A ketogenic diet — a very low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet — rich in long-chain, saturated fatty acids like those in butter and fatty red meat didn’t reduce optic nerve damage in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS), a study shows. Instead, feeding mice this type of diet before the…
research
The first person with multiple sclerosis (MS) has been successfully imaged in a clinical trial evaluating a new positron emission tomography (PET) tracer designed to detect changes in myelin loss, or demyelination. The Phase 1 study (NCT04699747), a joint effort between Quantum Biopharma and Massachusetts…
A multicenter Phase 2a clinical trial testing foralumab nasal spray in people with nonactive secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) has begun dosing patients at Weill Cornell Medicine Multiple Sclerosis Center in New York. The Phase 2a study (NCT06292923) is assessing the safety and efficacy of Tiziana Life Sciences‘ therapy,…
In people with benign relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) who have minimal disease activity, there is a loss of overall brain tissue but specific parts of the brain may grow to help compensate for the damage, a new study indicates. The study, “AI-driven MRI analysis reveals brain…
People who develop multiple sclerosis (MS) at a younger age tend to consistently have better physical health but worse mental health than those diagnosed later, a study found. While physical health declined in the long term for all age groups, and mental health increased, the differences between groups were…
Hormone therapies used in gender-affirming care for transgender people may affect disease activity in multiple sclerosis (MS), a small new study reports, although its researchers cautioned that more research is are needed to more comprehensively assess its impact in MS. The study, “Gender-affirming interventions and prognosis…
Gum disease caused by the bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) is associated with worse multiple sclerosis (MS) in a mouse model of the disease, a study shows. Infection with Pg directly or indirectly boosted pro-inflammatory pathways in immune cells in the spleen, where they’re produced, thereby aggravating MS. These effects…
An experimental medicine, 2-D08, boosts motor function in mice and primate models of multiple sclerosis (MS) by repairing the myelin sheath, the protective coating on nerve fibers that’s damaged in people with the neurodegenerative condition, a study showed. 2-D08 also outperformed the approved therapy dalfampridine, sold as Ampyra…
Enrollment is now complete in the twin Phase 3 clinical trials testing Immunic Therapeutics‘ oral small molecule vidofludimus calcium in adults with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). ENSURE-1 (NCT05134441) has enrolled 1,121 patients and ENSURE-2 (NCT05201638) has enrolled 1,100 patients at more than 100…
Children with pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (POMS) experience biological aging at a faster rate than children without the disease, a study shows. “We found evidence that children living with MS experience accelerated biological aging,” Jennifer Graves, MD, PhD, senior author of the study at the University of California, San Diego,…
Infections and stressful life events in childhood may increase the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), while childhood exercise is associated with lower MS risk, according to a study. The findings, part of the German National Cohort (NAKO) population study, imply that programs to encourage physical activity and prevent…
Task-oriented training may help balance issues for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), particularly when combined with conventional physiotherapy, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis. But the study came with a note of caution. “These findings suggest inconsistent outcomes and highlight the need for cautious interpretation and further research,”…
Body mass index (BMI), a measure commonly used measure of body fat based on a person’s height and weight, does not seem to affect responses to stem cell transplant in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a study found. While the efficacy of an autologous transplant — one that…
Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) appears to be safe and effective for children and adolescents with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to real-world data from Kuwait. After about 15 months of treatment, more than 90% of patients with pediatric-onset MS (POMS) remained free of relapses, and most also showed no new…
Among people in New Zealand, the proportion of individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) — the disease’s prevalence, or how common it is — has grown by about one-third in recent decades, a new study found. In 2006, 72.4 of every 100,000 people who lived in the country had MS,…
People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who have chronic lower body pain show distinct changes in how they walk, including significantly slower gait speed, than those without pain, a study reports. Those with chronic lower body pain also took fewer and shorter steps, had longer step durations, and had…
Almost two years of treatment with fenebrutinib — an investigational oral tablet for multiple sclerosis (MS) — helped patients with relapsing forms of the disease remain nearly free of relapses and disability progression. That’s according to new data from the open-label extension of FENopta (NCT05119569), a Phase…
Alvotech, a developer of biosimilar medicines, is expanding its partnership with Advanz Pharma to commercialize three new products in Europe — one of them a biosimilar of Kesimpta (ofatumumab), a drug used for treating multiple sclerosis (MS). Biosimilars are therapies that have no clinically meaningful differences…
Children with pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (MS) tend to use more healthcare resources than their peers, starting from birth and escalating until the onset of their symptoms, a study reports. Young people who developed MS visited physicians earlier in life and in the six years before they first had…
Pro-inflammatory signaling molecules that have been implicated in multiple sclerosis (MS) cause problems with the growth and development of myelin-making cells in the brain, according to a study done in cell models. The findings may have implications for treating MS, as promoting the growth of myelin-making cells could be…
The use of B-cell depleting therapies does not increase the risk of an infection with COVID-19 among people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who have been vaccinated, according to the findings of a new study by U.S. researchers. While such treatments did compromise the body’s ability to develop antibodies against…
As a whole, disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for multiple sclerosis (MS) tend to reduce the risk of stroke among patients, though their impact varies depending on the type of medication that’s taken. Those are the findings of a new analysis of published studies by scientists in Europe, who noted…
While subtle symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) — like muscle weakness, fatigue, and numbness or unusual sensations — are often overlooked in individuals with minimal disability, more detailed clinical tools can help detect these early signs, according to a new study from Italy. Moreover, such tools — including wearable…
People who experience adversity during childhood, such as abuse or neglect, may be at increased risk of multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune diseases, but available data that supports this association is generally low quality, a study reports. “Drawing concrete treatment recommendations is premature, given the low certainty of…
Clemastine fumarate, an antihistamine, boosted disease progression by more than five times in adults with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), according to data from a Phase 1/2 trial. “Likely nobody in the MS field, us included, knew about this potential [clemastine] toxicity until we collected the data presented here,” the…
A particular finding on an MRI scan, called the central vein sign (CVS), is sufficient to support a multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis without the need for an invasive lumbar puncture, a new U.K. study suggests. The presence of six lesions with a CVS, where a vein is found…
MS Canada is inviting people across the country to support the multiple sclerosis (MS) community and help raise funds for research and support programs by joining a 2025 MS Walk this Sunday, May 25. More than 50 in-person walks are planned in locations across all provinces in Canada,…
The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) — a well-established risk factor for multiple sclerosis (MS) — is able to alter the movements of infected immune cells, a new study reveals. The findings shed new light on how EBV may set the stage for MS to develop, and could potentially form…
A 10-week program that combines cognitive behavioral therapy — a technique focused on understanding the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors — with cognitive training to improve memory, attention, and problem-solving skills may enhance memory, boost vitality, and help people with multiple sclerosis (MS) develop effective coping strategies. “These…
Factors including being male, smoking, and having more frequent relapses are linked to significantly increased risk of disease progression in multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a meta-analysis of several published studies. Other variables linked to disease progression included disability score and the use of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs). “Hence,…