research

This is my Pick of the Week’s News, as published by Multiple Sclerosis News Today. Study of Myelin-producing Cells a Step Forward for MS, Other Neurological Disorders Isn’t it strange how often in the world of science, something of importance is found in an unconnected study? Here,…

GNS Healthcare is presenting a data-driven causal machine learning solution, called Efficacy to Effectiveness, designed to predict how potential therapies will actually perform in distinct populations. The data, being released today at ISPOR 2016, used pre-launch data from a study comparing Gilenya (fingolimod) and other multiple sclerosis (MS) therapies to build and validate causal models…

Helius Medical Technologies‘s Portable Neuromodulation Stimulator (PoNS), a device being developed to treat neuroplasticity in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological diseases, has been recommended for ISO 13485 certification, an international standard of quality management for medical devices, after a positive evaluation by Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance Limited (LRQA). This…

Changes in the composition of certain immune system cells may be associated with relapses in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients being treated with Gilenya (fingolimod), according to a study published in the journal Scientific Reports. The study, “Altered T Cell Phenotypes Associated With Clinical Relapse Of Multiple Sclerosis Patients Receiving…

I recently had the opportunity to serve as a consumer reviewer of research applications submitted to the Multiple Sclerosis Research Program (MSRP) sponsored by the Department of Defense. I was nominated by the Accelerated Cure Project for MS for this role.  As a consumer reviewer, I was a full…

Getting more African-Americans and other minority groups to take part in clinical research into treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS), and identifying and tackling continuing disparities in efforts that affect patient care, will be the focus of a project led by the nonprofit group Accelerated Cure Project for Multiple Sclerosis (ACP) and supported…

Selexis has entered into a commercial arrangement with ImmuNext, providing that company with access to research cell banks from its SURE technology Platform (a best-in-class cell line development technology). ImmuNext will use the cell banks in further developing its anti-CD40 ligand antibody, a potential therapeutic agent for chronic autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis…

Posture control is a complex skill, requiring different areas of the nervous system to work well and to work together — but the damage caused by multiple sclerosis complicates such nervous system multi-tasking, leading to postural problems and the well-established tendency for MS patients to fall. Several neurological systems are known…

The 2016 Fritz Krauth Award was given by the Paralyzed Veterans of America to Dr. Sarah Moyon, a researcher focusing on ways to understand and treat symptoms of diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS) and those of the spine. The award ceremony took place at Cleveland, Ohio, at the bi-annual board meeting of…

Here is my pick of the week’s news items, as published in Multiple Sclerosis News Today. Lemtrada Seen to Help Reverse MS Disability in People in Earlier Stages of Disease A medication that might not just stop but reverse disability of people with relapsing MS? Now, this is…

A study found that the cells responsible for the production of myelin selectively introduce a myelin-insulating layer in a particular set of neuronal axons in the brain’s white matter. This represents a step forward in the basic mechanisms that may underlie neurological disorders, including multiple sclerosis (MS). Also, a newly developed method…

Researchers have discovered that a type of immune molecule — called “spliced epitopes,” once believed to be very rare  — in fact makes up a large part of the molecules labeling cells as belonging to the body, and those that are invaders. The finding may well change our understanding of multiple…

A genome-wide analysis of over 110,000 people allowed researchers with the International Multiple Sclerosis Genetics Consortium (IMSGC) to discover 200 genetic loci (the position of genes on a chromosome) that are common to people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The findings were given in the presentation, “200 loci complete the genetic puzzle of multiple sclerosis,” by Dr. Nikolaos…

Damaging immune system defects seen in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) can be repaired using a simple stem cell approach, according to a new study by researchers in China and the U.S. The study, “Umbilical Cord-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Reversed The Suppressive Deficiency Of T Regulatory Cells From Peripheral Blood Of…

RedHill Biopharma recently announced that it has received a Notice of Allowance from the Japan Patent Office for a new patent covering RHB-104 as a potential treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). Once granted, the patent will be valid until 2032. The European Patent Office also recently approved a patent application for the drug with this…

