research

Blocking a particular receptor protein of the BMP signaling pathway effectively promoted the maturation of myelin-producing cells and myelin repair in two mouse models of multiple sclerosis (MS), a study showed. Notably, these benefits, observed even after disease onset, took place in the presence of fibrinogen, a blood clotting…

Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) reduces relapse risk and slows disability progression in multiple sclerosis (MS) but also is associated with higher hospitalization rates in older people with relapsing forms of the disease, a new observational study reports. Hospitalizations — which occurred mainly due to urinary tract infections — were more frequent…

A new research project, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), aims to better understand how different types of cells in the nervous system — specifically neurons and glia cells — communicate with each other and ultimately affect both motor and non-motor functions. Its findings may have important implications…

NervGen Pharma announced that its Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating the safety and pharmacological properties of NVG-291 — its lead therapeutic candidate for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurologic conditions — in healthy volunteers is going according to plan, with early top-line data expected later this year. “The…

A variation in a gene called STK11, previously shown to increase the risk for multiple sclerosis (MS) among Caucasians, is now also linked to a greater likelihood of MS in Black people. In fact, the variation was significantly more common in Black MS patients with secondary progressive MS (SPMS),…

Cytocom has joined forces with La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) to discover and develop new immune-modulating therapies targeting toll-like receptors (TLRs) for autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), cancer, and infectious and chronic inflammatory conditions. TLRs are an important family of protein receptors found at the surface…

Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) does not have a substantial effect on blood pressure or platelet counts, and does not lead to bleeding in the brain of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, according to a small Belgian study. The findings contrast with previous studies showing an increase in blood pressure, stroke, and…

Visits to the hospital related to multiple sclerosis (MS) are more common when it’s hot or when temperatures are more variable, but less likely to be needed when it’s humid, a new analysis suggests. The results were published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, in…

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who experienced relapses in the previous year are more likely to have better adherence to their current treatment regimen, a cross-sectional study reports. The research also identified associations between treatment adherence and a lower body mass index (BMI), and between better perceived mental health…

A nurse and PhD candidate with multiple sclerosis (MS) is looking for disease biomarkers that can help healthcare providers better estimate how individual cases of MS will progress. The goal of Stephanie Buxhoeveden’s research, now supported by a grant from the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), is…

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Sonoma Biotherapeutics has raised $265 million in investment funding to support the development and production of novel immune T-cell therapies to treat severe autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS). “We are ushering in a new era of medicine, using immune cells as living therapies that…

Clene’s investigational oral therapy CNM-Au8 improved energy metabolism in the brain of adults with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), according to top-line results from the REPAIR-MS trial. This open-label Phase 2 pilot study (NCT03993171), taking place in Texas, is running in parallel with REPAIR-PD, another Phase 2…

Treatment with the diabetes medication metformin was seen to lessen cognitive impairment, improve coordination, and normalize neuronal activity in a rat model of multiple sclerosis (MS). The study reporting these findings, “Evaluation of the effects of metformin as adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase activator on spatial learning and…

A natural, small molecule called 3-HKA) has shown potent anti-inflammatory activity in lab tests and mouse models of immune-related diseases, a study found. The findings suggest that molecules that mimic 3-HKA (3-hydroxy-L-kynurenamine) may serve as broad-acting therapeutics to protect against inflammation in several autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, including multiple…

Larger declines with treatment in blood levels of neurofilament light chain (NfL), a marker of nerve cell damage, are associated with fewer brain lesions, less brain shrinkage, and lower relapse rates in people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), a study reported. These results, based on a post-hoc analysis…

FDA Greenlights Stem Cells Trial Aiming to Improve Quality of Life I’m pleased every time I see stem cell research being approved. Hopefully, this will move us closer to approval in the U.S. for the use of stem cells as a treatment for MS. In this research, patients are…

Is orelabrutinib one of the next big MS therapies? Biogen is betting at least $125 million that it is. Orelabrutinib is an experimental oral BTK inhibitor (BTKi). BTKi’s are designed to selectively block an enzyme that’s important for the activation of B-cells and microglia. Some of those immune cells…

People who develop multiple sclerosis (MS) in childhood have more difficulty recognizing words and faces than healthy individuals, a small study found. The volume of certain structures of the limbic system — a part of the brain involved in memory and emotion — is smaller in those with MS,…

A signaling protein called fractalkine helps to regulate the development of oligodendrocytes, cells of the nervous system responsible for making myelin — the protecting coating of nerve cell fibers that is damaged and lost in multiple sclerosis (MS). This finding was in the study, “Fractalkine signaling regulates…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given the green light to a Phase 2 clinical trial that will assess the efficacy of using adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to treat the symptoms of mild to moderate multiple sclerosis (MS). The non-profit Hope Biosciences Stem Cell Research Foundation (HBSCRF),…

Subtle changes in structure in the hippocampus — a region of the brain involved in processing memories — can differentiate between relapsing-remitting and primary progressive multiple sclerosis, according to a new study. The study, “Unraveling the MRI-Based Microstructural Signatures Behind Primary Progressive and Relapsing–Remitting Multiple Sclerosis Phenotypes,”…

Removing an ion channel called Piezo1 from immune T-cells lessened disease severity in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS), a study showed. Notably, these beneficial effects were associated with an expansion of regulatory T-cells (Tregs) — a type of immune cell that typically dampens immune and inflammatory responses —…

Hypertension — high blood pressure — triples the risk of severe walking disability in Hispanic and Latino people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a new observational study reports. The study, “Hypertension and hypertension severity in Hispanics/Latinx with MS,” was published in the Multiple Sclerosis Journal. Although…

Skin reactions are common among relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients being treated with oral Mavenclad (cladribine), affecting about one-third of the people evaluated in a real-world study in Germany. These findings suggest the need for careful clinical surveillance to rapidly diagnose and possibly treat skin problems stemming from Mavenclad’s use,…

Genetic susceptibility to multiple sclerosis (MS) depends on an individual’s particular combination of multiple risk variants, a study reveals. The study, “Genetic susceptibility to multiple sclerosis: interactions between conserved extended haplotypes of the MHC and other susceptibility regions,” was published in the journal BMC Medical…

Nerve tissue scars associated with multiple sclerosis (MS) show marked differences from those of similar neurodegenerative disorders, according to a recent study. MS-associated inflammation causes brain and spinal cord lesions (nerve tissue scarring) that often are bigger and last longer than those of two other demyelinating diseases: myelin oligodendrocyte…

NervGen Pharma announced the formation of its multiple sclerosis (MS) clinical advisory board, a group of experts who will work with the company as it prepares to start a Phase 2 clinical trial next year testing its lead compound, NVG-291, in people with MS. “We are honored to…

OM1, a technology company focused on chronic conditions, announced that it has launched a multiple sclerosis (MS) registry to generate data that may ultimately be used to improve care and develop treatments for the disease. The OM1 registry is being touted as the largest, most representative MS data…

Isoflavone-rich diets boost gut health and lessen multiple sclerosis (MS) severity, a new study in mice suggests. In the study, mice with MS that were fed a diet rich in isoflavone — a plant-based compound — developed diverse and abundant gut bacteria, particularly isoflavone-digesting bacteria, which produced compounds that…