research

The year’s largest gathering of multiple sclerosis “minds” starts on Oct. 25 in Paris. More than 8,000 neurologists, researchers and others who specialize in treating and curing MS will be attending MSParis2017. It’s a joint meeting of the European and the Americas Committee for Research in Multiple Sclerosis…

Genentech will present a host of new information on its multiple sclerosis treatment Ocrevus and lessons its scientists have learned about the disease at the 7th Joint ECTRIMS-ACTRIMS Meeting in Paris, Oct. 25–28. The presentations will offer new insights into the therapy's mechanisms, safety and effectiveness in people with the primary progressive and relapsing forms of MS. They will also look at new ways to track MS, including additional biomarker possibilities. MS experts say the joint meeting of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) and Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) is one of the largest global congregations of scientists working on the disease. The information Genentech plans to present will demonstrate "the commitment of our scientists and research partners to advance understanding of MS progression through ongoing analyses of the Ocrevus Phase 3 clinical trials,” Dr. Sandra Horning, the company's chief medical officer and head of its Global Product Development arm, said in a press release. Genentech, which is part of the Roche group, said the 18 presentations will represent the largest body of evidence ever presented on Ocrevus. The discussions will reinforce the therapy's favorable benefit-risk profile, Genentech added. Two presentations will cover new ways that doctors can look for signs of disease activity that can lead to disability. One yardstick is called progression independent of relapse activity, or PIRA. Another is tracking slowly evolving lesions. Genentech researchers came up with the approaches when they analyzed a subgroup of patients in the OPERA I and OPERA II Phase 3 clincal trials, whose aim was to evaluate Ocrevus as a treatment for relapsing MS. The patients' disease progressed even though they had no relapses, researchers said. The team will also discuss how Ocrevus affected these patients' disease. Another presentation will cover long-term follow-up data from an extension of the ORATORIO Phase 3 clinical trial (NCT01194570), which dealt with Ocrevus' ability to treat primary progressive MS. It will   look at how well Ocrevus slowed the progression of patients' disability. Updated information on Ocrevus’ safety —  based on open-label extension studies — will be another component of the presentations. So far, researchers have detected no new safety issues. Genentech will also discuss a new way of using conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to identify and track slowly evolving lesions. The company's scientists think that tracking the lesions may be a good way to measure chronic disease activity. This would contrast with tracking ordinary MS lesions, which are biomarkers of acute — as opposed to chronic — disease activity. In addition to "two new potential markers of underlying disease activity and their impact on disease progression, we hope to bring new tools to the MS community to better understand and manage the disease,” Horning said. One tool, which Genentech has begun testing in clinical trials, is gathering patient information with sensors connected to a smartphone. Researchers are comparing the information obtained in the FLOODLIGHT study with what physicians record during patient visits. The research team believes the FLOODLIGHT method may be be able to detect subtle changes better. This could make it a better predictor of disease activity and long-term patient outcomes. In addition to the presentations, Genentech will sponsor two symposia at the meeting that will discuss how MS progresses, features of the chronic version of the disease, and the link between inflammation and the progression of MS. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Ocrevus in March 2017.  

BC Platforms announced that Biogen and the Accelerated Cure Project (ACP) will use its platform to advance research in multiple sclerosis (MS) by bringing data collected through clinical trials, biobanks and the like directly to researchers and other experts in the field. Microsoft is also a project partner,…

Common Allergy Treatment Restores Protective Neuron Coating in MS, Trial Suggests This is the kind of news we all hope to hear. A treatment that will repair our frayed “wires” and, in doing so, restore some of the function that MS has stolen from us. This is…

