research

The MS Society in the United Kingdom is funding a new project at the University of Glasgow, in Scotland, to examine if  heparin, a drug widely used for stroke patients, can repair neurological damage in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). MS is a progressive, debilitating, immune-mediated, neurodegenerative disorder in which…

The experimental therapy laquinimod was seen to prevent the start of harmful immune responses and to disrupt the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS) in a mouse model of the disease. This finding may be especially promising, as the treatment is being developed for people with both relapsing MS and its rarer progressive…

Therapies aimed at regenerating the myelin sheath can work to restore proper brain activity and may be a viable way of treating multiple sclerosis (MS), according to researchers at the University of California San Francisco. In the study, “Accelerated Remyelination During Inflammatory Demyelination Prevents Axonal Loss And Improves Functional Recovery,” published…

The University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS) recently installed a state-of-the-art SafeGait 360 Balance and Mobility Trainer on its Austin, Texas campus. The device is a ceiling-mounted body-weight support and fall protection system that tracks patient movements 2,500 times per second. The trainer was designed in collaboration with…

A virus known to cause respiratory infections in people — the human coronavirus (HCoV) — may also be the source of neurological diseases that strike patients, seemingly out of the blue, a new study reported. Results obtained in the study, “Human Coronavirus OC43 Associated with Fatal Encephalitis,” support the idea that diseases…

In a large prospective study with validated measures of physical activity, researchers found no evidence that exercise reduced a woman’s risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS). Although physical activity is known to have numerous health benefits, it seems unlikely to protect a person against the likelihood of developing MS, the study concludes. The study, published…

In multiple sclerosis (MS), scientists have long believed that the body’s own immune system attacked myelin sheaths, the “insulating tape” that surrounds neurons, causing the disease. But researchers at Tel Aviv University are challenging that view, in a study reporting that MS may in fact be triggered by an instability inherent in the myelin membranes. The…

ECTRIMS 2016 (European Committee for Treatment and Research in MS) produced lots of stories with exciting headlines about advances in MS research — and hopefully you read many of them here at MS News Today. As I went through the various presentation titles, there were a couple that jumped…

Exposure to heavy metals and being female are associated with a higher incidence of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study conducted by Maria Cristina Monti and colleagues from two Italian universities. The study, “Is Geo-Environmental Exposure a Risk Factor for Multiple Sclerosis? A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study in South-Western Sardinia,” was…

A new study shows that an enzyme called hyaluronidase may be effective in reducing muscle spasticity resulting from neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis. The results were published in a study titled “Human Recombinant Hyaluronidase Injections For Upper Limb Muscle Stiffness in Individuals With Cerebral Injury: A Case Series,”…

In its effort to end progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), the International Progressive MS Alliance (PMSA) has awarded a $6.1 million grant to fund a research project led by Dr. Douglas Arnold with the Montreal Neurological Institute Hospital (MNI) at McGill University. The multiyear grant is one of three…

Antioxidant-filled nanoparticles injected under the skin may become a future multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment that comes with a perk or a drawback, depending on how a patient sees it.  The injection leaves a temporary dark spot on the skin, resembling a tattoo. The tattoo might be a small issue considering…

How the multiple sclerosis (MS) therapy Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate) works on a molecular level has finally been uncovered, using a new method that can map a drug’s protein targets. The insights gained may open up new avenues for the development of more specific drugs, based on the same mechanisms, but with fewer side effects. The study,…

What should be done about stem cell treatments? Are stem cells safe? Do they work? Do stem cell clinics need more regulation, or less? With some studies reporting encouraging results from using stem cells to treat a number of diseases, including multiple sclerosis, the number of clinics around…

In a presentation at a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) public hearing earlier this month, the chief scientific officer of StemGenex Medical Group, Steven A. Brody, MD, PhD, said succinctly: “Stem cells have arrived and have captivated the scientific and medical communities. With this excitement comes responsibility and with this…

