especially when programs last longer than eight weeks, a meta-analysis found. The study, “Effects of exercise on fatigue and quality of life in multiple sclerosis: a network meta-analysis…
Disability progression is not always permanent for people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), even when it occurs independent of a relapse, a new study has found. Researchers report that nearly one-third of RRMS patients who experience progression independent of relapse activity (PIRA) see their disability levels ease in the…
Oligodendrocytes, the cells that build and repair myelin in the brain and spinal cord, may play a role in the inflammatory processes involved in multiple sclerosis (MS), even at the earliest stages of disease, according to a study in a mouse model. “We found that oligodendrocytes transition to disease…
Simultaneously measuring levels of two blood proteins — glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and neurofilament light chain (NfL) — may offer a clearer way to track both disease activity and disability progression in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new long-term study. Each…
A Phase 2 clinical trial testing PIPE-307, an experimental therapy designed to support myelin repair in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), has failed to meet its primary or secondary efficacy goals. The U.S.-based VISTA trial (NCT06083753) enrolled more than 180 adults with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS). Participants received…
A clinical trial is now recruiting participants to test whether an experimental vaccine for the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is safe and may help reduce disease activity in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The Phase 2 study (NCT06735248) aims to enroll 180 adults, ages 18 to 55, with…
Multiple sclerosis (MS) and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) share similar symptoms but are two biologically distinct conditions, with different immune signatures, a study found. These findings help explain why treatments approved for MS generally show limited effectiveness for MOGAD, researchers said. “These findings support MOGAD as its…
Mesenchymal stem cell therapy shows promise for treating multiple sclerosis (MS), with improvements seen in disability, walking ability, vision, and auditory function, according to a recent review of published studies. The approach also seems to be well tolerated by people with MS, but more research is needed on…
A new technique is letting scientists peer into the brain’s wiring with greater detail by simply using a microscope and an LED light, an accessible and cost-effective method that may be useful for studying brain damage in neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). The method, called Computational Scattered…
A new wearable brain-mapping tool could dramatically change how doctors monitor people with multiple sclerosis (MS), making it easier to track disease progression and guide personalized care. Researchers showed the system, OPM-MEG, reliably detects abnormalities in the brain’s electrical activity in MS patients. The portable technology is a major…
Scientists at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) in Ohio will use a new $2.5 million donation from the Thomas F. Peterson Jr. Charitable Trust to develop therapeutic strategies for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological diseases. The commitment will support Paul Tesar, PhD, a CWRU professor and director of the…
Researchers have developed a highly sensitive imaging technique that can detect damage to myelin, the fatty wrapping around nerve fibers that is damaged in multiple sclerosis (MS), in large areas of the brain, according to a study. The tool may help assess the extent of myelin damage in…