research

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…

Genes that encode what are called “complement” immune factors are linked to the breakdown of the retina in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients — a measure that, in turn, predicts brain damage and loss of eyesight. The study, a joint effort between researchers from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine,…

In a session titled “Challenges for care and research in MS outside Europe and North America” at the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) 2016 Congress Sept. 14-17 in London, researchers from Latin America shared the obstacles of scientists and multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in the…

Multiple sclerosis (MS) care and research is lagging behind in the Middle East compared to countries in Europe and North America, according to research presented at the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) 2016 Congress taking place in London through Sept. 17. Two presentations in a session titled “…

Europe’s annual congress discussing treatment, including Patient Empowerment, and research in multiple sclerosis is now underway in London. The 32nd congress is being held from today until Saturday, when it draws to a close at lunchtime. The agenda is absolutely jammed full of topics being covered in a multitude of sessions…

Researchers from Oryzon will present efficacy data on the company’s oral epigenetic drug ORY-2001, a potential treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS), at the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) congress taking place this week in London. The poster presentation, “LSD1 inhibition, a potential epigenetic therapeutic approach for the…

Danish children of parents with multiple sclerosis (MS) are not hampered in their educational efforts by illness in the home, according to a study finding these children earned higher grades than their peers through elementary and into their high school years. The study, “Children of parents with multiple sclerosis attain higher…

The importance of getting a representative group of people, also known as subjects, engaged in  clinical trials cannot be understated. There is so much that we need to know when it comes to multiple sclerosis, but the picture cannot be complete unless the cohort of subjects includes people from…

Katerina Akassoglou, PhD, a Gladstone Institutes senior investigator, has been awarded a multiyear, $5.8 million career grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) for her work on neurological diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS). The Gladstone Institutes is a nonprofit community of scientists, affiliated with the…

A new study from France delves further into the life of multiple sclerosis (MS) caregivers and how they are perceived by MS patients, physicians, and the caregivers themselves. The report, “EVASEP: A Noninterventional Study Describing the Perception of Neurologists, Patients, and Caregivers on Caregivers’ Role in the Support…

Here is my Pick of the Week’s News, as published in Multiple Sclerosis News Today. Breast Cancer Therapy, Tamoxifen, May Promote Myelin Repair in MS Remyelination could be a new role in MS therapy for a drug that has been used to treat breast cancer for some…

At the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) 2016 Congress, taking place in London on Sept. 14–17, Biogen will present the Multiple Sclerosis Cost of Illness study, based on research into more than 16,000 MS patients throughout Europe. The study builds on data from a leading 2005 study that…

MicroRNAs present in the blood show promise as potential biomarkers of multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study suggests. The study, titled “Comprehensive Evaluation Of Serum MicroRNAs As Biomarkers In Multiple Sclerosis,” was published by Keren Regev, MD, and colleagues in the journal Neurology. Human DNA contains…

The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada (MSSC) recently announced that five university students — either diagnosed with or affected by multiple sclerosis (MS) — were the 2016 recipients of scholarships worth up to $350,000 in tuition and other school-related expenses. All five winners will receive the support throughout the four years of their undergraduate degrees, which are…

The show comes to town in the next week with ECTRIMS hosting what it describes as “the world’s largest annual international conference” devoted to basic treatment and clinical research in multiple sclerosis. It is being held in London’s ExCel center from Wednesday to Saturday morning, and will be followed…

Patients with a number of common conditions — some neurological and some autoimmune, but others not — are being mistakenly diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) because of difficulties in correctly determining this disease and, possibly, pressure to begin treatment early in the disease’s course, according to a recent study published in the…

The 32nd annual congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis, widely referred to as ECTRIMS, will kick off on Wednesday, Sept. 14, in London. The four-day event is partnering this year with the Annual Conference of Rehabilitation in MS  (RIMS), the European network for best…

Scientists at Russia’s Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU) and Siberian State Medical University (SSMU), both in Tomsk, have developed a diagnosis system for neurodegenerative diseases in the early stages. The system uses virtual reality (VR) technology to immerse a subject in a virtual environment during functional tests designed to detect early symptoms of…