research

Editor’s note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today news team is providing in-depth and unparalleled coverage of the virtual ACTRIMS Forum 2021, Feb. 25–27. Go here to see the latest stories from the conference. Regulatory immune cells expressing the melanoma cell adhesion molecule (MCAM) dampen inflammation at sites of nerve damage in…

Editor’s note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today news team is providing in-depth and unparalleled coverage of the virtual ACTRIMS Forum 2021, Feb. 25–27. Go here to see all the latest stories from the conference. Higher blood levels of neurofilament light chain (sNfL) were linked with disability, brain atrophy, and other features of…

GeNeuro has completed patient enrollment in its ProTEct-MS Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating temelimab as a treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS), the company announced. The study (NCT04480307), taking place at the Karolinska Institutet’s Academic Specialist Center (ASC) in Stockholm, Sweden, has enrolled 42 people with relapsing MS whose…

The MS Society in the U.K. is hoping to raise £3.7 million ($5.2 million) to fund research aimed at developing new treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS). The funds will support research at the Society’s Centers of Excellence in Edinburgh and Cambridge over five years. “Our top priority…

The 2020 Barancik Prize for Innovation in MS Research has been awarded to neuroscientist Dwight E. Bergles, PhD, a Johns Hopkins University professor, for his work in understanding the function of brain cells in multiple sclerosis (MS). This international prize awards $100,000 to the recipient. Administered by the National MS…

Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) switching from Tysabri (natalizumab) to moderate-efficacy disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) are at a higher risk of showing signs of MS activity and experiencing disability progression than those switching to high-efficacy DMTs, a real-world study found. Based on these findings, the researchers are arguing that,…

Drop in PML With Tysabri Use in Sweden Likely Due to Risk Management Plan I’m JCV-positive, so I’m at risk for PML if I’m being treated with Tysabri. And I was treated with Tysabri for seven years without a problem. That, I believe, is because my neurologist carefully followed…

Sustained, excessive levels of interleukin 17A (IL-17A) — a pro-inflammatory molecule linked to multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune diseases — reduce the number and activity of the brain’s immune cells in the dentate gyrus, according to a study in mice. The dentate gyrus is part of the hippocampus, a…

An antibody analysis has identified two biomarkers that can be used to predict the development of multiple sclerosis (MS) in people with optic neuritis, a study reports.  Further research is, however, required to validate these findings…

Treatment with rituximab before or during pregnancy was not associated with major pregnancy or infant complications, according to a case series of 19 women with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune diseases. These findings add to the limited available evidence on the use of rituximab by expectant mothers either…

Pipeline Therapeutics announced that it has raised $80 million in investor financing to develop neuroregenerative therapies for neurological disorders, including those like multiple sclerosis (MS) that are marked by the loss of myelin. The money will support the research and development of several candidate therapies, with three aimed at promoting and…

Proteins called PSGs suppress the pro-inflammatory activity of immune Th17 cells during pregnancy, potentially playing a protective role against complications and miscarriage, a study finds.  The impaired regulation of Th17 is associated with pregnancy complications, like preeclampsia and preterm delivery — and also with the development…

Childhood trauma can affect disease progression of multiple sclerosis (MS) and treatment in adulthood, a study in mice suggests. The study shows that mice that experienced early-life trauma were more likely to develop an autoimmune condition and less likely to respond to common treatment with interferon beta. The study,…

The levels of KIF5A protein are elevated in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) — the liquid surrounding the brain and spinal cord — of people with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) and, further, are correlated with disease progression measures in patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), a new study shows. These…

Making clinical trials more comparable, consistent, and focused on the biological mechanisms underlying the onset and development of multiple sclerosis (MS) are all key to more quickly realizing new treatments for progressive MS, according to the International Progressive MS Alliance. To attain these goals, the Alliance, a worldwide…

Asymptomatic damage to spinal nerves occurs even in clinically stable cases of multiple sclerosis (MS) and carries an increased risk for further lesions, a recent study suggests. Although a firm link between the asymptomatic loss of myelin in the spine and worsening disability remains to be found, this work…

Women with multiple sclerosis (MS) are not at a higher risk than those without the disease of having pregnancy complications, such as gestational diabetes, requiring an emergency cesarean section (c-section), or having a preterm or stillbirth delivery, according to the results of a new study. Yet, the study’s findings…

An estrogen-based therapy, called indazole chloride (IndCl), was shown to protect against optic nerve damage in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS), a study reported. IndCl may help to improve vision in people with the disease, but…

Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada have given CA$400,000 (about $312,500) to support a pilot clinical trial investigating the potential of metformin, a common diabetes therapy, to treat children and young adults with multiple sclerosis (MS). The Phase 1/2 feasibility trial (NCT04121468) is recruiting up to 30…

A novel medication targeting the protein folate receptor-beta (FR-beta) decreased inflammation and brain damage in a rat model of multiple sclerosis (MS). The findings were published in the Journal of Neuroinflammation, in the study “Efficacy and tolerability of folate-aminopterin therapy in a rat focal model of…

A $2.5 million donation from the Simon Family Trust is supporting the creation of a new center of expertise to help in the development of new therapies for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological diseases. The new center is being launched by researchers from Gladstone Institutes and the…

Teams of scientists at the University of Toronto are sharing a nearly CA$21 million (about $16.36 million) award into research that might lead to self-repair treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological disorders, the university announced in a press release. Eleven teams at the university and its…

Rituximab shows long-term benefits, even among people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) who stopped its use or reduced their dose, a study reported. Researchers found little evidence of disease reactivation among patients who discontinued the medication, and an adequate inflammatory disease suppression…

A medical website’s headline screamed, “Breakthrough Multiple Sclerosis Vaccine Shows Impressive Results In Study.” The New York Daily News joined in, highlighting a potential “breakthrough” vaccine. Other media outlets also were using similar adjectives earlier this month. Unfortunately, it’s normal media hype. I suspect some of it was was…

Levels of neurofilament light (NfL), a protein marker of neuronal damage, appear to capture some aspects of patient‐perceived physical and functional abilities with multiple sclerosis (MS), as well as their utilization of select healthcare services, a real-world study suggests. Its researchers, however, stress that more work is needed before NfL levels…

A newly identified subset of astrocytes — cells long thought to be responsible for simply providing nutrition and support to neurons — can prevent brain inflammation by promoting the destruction of pro-inflammatory immune T-cells, scientists report. Their work also found that the anti-inflammatory activity of this astrocyte subpopulation is dependent on…

Multiple sclerosis (MS)-associated inflammation in the cerebral cortex — the outermost layer of the brain that is involved in cognitive function — prompts the destruction of neural connections by specific immune cells, according to a study in a mouse model of MS. These immune cells targeted dendritic spines (nerve…

People with primary progressive MS (PPMS) appeared to show a much stronger response and to be the” driving” force behind a slowing in brain atrophy seen with ibudilast treatment in the SPRINT‐MS trial, a post-hoc study analysis reports. The treatment response observed in brain atrophy was more evident…

Clene Awaits US Patent Covering Gold Nanocrystals’ Use in Treating MS This is a different approach to MS treatment. It uses very tiny crystals to produce a chemical reaction. It is hoped that this reaction will protect neurons and help to generate myelin. So far, there have only been…

The upcoming Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) 2021 Forum will focus on the spectrums of multiple sclerosis (MS), related inflammation, disease severity, and the latest findings in the field. According to an ACTRIMS press release, about 1,000 researchers and clinicians are expected to…