Researchers found a significant increase in some types of gut bacteria and lower levels of an anti-inflammatory factor in untreated multiple sclerosis twins. The study offered working evidence that components of gut microbiota contribute to autoimmune diseases like MS. Researchers published their article in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.It was titled "Gut microbiota from multiple sclerosis patients enables spontaneous autoimmune encephalomyelitis in mice." Our gut contains millions of good bacteria, fungi, bacteria-like archaea, and viruses that we can't live without. Although there are 300 to 1,000 species of bacteria in our gut, most of our intestines is populated with 30 or 40 species. Recent increases in knowledge and technical advancements have made it possible for scientists to measure the equilibrium between different species in the gut, and analyze their influence on our health. One discovery was a link between the balance of bacteria in the intestines and autoimmune diseases like MS. A team of researchers decided to see if differences in gut microbiota play a role in MS progression and perhaps its onset. They analyzed the feces of 34 identical twins, one of each who had MS and one of each who didn't. They used twins to try to reduce genetic and environmental differences' influence on the onset of the disease. All of those with MS were Caucasian and had grown up with their healthy twin to adulthood. Researchers analyzed the type and abundance of microorganisms in the feces of both the MS-affected and healthy twins. They found no differences in species or amount of bacteria between siblings. What they did find was a significant increase in some types of bacteria, such as Akkermansia, in untreated twins with MS. The team transplanted fecal samples from MS-affected and healthy twins into a mice model of MS called experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. These animals have an inflammatory myelin-destroying disease of the central nervous system that is comparable to human MS. Myelin is a protective coating around neurons whose loss is associated with MS. MS twin-derived gut microbiota caused a significantly higher amount of mice to develop a relapsing–remitting autoimmunity similar to MS than healthy twin-derived microbiota. When researchers measured the microbial profiles of the mice's feces, they found significant differences in amounts of bacteria. The most important difference was in Sutterella, an organism that helps protect against inflammation. Sutturella levels were significantly reduced in the feces of mice transplanted with MS twin-derived microbiota compared with feces from healthy twins. The team also measured the mice's immune cells and the proteins they release. They discovered that immune cells in mice with MS-twin feces transplants produced less of the anti-inflammatory factor IL-10 than immune cells from mice colonized with healthy-twin samples. IL-10, or interleukin 10, is an important immune protein. When researchers transplanted the feces of healthy twins into the mice, then gave them an antibody that blocks the function of IL-10, they also became sick. This indicated that IL-10 may temper autoimmunity in the central nervous system. The team then measured the twins' immune blood components. They found that the healthy twin had higher quantities of IL-10 than the MS-affected one. This is a complex issue in which very subtle differences of type and amount of bacteria in the gut can have considerable consequences, they added.  

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans of children could reveal changes associated with multiple sclerosis (MS) before any symptoms are developed, according to a study by scientists at Yale University School of Medicine. The findings suggest that brain and spinal cord scans can identify children at high risk for developing MS.

Scientists have been trying to find a way to restore a protective covering around nerve cells whose loss leads to the neuron damage associated with multiple sclerosis. A team at the University of California, San Francisco may have found a way to do it. And perhaps surprisingly, the possible solution…

A higher intake of dietary sodium, most often in the form of salt, does not increase the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), Norwegian researchers concluded after analyzing data from more than 175,000 women. Their findings counter earlier evidence from experimental studies in cells and MS mouse models that suggested…

Diet can play an important role in whether children with relapsing multiple sclerosis have a relapse, researchers at the University of California, San Francisco argue. Their study demonstrated that a diet with a lot of fat increases the risk of a youngster having a relapse by 56 percent, with saturated fat tripling the risk. Eating a lot of vegetables, on the other hand, cuts the risk in half, the team said. Since children with MS tend to have relapses more often than adults, the researchers figured they would be a suitable group to study diet's impact on relapse. They recruited 219 children with relapsing-remitting MS or clinically isolated syndrome from 11 centers across the U.S. Clinically isolated syndrome is a condition that can evolve in MS. The research team use a questionnaire known as the Block Kids Food Screener to analyze what the youngsters ate. They tracked the children an average of almost two years, which was plenty of time for relapses to occur. And, in fact, they did occur in 42.5 percent of the group. It turned out that fat had a particularly devastating effect on the youngsters' relapse rate. For every 10 percent increase in energy intake that came from fat, there was a 56 percent increase in the children's risk of having a relapse. Saturated fats were the biggest driver of risk. When researchers look only at these fats, they discovered that the risk more than tripled. Examples of saturated fats include processed meats such as sausages, ham, and burgers, butter, hard cheeses, and whole milk. Vegetables had the opposite effect on risk, the researchers observed. Using a cup equivalent as a standardized measure, they learned that for every additional cup of vegetables the children ate, the risk of a relapse dropped in half. To exclude the possibility that other factors influenced the results, the team included information about age, sex, ethnicity, duration of disease, body mass index, treatment, and D-vitamin levels in their analyses. This did not influence the results. The team also looked at whether other food components, such as sugar, iron, fruit and fiber, would affect the risk of relapse. They did not find any links. Although the risk associations were strong, the researchers cautioned that the study's observational design meant that it was not able to prove that fat causes relapses. But there are several ways that fat could play a role in disease processes, they argued. For instance, high fat intake triggers the release of inflammation-promoting molecules. It also affectsf gut bacteria that are linked to immune processes. Vegetables lower the risk of inflammation and immune problems, the team said. In an accompanying editorial, Dr. Kathryn Fitzgerald of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine said the study had important limitations. Researchers gathered information on the children's diet only in the week before they enrolled in the study. This might not adequately capture more long-term dietary patterns, she said. And fat is not simply fat, she pointed out, arguing that fish oil is believed to help MS patients. Although the California research offers insight, she called for long-term studies to define diet's role in MS.