Apitope and Merck KGaA announced that they have entered into an exclusive agreement regarding ATX-MS-1467, a potential disease-modifying therapy for  multiple sclerosis (MS). Under its terms, Apitope will regain full global rights over ATX-MS-1467, as well as all clinical data related to the compound. In 2009, the company granted exclusive global rights to Merck KGaA to develop…

A group of proteins found in wheat can cause symptoms of such inflammatory health conditions as multiple sclerosis (MS), asthma and rheumatoid arthritis to worsen, and may also promote gluten sensitivity, according to researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University in Germany. These findings, recently presented at United European Gastroenterology (UEG) Week 2016, turn attention away from one…

The MS Society in the United Kingdom awarded £177,930 (about $217,800) to Dr. Sassan Hafizi, a researcher at University of Portsmouth, to investigate the potentially beneficial role of a central nervous system molecule, called Gas6, in repairing the myelin damage seen in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) . Hafizi and Dr. Arthur…

Here, I comment on my Pick of the Week’s News, as published in Multiple Sclerosis News Today. Myelin Regeneration Achieved in Mouse Model of MS Remyelination is one of the most exciting developments in the treatment of MS. Therapies aimed at regenerating the myelin sheath can work to…

Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) was seen to help reverse disability among patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) in relatively early stages of the disease, researchers report. The study, “Alemtuzumab improves preexisting disability in active relapsing-remitting MS patients,” published in the journal Neurology, supports the idea that treatment…

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society announced that is investing more than $10.5 million to support an anticipated 42 new research projects into multiple sclerosis (MS), part of its commitment to scientific efforts aimed at stopping MS, restoring lost function to patients, and, ultimately, ending the disease forever. The dedicated funding is part of a projected society investment of…

Mouse experiments with compounds having opposite actions on two receptors for TNF (tumor necrosis factor) — a key factor in neurodegeneration — explains why earlier trials of TNF blockers in multiple sclerosis (MS) went wrong, and paves the way for more selective drugs targeting the system to stop MS neurodegeneration. The…

Voluntary running triggers a molecule called VGF, a nerve growth factor, that was seen to induce a brain repair mechanism in animals, researchers at The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa in Canada report. The findings have important implications for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other conditions caused by damage to…

The MS Society in the United Kingdom is funding a new project at the University of Glasgow, in Scotland, to examine if  heparin, a drug widely used for stroke patients, can repair neurological damage in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). MS is a progressive, debilitating, immune-mediated, neurodegenerative disorder in which…

Neurologists in the U.S. expect — or, at least, highly anticipate — that Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), being developed by Roche as a treatment for both relapsing and progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), will be approved by year’s end, and a sizable number plan on quickly prescribing it, according to a recent update by  Spherix…

The experimental therapy laquinimod was seen to prevent the start of harmful immune responses and to disrupt the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS) in a mouse model of the disease. This finding may be especially promising, as the treatment is being developed for people with both relapsing MS and its rarer progressive…

Stress urinary incontinence affects predominantly young adult mothers with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), particularly those with pelvic organ prolapse, according to a recent study. Exercises that strengthen the pelvic floor muscles are suggested to reduce the risk of incontinence. The study, “Stress Urinary Incontinence in Women With Multiple Sclerosis,”…

Therapies aimed at regenerating the myelin sheath can work to restore proper brain activity and may be a viable way of treating multiple sclerosis (MS), according to researchers at the University of California San Francisco. In the study, “Accelerated Remyelination During Inflammatory Demyelination Prevents Axonal Loss And Improves Functional Recovery,” published…

The University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS) recently installed a state-of-the-art SafeGait 360 Balance and Mobility Trainer on its Austin, Texas campus. The device is a ceiling-mounted body-weight support and fall protection system that tracks patient movements 2,500 times per second. The trainer was designed in collaboration with…

An indirect comparison of results from randomized clinical trials in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients suggests that Tysabri (natalizumab) is more effective than Gilenya (fingolimod) at reducing disease activity. The study, “The Efficacy of Natalizumab versus Fingolimod for Patients with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Review, Indirect…