research

The presence of iron rim lesions, which are regions of chronic inflammation seen on MRI scans, may be linked to a more severe disease course in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a recent study. The findings suggest the presence and number of iron rim lesions could serve…

Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (aHSCT) reduces markers of nerve fiber and myelin damage in people with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), according to a small study done in Sweden. “We investigated if therapeutic intervention with aHSCT could halt the injurious process leading to tissue damage in MS,” researchers wrote.

Study Supports MS Disability Test Score as Outcome Measure in Trials Adding two other disability measurements to the commonly used Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) is a good idea, not only for trials but also in everyday patient assessments as well. Measuring our level of disability using only…

Bionic clothing innovator Cionic has received $12.5 million to further develop a platform that produces wearable, artificial intelligence-powered garments for people with mobility issues. The platform has helped create the Neural Sleeve, a leg-worn garment that enables people with conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS) to become more…

Guar gum, a type of dietary fiber that can be taken as a supplement, lessened inflammation and disease severity in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study reports. While fiber-rich diets have long been recommended to improve overall health, these findings help pinpoint which fibers have…

Treatment with interferon beta (IFN-beta) — a disease-modifying therapy that lowers inflammation in multiple sclerosis (MS) — was found to restore the ability of blood vessels in the brain to dilate following a stimulus. A new study suggests that this ability, called cerebrovascular reactivity or CVR, is reduced…

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 in Brain…

The Overall Disability Response Score, a combination of three different assessments of disability, could be used to more accurately evaluate the effectiveness of treatments in multiple sclerosis (MS) clinical trials, a new study illustrates. The score is composed of three measures commonly used to assess disability in MS, which…

To help ensure that more multiple sclerosis (MS) patients get specialized care, the Michigan Institute for Neurological Disorders (MIND) has opened a physician fellowship program for neurologists. The one-year program is led by Martin Belkin, MD, a neurologist who specializes in MS research and care at MIND, a private…

Kesimpta (ofatumumab) is more cost-effective for treating relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) than most other disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) approved in Canada, according to a new analysis. The analysis indicated that Kesimpta is generally more effective and associated with fewer costs than the majority of MS treatments, with the…

A new machine learning tool could help make clinical trials for progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) more efficient and effective, a study suggests. Its scientists propose that the tool, when used in initial patient studies, works to more rapidly move a potential progressive MS treatment into pivotal Phase…

Even in early stages of disease, people with multiple sclerosis (MS) commonly experience more difficulties performing cognitive and motor tasks simultaneously than do people without MS, a new study indicates. The study, “Cognitive-motor interference in people with mild to moderate multiple sclerosis, in comparison with healthy…

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office will grant Trethera Corp. a new patent covering the composition and chemical structure of TRE-515, an experimental oral therapy being developed for multiple sclerosis (MS) and cancer. The patent number 11,446,307, titled “Crystalline forms of a deoxycytidine kinase inhibitor and…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) may be more likely to use unhealthy or ineffective coping mechanisms than healthy individuals — and these “maladaptive strategies” are linked to worse mood and a poorer quality of life among patients, according to a new review study. Rather than also relying on active…

Gut Bacteria Are Altered in MS, Linked to Disease Progression Several studies have indicated that the composition of gut bacteria in people with MS is different from that of healthy people. But earlier studies didn’t take into account environmental factors, such as where the study subjects lived or what…

The rates of pregnancy complications are not higher in women with multiple sclerosis (MS) who were using disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) in the earliest stages of pregnancy, a study reported. The study, “Pregnancy outcomes after early fetal exposure to injectable first-line treatments, dimethyl fumarate or natalizumab in…

The likelihood of survival is about 7.5 times higher for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who take their disease-modifying treatments as directed compared with those who do not, an analysis of data from U.S. veterans shows. The study, “Impact of Adherence with Disease-Modifying Therapies on All-Cause…

Novartis said it will petition the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold a patent that protects the dosing regimen of Gilenya (fingolimod) that’s approved for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). The original patent was not set to expire until the end of 2027, which meant generic versions…

Ten weeks of lower limb fast-velocity concentric resistance training (FVCRT) led to muscle strength gains in both the upper and lower limbs in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a recent study. This form of resistance training, which requires muscles to be maximally contracted as quickly as possible…

In people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who show atrophy in a brain region called the thalamus, aerobic fitness is strongly correlated with standardized assessments of cognition and walking ability. However, these associations are not seen for MS patients who don’t have atrophy in the thalamus, according to a new…

Prexasertib, a small molecule inhibitor that’s been tested in clinical trials for cancer, may represent a new strategy for treating multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurodegenerative conditions, a study found. The compound, which inhibits the checkpoint kinase (Chk2) protein, was found to promote nerve cell survival and regeneration after…

T-cells Targeting Epstein-Barr Virus at High Levels in MS Patients The evidence of a link between the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and multiple sclerosis (MS) continues to mount. The current thinking is that the immune responses that fight EBV may drive the attacks against the myelin nerve coating, which is…

Using wearable sensors to monitor gait during daily life may be a promising way to identify people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who have a greater risk of falling, a study found. The study identified a number of gait differences between those who fell in the year and those who…

The composition of bacteria in the gut is altered in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients compared with healthy people in the same household, a new study reports. That bacterial composition is affected by disease-modifying therapies and seems to be associated with disease severity. These findings could aid in developing…

NurOwn, a stem cell therapy being developed by BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics, showed a good safety profile among people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) in an open-label Phase 2 clinical trial, according to new data. The data show the experimental therapy also was associated with promising effects on…

Infection with the stomach bacterium Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) does not appear to protect against the development of multiple sclerosis (MS), a review study has found. However, when researchers focused on studies that used microscopic assessments of tissue instead of other diagnostic methods to detect H. pylori, their data…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who report higher levels of fatigue are more likely to have lower performance scores in tests that evaluate cognitive skills, a study from Ireland suggests. Specifically, poor verbal learning abilities, visual-spatial memory, and information processing speed (IPS) were associated with higher levels of self-reported…

More than half of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients in a small study had active inflammatory brain lesions during a relapse, even when relapse symptoms occurred outside the brain, in areas including the spinal cord or optic nerve, researchers in Spain reported. Less than half of the patients with…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) have significantly more T-cells equipped with receptors that specifically recognize the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) than do healthy individuals, a study revealed. Notably, no such differences were detected for T-cells with receptors specifically against other viruses. These findings add to previous data highlighting EBV infection…

Differences are evident in the perceived frequency of expressions of support needs and disease burden between people with  multiple sclerosis (MS) and their life partners, a Swiss study found. People without MS responded in a survey to feeling their partners’ communication about these issues was more frequent than the…