research

A high genetic risk for multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with structural alterations in white matter — brain regions composed mainly of nerve fibers — in childhood, findings from a large study show. Brain volume, however, was not affected by genetic risk in the more than 2,000 children whose…

A variant of the HLA-DRB1 gene — called HLA-DRB1*03 — appears to predispose people to developing multiple sclerosis (MS) in childhood, and to correlate with greater disease activity among those who do, a study in Greek patients suggests. The research also points to a protective role of one other variant of this…

Ursolic acid, a compound found in some herbs and in the peels of certain fruits, promoted nerve cell repair and restored the myelin sheath covering and protecting nerve endings in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS), a study reported. Due to its strong anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory…

The Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society have created a new database to track COVID-19 infections in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and related diseases. The database, called COViMS (COVID-19 Infections in Multiple Sclerosis and Related Diseases),…

Changing the gut’s microbial community (microbiota) with antibiotics prevented the development of multiple sclerosis (MS), but not its progression after the disease was established, data from a mouse model of the disease show. These findings support evidence that microbiota manipulations affect inflammatory immune responses involved in MS development, but…

The small variants seen in the DNA code among individuals may affect the ability of oligodendrocytes to produce myelin, the protective coat surrounding neurons and whose destruction is a hallmark of multiple sclerosis (MS), a study reported. These findings open the possibility of new therapeutic options that target the…

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Atara Biotherapeutics has temporarily paused patient enrollment in the second and randomized part of its ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial investigating ATA188 in people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). People treated in the first, open-label part of this trial, however,…

People exposed to secondhand cigarette smoke during adolescence may be more likely to develop multiple sclerosis (MS) later in life, a study suggests. The study, “Exposure to passive smoking during adolescence is associated with an increased risk of developing multiple sclerosis,” was published in the Multiple…

New or worsening headaches are a more common side effect of interferon-beta (IFN-beta) treatment in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) than previously appreciated, a new study suggests. The study, “Interferon-Beta-Induced Headache in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis: Frequency and Characterization,” was published in the Journal of Pain Research.

For multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with considerable disability, Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) appears to lower the risk of continued progression in both relapsing and primary progressive forms of the disease, data from an exploratory and post-hoc analysis of three Phase 3 trials report. These findings were in the study, “…

A study from Spain found the diet of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients to contain more fat and protein, and fewer carbohydrates, than recommended, which was linked to abdominal weight gain and higher levels of inflammation. As “an excessive intake of lipids” is known to be “related to oxidative stress…

Truxima, a biosimilar of rituximab, is comparable to the originator therapy in terms of effectiveness and safety for treating multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study suggests. Rituximab — marketed as Rituxan in the United States — is an antibody-based therapy that works by killing B-cells, which are immune cells…

A nerve cell protein found in the blood shows potential as a biomarker of neuroinflammation and future neurodegeneration in the early stages of multiple sclerosis (MS), a study reports. The protein, called serum neurofilament light chain (sNfL), is a known marker of injury to axons (nerve…

Researchers developed a way of reprograming cells to use synthetic materials — provided by the team — to create artificial, working structures within or about the cells. This approach may be a way to reprogram nerve cells to produce myelin-like protective polymers — large molecules made of many repeating…

Continuous production of fatty molecules (lipids) is crucial to the maintenance of the myelin sheath that wraps nerve fibers to protect them, ensuring the transmission of electrical impulses between nerve cells, a study reported. These findings may have strong implications for treating disorders caused by myelin loss, including…

A planned Phase 2 clinical trial of a potential treatment for progressive multiple sclerosis has been postponed to keep hospital resources open to treat people with COVID-19 during the ongoing global outbreak, and to reduce the risk of exposure to MS patients, GeNeuro, the investigate therapy’s developer, announced. The…

Ethnicity does not seem to have an influence on the degree of cognitive impairment seen in patients at the early stages of multiple sclerosis (MS), a U.S.-based study suggests. The study, “Race, ethnicity, and cognition in persons newly diagnosed with multiple sclerosis,” was published in the…

Older age, a greater number of health conditions, and prior hospital admissions are associated with more hospitalizations due to all causes among people with multiple sclerosis (MS). However, MS-related hospitalizations decrease as patients age, and are less frequent among women, according to a study analyzing more than two decades…

The risk of invasive cancer may be slightly higher in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients treated with Gilenya (fingolimod) compared with those treated with rituximab, and with people from the general population, a Swedish study suggests. The study, “Cancer Risk for Fingolimod, Natalizumab, and Rituximab…

A new test involving a virtual reality simulation was able to detect balance issues in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), potentially allowing doctors to identify whether a patient is at risk of falling despite having no apparent problems with walking, according to new research. The results of the study,…

An investigational therapy that uses nanocrystals of gold to help the brain repair itself represents a breakthrough in the multiple sclerosis (MS) field, says Clene Nanomedicine‘s chief medical officer Robert Glanzman. Glanzman, MD, recently presented promising results at the ACTRIMS Forum 2020 indicating that Clene’s lead…

A short-chain fatty acid produced by gut bacteria helps to counteract inflammatory responses in multiple sclerosis (MS) by promoting greater numbers of regulatory immune cells, a study reports. But the bacterial composition of the gut (its microbiome) of MS patients is deficient in bacteria that produce this acid —…

Starting treatment with a disease-modifying therapy (DMT) reduces blood levels of neurofilament light chain (NfL) — a potential biomarker of disease progression and activity — to varying degrees depending on the therapy used, according to a large real-world study of patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The findings support…

As multiple sclerosis (MS) patients live longer, researchers have observed similarities between changes in their brains and in the brains of Alzheimer‘s patients, a study found. Understanding whether these changes are the result of worsening MS-related neurodegeneration or co-occuring (comorbid) Alzheimer’s disease will help guide better treatment…

The Partners Multiple Sclerosis Center at Brigham and Women’s Hospital has joined BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics in a Phase 2 trial exploring the safety and efficacy of NurOwn in the treatment of progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). This is the fifth and final clinical site participating in…

What science has told us about how diet might influence a person’s risk of multiple sclerosis and a patient’s disease course was the topic of discussion at a recent MS conference. Ellen Mowry, MD, a researcher and professor of neurology at John Hopkins, also reviewed some of the dietary…

Janssen has submitted an application to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) asking that ponesimod be approved as an oral treatment for adults with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) in the European Union. Ponesimod (formerly ACT-128800) is an experimental treatment that targets the sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor…

Treatment for two months with N-acetylcysteine, or NAC — a natural molecule that enhances the levels of antioxidants — significantly improved metabolic activity in certain brain regions among people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a small clinical study reports. This increase in metabolic activity was accompanied by improvements…

Modulating the bacteria that reside in the gut by treating multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with probiotics, fecal transplants, or gut-related microRNAs may help to ease inflammation and disease severity, researchers with Brigham and Women’s Hospital suggest. Howard Weiner, MD, a group leader at the hospital, presented his team’s findings on…

A signaling molecule of the immune system called interleukin 13 (IL-13) may modulate the function of key immune cells involved in multiple sclerosis (MS), and their migration through the barrier that protects the brain and spinal cord. IL-13 is an “attractive molecule” and a potential avenue for treating MS,…