Spain’s Oryzon Genomics will offer new data on the preclinical efficacy of ORY-2001, an epigenetic modulator it is developing to treat  multiple sclerosis (MS). Its presentation is set for Oct. 26 at MSParis2017, the joint international meeting of the European and Americas Committees for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis…

Pain, walking problems and fatigue are factors that most strongly lower self-perceived health in multiple sclerosis (MS), researchers at the New York University Langone Medical Center have found. This challenges current treatment approaches focus mainly on physical disability. It suggests that “invisible disability” may be more important to how patients…

The discovery of an immune cell quality control mission may have put scientists a step closer to understanding how autoimmune conditions such as multiple sclerosis arise. University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers identified regulatory immune cells with the quality control mission of destroying antibody-producing B-cells that mistakenly target the body's own tissue after an infection. An autoimmune disease is one in which the immune system attacks healthy tissue or organs instead of invaders. Eventually, the insight could lead researchers to new approaches for treating MS and other conditions caused by aberrant immune reactions. The Alabama researchers were studying the processes involved in the body's defense against a real threat — the influenza virus — when they discovered a population of immune cells whose action is relevant to autoimmune diseases. The study noted that T follicular regulatory cells appeared in the late stages of influenza infection. Their objective was to prevent the immune system from generating self-reactive antibodies — that is, those that attack the body's own tissue. These cells are poorly understood, the researchers explained. Their experiments, published in the journal Nature Immunology, focused on the molecular events surrounding the cells’ actions.  The team discovered that about a week after the infection, levels of an immune regulator called the IL-2 protein increased. This triggered the multiplication of common regulatory T-cells, or Tregs. When this phase of the immune reaction was fading, TFR cells started multiplying, reaching peak numbers about a month after infection. The formation of the TFR cells was therefore tightly linked to the processes controlling Treg production, researchers said, with falling levels of IL-2 allowing the new phase of the immune response. The TFR cells migrated to the lymph nodes — the headquarters of antibody-producing B-cells. Here, B-cells proliferate and change their antibody-producing genes to create new, stronger antibodies. But sometimes the gene changes, or mutations, give rise to an antibody that attacks the body, instead of invaders. Researchers discovered that TFR cells prevented B-cells, which gave rise to autoantibodies, from accumulating in the lymph nodes. Importantly, the TFR cells had no impact on the immune processes targeting the influenza virus. When researchers prevented TFR cells from forming or removed them from mice, the animals started producing autoantibodies, they explained. While this suggested that people with autoimmune diseases may have flawed TFR processes, the study did not investigate this, making the topic a possibility for future studies.

Nimbus Therapeutics and Celgene have agreed to work together to identify potential therapeutic compounds that can specifically target Tyk2 and STING — two proteins involved in inflammation and innate immune response. This strategic collaboration can open new therapeutic avenues for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) and several autoimmune disorders. Nimbus, headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, applies chemical computational analysis to identify and develop new compounds with potential for therapeutic use in a range of diseases. Two Nimbus immunology programs are already covered under the newly established agreement: one developing inhibitors of Tyk2 and antagonists of STING protein. Tyk2, or tyrosine kinase 2, mediates the signaling of several pro-inflammatory proteins, including interleukin (IL)-23, IL-12 and type-I interferons. Inhibiting this enzyme can stop signals from passing through. This can potentially impair inflammatory response. STING, or stimulator of interferon genes, is an important activator of immune responses. As such, finding ways to block its activity can help prevent autoimmunity and reestablish immune response balance. Under their accord, Nimbus will control the program's research and development; Celgene will have the option to acquire each program covered by the alliance.

