research

Here’s my Pick of the Week’s News, as published by Multiple Sclerosis News Today. Immune System May Harbor Natural Way of Fighting MS, Other Autoimmune Diseases A genetic key to a possible natural way of battling MS could be worth further work. A variant in the TYK2 gene, which encodes…

Chronic diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS) not only impact patients, they also inspire fear among healthy people who may be at risk of the disease. In a new study, researchers found that the availability of multiple sclerosis (MS) therapies provides “peace of mind” value to currently healthy individuals, particularly when…

People with late-onset multiple sclerosis (MS) tend to more rapidly rise in disability scores than younger patients with early onset MS, according to study in MS patients in Kuwait that compared their scores during follow-up consultations. Typically, the first symptoms of  multiple sclerosis occur between the ages of 18 and 40, with…

I have made no secret of my distrust of the side effects from many of the disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) that are used mainly in the fight against relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS). The fact that the most serious, albeit rare, side effects listed by the manufacturers of some drugs, include “death”…

Researchers in Russia found for a first time an association between variants in GAL, a gene that codes for the galanin protein, and multiple sclerosis (MS). Importantly, they also found that this association is sex specific. The study, “Single-nucleotide polymorphism rs948854 in human galanin gene and multiple sclerosis: a…

In multiple sclerosis (MS) patients who do not respond to interferon-beta treatment, autoimmunity may depend on processes that differ from patients helped by this treatment— a finding that could lead both to better therapies and tests that predict a patient’s likely response. The study, “An interferon-β-resistant and NLRP3…

Researchers at McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) in Canada developed a new tool to diagnose cachexia — also called wasting syndrome. It’s characterized by weight loss, muscle atrophy, fatigue, weakness, and a significant loss of appetite in someone who is not trying to lose weight, mainly in cancer patients. The tool may also…

A variant in the TYK2 gene, which encodes an immune system protein, may work to protect people from autoimmune disorders, including multiple sclerosis (MS), without overly depressing the body’s ability to fight opportunistic infections, researchers at the University of Oxford report. Their study, “Resolving TYK2 Locus Genotype-To-Phenotype Differences In Autoimmunity,” was published…

A large international research effort concluded that the geographical area where a person lives affects how early they will start showing symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS), and that people living in the more northern regions having the earliest disease onset. The age at which a person fell ill also was…

Dr. Daniel Reich, a researcher with the National Institutes of Health (NIH),  has been recognized for his pioneering work on brain imaging to advance both the treatment of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and scientific understanding of the disease. Reich, a neurologist, neuro-radiologist and neuroscientist, was awarded the 2016 Barancik Prize for Innovation in MS…

Lemtrada (alemtuzumab), a humanized monoclonal antibody, is able to remodel the immune responses of innate immune cells in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), according to a recent study. This previously unreported phenotype may contribute to the benefits of the drug for RRMS patients. The study, “Alemtuzumab…

Immunization with molecules present specifically in myelin may be a new approach to treating multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a recent study that found that the mouse version of such molecules could stop ongoing disease processes in an MS mouse model. The study, “Targeting Non-classical Myelin Epitopes to Treat…

Multiple sclerosis (MS), especially in premenopausal women, does  not seem to be associated with breast cancer, as suggested in previous studies, researchers reported. And, they argue, the higher incidences of this cancer in postmenopausal women with MS may be due more to surveillance bias than true risk. These findings were detailed in the study, “…

This is my Pick of the Week’s News, as published by Multiple Sclerosis News Today. Study of Myelin-producing Cells a Step Forward for MS, Other Neurological Disorders Isn’t it strange how often in the world of science, something of importance is found in an unconnected study? Here,…

Changes in the composition of certain immune system cells may be associated with relapses in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients being treated with Gilenya (fingolimod), according to a study published in the journal Scientific Reports. The study, “Altered T Cell Phenotypes Associated With Clinical Relapse Of Multiple Sclerosis Patients Receiving…