The International Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Alliance, a worldwide group of MS organizations that support research efforts, has awarded three, four-year grants — called Collaborative Network Awards, and worth $6 million each — to speed work into potential treatments for progressive MS. Found in about 15 percent of all initially diagnosed…

A newly discovered potential biomarker of multiple sclerosis (MS) may help to distinguish between people who will go on to have less severe disease and those in whom the disease will progress, researchers at Linköping University in Sweden report. The biomarker’s discovery came through an investigation into the immune system of MS…

Researchers showed that it could be possible to treat and cure inflammatory diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) by injecting a single dose of biodegradable polymer particles containing myelin self-antigen into the lymph nodes.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced policy changes designed to make information about clinical trials of investigational drugs, biologics and products more widely available to the public, issuing amended rules that specify the requirements for registering clinical trials and for submitting summary results to its ClinicalTrials.gov website. The…

A presentation at the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) 2016 Congress gave patients with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) a reason for optimism, as Novartis reported that siponimod (BAF312) reduced the risk of disability progression in a Phase 3 study of patients with secondary progressive (SP) MS.

Accelerated Cure Project is still recruiting for its iConquerMS project, REAL MS, an already 3,000-strong patient-powered research network for people with multiple sclerosis (MS). REAL MS (Research Engagement About Life with Multiple Sclerosis) is a longitudinal research study, designed partly by MS patients themselves, intending to answer critical questions about individual experiences of living with MS from among a large and heterogeneous group…

Preliminary results of a study in Danish patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) suggest that inverse comorbidity may exist in the MS population, lowering patients’ risk for other types of diseases. The results were given in an oral presentation, “Inverse comorbidity in multiple sclerosis. Findings in a complete nationwide cohort,” at the 32nd Congress of the European…

A pilot study exploring the antioxidant lipoic acid in patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) demonstrated that treatment for two years reduced the speed of brain tissue loss and improved the patients’ walking speed. The surprising finding was presented during the “New directions in progressive MS research”…

Here’s my Pick of the Week’s News as published by Multiple Sclerosis News Today. #ECTRIMS2016 was undoubtedly the star of the week ECTRIMS, the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis, dominated the news stories of the week when it held its 32nd congress in London. There…

Long-term observations together with mathematical modeling present a way of predicting the likely disability trajectory of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The approach was outlined in a presentation, titled “Long-term disability trajectories in primary progressive MS patients – a latent class growth analysis,” given at the 32nd Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS), held in London…

Researchers found that blocking a protein, known as integrin alpha 8, may work to prevent inflammation in the central nervous system of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The results were revealed in an oral presentation, “Integrin alpha8 is a novel mediator of T lymphocyte migration across the CNS barriers,” at the 32nd Congress of the European Committee…

Immune cells, believed to drive autoimmunity, are selectively increased in the gut of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), along with lower numbers of cells controlling inflammation, suggesting that immune processes in the gut impact MS disease mechanisms. The study, “The role of gut immunity in multiple sclerosis patients,”…

Leustatin (cladribine) tablets, an investigational drug, were shown to be effective at reducing annual relapse rates, not only in MS patients, but also in patients with a first demyelinating event who later converted to a clinically defined multiple sclerosis diagnosis. The results were shared in a presentation titled “Cladribine tablets in the ORACLE-MS…

Scientists recently reported additional mechanisms of action that may underlie Gilenya (fingolimod) beneficial effects in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The results were in an oral presentation, “Fingolimod therapy modulates B cell functions: reduces CXCR4-mediated migration and increases B cell -mediated anti-inflammatory cytokine profile,” given at the 32nd Congress of the European Committee for Treatment…

In a recent talk, titled “Income and cognitive impairment among multiple sclerosis patients,” scientists investigated how cognitive impairment impacts the life of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), and reported significant differences in income that correlated with levels of MS-cognitive deficit. These findings were recently presented at the 32nd Congress of the European Committee for…