Groundbreaking evidence of the existence of lymphatic vessels in the human brain could answer the question of how the brain gets rid of waste products, and holds clear implications for neuroinflammatory disorders such as multiple sclerosis. The lymphatic system is a network that helps the body to rid itself of toxins and waste products. Lymphatic vessels, which are similar to blood vessels, transport a clear fluid – lymph – which is filtered in lymph nodes. It has long been thought that the brain lacks lymphatic vessels. However, a team of researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), building on previous research in rodent brains, recently found evidence that the brain may actually drain waste through lymphatic vessels. The researchers injected healthy volunteers with a magnetic dye called gadobutrol, which is usually used as a contrast agent to image blood vessels. They then scanned the brains of these individuals using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) under specific settings. This allowed them to view the dye within the outer layer of the brain, known as the dura. The MRI revealed that the dye was visible both as dots and straight lines, which might indicate lymph vessels. This suggested that the dye leaked out of blood vessels into the dura and were later 'picked up' by lymphatic vessels. These vessels were not seen when the volunteers were injected with another dye that does not leak out of blood vessels. Evidence of lymphatic vessels in the brain was also found in autopsied human brain tissue. Although a pair of 2015 studies had shown evidence of lymphatic vessels in the brains of mice, this is the first study that demonstrates that a similar system exists in human brains. “For years we knew how fluid entered the brain. Now we may finally see that, like other organs in the body, brain fluid can drain out through the lymphatic system,” Reich said . In addition to changing the way we think about the lymphatic system and the brain, this study lays the foundations for future research to investigate whether the function of the lymphatic system is altered in the brains of patients with multiple sclerosis or other disorders affecting the nervous system.

Two short courses of Lemtrada prevented multiple sclerosis from becoming active and progressing for five years, a study reported. Lemtrada's maker, Sanofi-Genzyme, said the study covered the two-year CARE-MS II Phase 3 clinical trial (NCT00548405) and a long-term extension (NCT00930553) trial of people with relapsing-remitting MS. In addition to demonstrating Lemtrada's effectiveness, the study showed that it was safe, researchers said. The Phase 3 trial participants had had an active disease, with at least two relapses in the two years before the study and an inadequate response to earlier treatment. The trial compared Lemtrada's effectiveness with that of Rebif. The Lemtrada group received 12-mg doses for five consecutive days at the start of the study and three consecutive days a year later. Ninety-three percent of the 435 patients who completed the trial enrolled in the extension, which followed patients for another three years. Remarkably, 60 percent of patients required no additional treatment after the two years of the Phase 3 study. Among the 376 patients who required more treatment, 30 percent had one additional Lemtrada course, 10.4 percent had two, and 1.6 percent had three. A small proportion of patients also received other disease-modifying treatments. The most common reason for additional treatment was relapse. Nevertheless, Lemtrada reduced annualized relapse rates to only 0.18 of patients by the fifth year. In addition, during the five years, 75 percent of patients experienced no worsening of their disability over six-month cycles. And 49 percent of patients' disability improved. Researchers also tracked patients' scores on the NEDA — or No Evidence of Disease Activity — index. The composite measure takes into account relapses, disease activity detected in MRI scans, and disability progression. In year five, 58 percent of patients achieved NEDA, slightly more than the 53 percent in year three. Another important finding was that patients' loss of brain tissue slowed in the first two years, and dropped further during the extension. Researchers also noted that adverse events dropped during the extension trial. Ninety-six percent were mild or moderate, and no patient left the study because of side effects. The rate of infusion-associated reactions was lower in the extension study than in the Phase 3 study. Patients who did have a reaction most often experienced headache, fever, or rash. Infections did not become more common with accumulating Lemtrada doses and, again, were less common in the extension trial. Patients most often developed colds or urinary tract infections. Autoimmune reactions against the thyroid gland were relatively common, however. Thirty-eight percent of patients developed them over the five years. Most were moderate in severity. Four patients developed various types of cancers. Researchers also examined Lemtrada in the CARE-MS I clinical trial and its extension trial. They reported long-term outcomes and safety findings similar to those in the latest study. Overall, the newest results demonstrated that Lemtrada slowed disease progression over five years in relapsing-remitting MS patients who failed to respond to previous therapy.