I recently had the opportunity to serve as a consumer reviewer of research applications submitted to the Multiple Sclerosis Research Program (MSRP) sponsored by the Department of Defense. I was nominated by the Accelerated Cure Project for MS for this role.  As a consumer reviewer, I was a full…

Getting more African-Americans and other minority groups to take part in clinical research into treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS), and identifying and tackling continuing disparities in efforts that affect patient care, will be the focus of a project led by the nonprofit group Accelerated Cure Project for Multiple Sclerosis (ACP) and supported…

Selexis has entered into a commercial arrangement with ImmuNext, providing that company with access to research cell banks from its SURE technology Platform (a best-in-class cell line development technology). ImmuNext will use the cell banks in further developing its anti-CD40 ligand antibody, a potential therapeutic agent for chronic autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis…

Posture control is a complex skill, requiring different areas of the nervous system to work well and to work together — but the damage caused by multiple sclerosis complicates such nervous system multi-tasking, leading to postural problems and the well-established tendency for MS patients to fall. Several neurological systems are known…

The 2016 Fritz Krauth Award was given by the Paralyzed Veterans of America to Dr. Sarah Moyon, a researcher focusing on ways to understand and treat symptoms of diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS) and those of the spine. The award ceremony took place at Cleveland, Ohio, at the bi-annual board meeting of…

Here is my pick of the week’s news items, as published in Multiple Sclerosis News Today. Lemtrada Seen to Help Reverse MS Disability in People in Earlier Stages of Disease A medication that might not just stop but reverse disability of people with relapsing MS? Now, this is…

A study found that the cells responsible for the production of myelin selectively introduce a myelin-insulating layer in a particular set of neuronal axons in the brain’s white matter. This represents a step forward in the basic mechanisms that may underlie neurological disorders, including multiple sclerosis (MS). Also, a newly developed method…

Researchers have discovered that a type of immune molecule — called “spliced epitopes,” once believed to be very rare  — in fact makes up a large part of the molecules labeling cells as belonging to the body, and those that are invaders. The finding may well change our understanding of multiple…

A genome-wide analysis of over 110,000 people allowed researchers with the International Multiple Sclerosis Genetics Consortium (IMSGC) to discover 200 genetic loci (the position of genes on a chromosome) that are common to people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The findings were given in the presentation, “200 loci complete the genetic puzzle of multiple sclerosis,” by Dr. Nikolaos…

Damaging immune system defects seen in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) can be repaired using a simple stem cell approach, according to a new study by researchers in China and the U.S. The study, “Umbilical Cord-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Reversed The Suppressive Deficiency Of T Regulatory Cells From Peripheral Blood Of…

RedHill Biopharma recently announced that it has received a Notice of Allowance from the Japan Patent Office for a new patent covering RHB-104 as a potential treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). Once granted, the patent will be valid until 2032. The European Patent Office also recently approved a patent application for the drug with this…

Apitope and Merck KGaA announced that they have entered into an exclusive agreement regarding ATX-MS-1467, a potential disease-modifying therapy for  multiple sclerosis (MS). Under its terms, Apitope will regain full global rights over ATX-MS-1467, as well as all clinical data related to the compound. In 2009, the company granted exclusive global rights to Merck KGaA to develop…

A group of proteins found in wheat can cause symptoms of such inflammatory health conditions as multiple sclerosis (MS), asthma and rheumatoid arthritis to worsen, and may also promote gluten sensitivity, according to researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University in Germany. These findings, recently presented at United European Gastroenterology (UEG) Week 2016, turn attention away from one…

The MS Society in the United Kingdom awarded £177,930 (about $217,800) to Dr. Sassan Hafizi, a researcher at University of Portsmouth, to investigate the potentially beneficial role of a central nervous system molecule, called Gas6, in repairing the myelin damage seen in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) . Hafizi and Dr. Arthur…

Here, I comment on my Pick of the Week’s News, as published in Multiple Sclerosis News Today. Myelin Regeneration Achieved in Mouse Model of MS Remyelination is one of the most exciting developments in the treatment of MS. Therapies aimed at regenerating the myelin sheath can work to…