When talking about MS research, we tend to focus on drug development because improved therapies, and even the cure for MS, will come from pharmaceuticals. But what do we know about other MS research that doesn’t involve taking a pill or enduring an injection? I’m talking about those…

Researchers at Duke University want to determine if data collected through an iPhone app can ably capture individual experiences in people with multiple sclerosis to improve doctor-patient communication and overall disease understanding. According to a National MS Society report, the researchers want to investigate the benefits combining mobile phone-based data with machine learning (the ability of a smartphone to mimic human behavior) and patient participation. The study is currently enrolling MS patients, 18 or older, live in the United States and be able to read and understand English. Participants must own or have daily access to an iPhone (iOS 9 or greater) to download a free, MS Mosaic app from the Apple Store. The app is not yet available for Android phones. The rationale behind the study is that MS can be an extremely complex condition, with symptoms ranging from numbness, walking difficulty, to vision impairment and fatigue. Each patient's experience is different and can be affected by medication, emotional health, and environmental factors. This complexity can complicate research. Study participants will receive daily, weekly and monthly questionnaires to fill about their symptoms. Daily surveys should take no longer than a minute to complete, and weekly surveys about ten minutes. Initial registration should take about 20 minutes, the NMSS report says. In some of the surveys, participants will be asked to perform specific tasks while holding or using the mobile phone, like walking 25 steps, turning around, then walking back 25 steps – while holding the phone. Other tests include tapping on the phone screen repeatedly to test motor speed, coordination and fatigue, or playing a pattern game to assess short-term memory. These tasks should take about five minutes each. Patients can choose not to answer some of the questions or to participate in certain tasks. All information is collected through the app, and will be sent to a secure data server. Participants can export data to share with a healthcare provider. Each person will be identified by a code, and data will be analyzed in a way that maintains confidentiality. Researchers, however, be able to identify a participant should they need to do so for "research integrity or legal purposes," the report states. Questions regarding this study can be answered by sending an email to [email protected].

The 7th Joint ECTRIMS-ACTRIMS Meeting, the world’s largest annual international conference devoted to basic and clinical research in multiple sclerosis, will run from Oct. 25 to 28 in Paris — the city of Jean-Martin Charcot, the “Father of Neurology,” who provided the first detailed description of multiple sclerosis (MS)…

Non-invasive brain stimulation reduces fatigue in multiple sclerosis patients, concludes a study by researchers at New York University. Fatigue is one the most disabling symptoms of MS, affecting roughly 75 percent of people with the disease. Doctors often prescribe drugs to treat narcolepsy, as well as behavior-based treatments and exercise programs, but their benefits have not been consistent. This led scientists to study a technique of brain stimulation called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), which had shown positive results in earlier neurology studies, including improvements of cognitive symptoms in MS. In tDCS, doctors place electrodes on the scalp via a headset to apply a low-amplitude electrical current at the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex — a brain region believed to play a role in fatigue and cognitive symptoms. The technique has been proven safe and tolerable. The NYU study randomly assigned 27 MS patients to receive either tDCS or placebo. Patients got treatment while playing a cognitive game directed at the brain’s processing speed and working memory. Sessions lasted 20 minutes each and took place five days a week, at patients’ homes. Participants reported their level of fatigue after 20 sessions, using a scale known as the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) that grades fatigue on a score of up to 32. A higher score correlates with more fatigue. The results showed a significant 5.6-point drop with tDCS, compared to a 0.9 point increase in the placebo group. Furthermore, patients may benefit from more sessions, since those who underwent 20 sessions reduced fatigue more than those who did only 10. The study also showed that patients with the most fatigue at baseline saw the biggest improvements. Remarkably, many participants reduced their fatigue to near-normal levels, researchers observed. Further studies are needed to ascertain the precise mechanism behind tDCS. Scientists believe it changes the brain’s excitability, which improves connections and facilitates learning. Meanwhile, the study's authors strongly advise MS patients not to try over-the-counter stimulation technologies outside of a reliable research setting. The research team plans to test tDCS in larger clinical trials for MS-related fatigue, motor and cognitive symptoms. Currently, the Multiple Sclerosis Comprehensive Care Center at NYU Langone Health is the only one in the United States to offer tDCS to MS patients.

Fast Forward, a non-profit subsidiary of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, will give financial support to TG Therapeutics to advance TGR-1202 (umbralisib) into preclinical testing as a potential oral therapy for progressive forms of multiple sclerosis. The support, whose value was not specified, is part of a Sponsored Research Agreement between Fast Forward and the company. Research work will be led by Lawrence Steinman, MD, a professor of pediatrics, neurology, and neurological sciences at Stanford University. TGR-1202 is an orally administrated inhibitor that blocks a signaling enzyme called PI3K delta. Immune cells such as B-cells have high levels of this enzyme, which is thought to be important for cell proliferation and survival. "We look forward to evaluating umbralisib [TGR-1202]'s effect on our preclinical progressive MS models in hopes to move umbralisib closer to clinical development in MS," Steinman said. The approval of Ocrevus (ocrelizumab), by Genentech, to treat primary progressive and relapsing multiple sclerosis underscored the potential of B-cell-targeted therapies for MS patients. As a result, investigative drugs that also aim to bolster B-cell survival or activity, such as those being developed by TG Therapeutics, are an attractive approach to potentially treating patients. Another potential treatment by the company — an engineered antibody, TG-1101 — targets a specific sequence on the CD20 protein found on immune B-cells. This infusion therapy is now in two Phase 3 clinical studies for relapsing multiple sclerosis, ULTIMATE I and ULTIMATE II. Both are currently enrolling patients at sites in Kentucky, Tennessee, and New York.

A clear association was seen between the substantial pain that multiple sclerosis (MS) patients experience and lifestyle choices that either augment or ease that pain, like smoking habits, exercise, and diet and weight, researchers in Australia report. Common co-morbidities associated with MS, such as depression, anxiety, and fatigue, were also…

The majority of people living with multiple sclerosis who use wheelchairs or scooters for mobility reported falling at least once over a six-month period, according to a new study. While most studies have focused on ambulatory MS patients, this may be the first study to assess the prevalence and circumstances of falls among those who already experience significant mobility issues and require the use of wheelchairs or scooters to get around. In ambulatory MS patients who are able to move around on their own, about 50 percent reported falling during a six-month period. The current study recruited 44 MS patients from May 2014 to July 2015 who required wheelchairs or scooters to move about. These patients were from medical centers across the United States and Asia. They were asked to complete a survey focusing on the prevalence of falls, the frequency of injuries, the circumstances surrounding the falls, and quality-of-life indicators. Thirty-three of the 44 participants (75 percent) reported falling at least once in the previous six months. This number is higher than any of the other studies that assessed the prevalence of falls in MS patients. Many of these people experienced more than one fall within those six months. Of these falls, 87.5 percent occurred inside the home. The top four activities reported by participants that led to these falls included using the toilet, transferring, walking short distances, and reaching for an object. Some of the people said the falls were serious, and 8 percent of participants reported an injury because of their fall. Perhaps for this reason, many reported concerns about falling (76.7 percent). And, more telling, 65.9 percent of these MS patients reported altering their activities because they feared falling. The use of mobility devices may affect the prevalence of falls. Participants were asked if they had fallen using a specific mobility device. Here is how they responded: 66.7% reported falling while using power wheelchairs; 37.5% fell while using manual wheelchairs; 66.7% fell when using scooters; 71.4% reported falling while using a walker; 100% fell while using a cane. Because of the high prevalence of falls while using a mobility device, researchers said, clinicians should provide better education regarding the use and function of these mobility devices. There were no significant correlations between people who experienced falls and quality-of-life indicators in this study. Results from the study highlight the need for interventions specifically targeted for MS patients who use mobility devices such as wheelchairs and scooters. The body of research regarding predictors of falls suggest that some of the risk factors can be modified; therefore, more effort should be made to prevent falls using targeted rehabilitation interventions.

Opioid growth factor (OGF) can serve as a new biomarker to determine diagnosis and progression of multiple sclerosis (MS), say researchers at Pennsylvania State University. Their study, “Serum [Met5]-enkephalin levels are reduced in multiple sclerosis and restored by low-dose naltrexone,” appeared in the journal Experimental Biology and…

Active brain inflammation appears to be one of the causes driving anxiety and depression in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), finds an Italian study published in the journal Neurology. RRMS is the most common form of the disease when patients are initially diagnosed. Multiple sclerosis patients…

Researchers at the University of Nottingham and neurologists at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust in England will be working with a team from the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio to better understand the best therapeutic strategy for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The $10.6 million international clinical trial was one of five…

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) has awarded $13.4 million to two scientists at Baltimore’s Johns Hopkins University (JHU) to study how best to treat newly diagnosed patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The study will be led by Dr. Ellen Mowry, an associate professor of neurology and epidemiology at…

IQuity Taking Orders for RNA-based Blood Test That Can Detect MS Early with 90% Accuracy Can it be that there’s now a blood test that can help diagnose MS? This company says it has one and doctors can order it. For a disease that’s always been…

Researchers have taken the first steps towards the development of a gene therapy for multiple sclerosis — a treatment that boosted anti-inflammatory immune processes and reversed severe paralysis in mouse models of the disease. The University of Florida Health research team said it was optimistic that the therapy can work…

Behavioral therapy focusing on goal attainment might reduce cognitive fatigue in multiple sclerosis patients, finds a study that used brain imaging to examine goal-oriented tasks involving rewards. Since fatigue is one of the most common MS symptoms, affecting up to 90 percent of patients, researchers at the Kessler Foundation in East Hanover, New Jersey, say their findings could open the door to new non-medication approaches to treating MS-related fatigue. Scientists believe that a part of the brain, called the fronto-striatal network, causes fatigue. But studies also show that the network is active during goal attainment tasks, and that such tasks can reduce fatigue in healthy people. Equipped with this knowledge, Kessler researchers recruited 19 MS patients and 14 healthy controls, and exposed them to one of two conditions. In the first, they had the chance to win money while gambling. Researchers called this the outcome condition. The second condition did not include the prospect of a reward, or outcome. The tasks were performed in a brain scanner. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging of the brain — a method that tracks brain activity by monitoring blood flow — researchers could study how different tasks activated the fronto-striatal network. It turned out that the prospect of a reward activated parts of the network in deep brain structures, while parts of the prefrontal cortex were more active during the task without a potential reward. Importantly, the activation seen during the reward condition was linked to significantly lower levels of fatigue, which researchers measured outside the scanner. While researchers used a gambling task to study the process, similar exercises like achieving a good score on a test, might work equally well, researchers said. In fact, goal attainment is already incorporated in many neuropsychological rehabilitation efforts, including in MS.

Two molecules known to regulate cellular signaling contribute to the underlying mechanism of progressive multiple sclerosis, found a recent study conducted by investigators at Oregon Health & Science University and Yale University School of Medicine. These two proteins are related to each other, as they participate in the same cellular signaling process that regulate the immune system's response. Previous studies have blamed them for the worsening of several autoimmune and inflammatory disorders including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic sclerosis and systemic lupus erythematosus. The research team found that patients with progressive MS had higher levels of MIF and D-DT proteins than those with the relapsing-remitting form of the disease. In addition, these proteins inflamed the central nervous system, making patients sicker. An analysis of the genes that encode the proteins revealed that higher levels of MIF were linked to the presence of two genetic variants that are more frequent in patients — particularly males — with progressive disease. Researchers confirmed their findings with animal models of MS-like disease that were genetically engineered to lack MIF and D-DT proteins. Taken together, this finding suggests that a simple genetic test could identify patients carrying the MIF genetic susceptibility — and therefore more likely to develop a severe form of MS. This study was partially funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Rocky Mountain MS Center Tissue Bank and the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs.