research

Tamoxifen (brand name, Nolvadex), a widely used treatment for breast cancer, can also be used to treat myelin loss in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study suggests. The finding, by a team of researchers at the University of Cambridge, U.K., was published in a study titled “…

A study exploring the difficulties parents experience when their child develops multiple sclerosis (MS) found that more support and education — from healthcare and school staff, as well as by parents themselves — is key to easing the burden of a child or teenager with this disease. The study, “Parents’…

The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation announced that nominations are now being accepted for the Marilyn Hilton Award for Innovation in Multiple Sclerosis Research. The award aims to stimulate new and potentially groundbreaking research into progressive multiple sclerosis (MS),  and the Foundation expects to distribute to $4 million in grants over five years, supporting the…

Paralyzed Veterans of America recently held its annual health conference, called 2016 Summit + EXPO, focused on the latest research and discoveries in patient care for diseases that span multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury or disease to  amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. This year was the sixth such summit, held Aug. 30–Sept. 1 in Orlando, Florida,…

To reach tissues infected with foreign agents, neutrophils, the body’s first line of defense, need to travel through vessel walls — and do so by switching on a class of adhesion receptors, called integrins, that bind to other adhesion molecules at the surface of the capillary walls. Now, in a recent paper published…

Multiple sclerosis patients are at risk of developing lymphopenia, or abnormally low levels of immune defense white blood cells, called lymphocytes, according to a study that investigated lymphocyte counts in people with relapsing MS both before and after the start of treatment. The study, “Lymphopenia in treatment-naive relapsing multiple…

News that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is to hold a public hearing next month to consider greater oversight of stem cell clinics operating in the country is as welcome as it is late. I say “late” because, while the regulators have been twiddling their fingers,…

Previous studies have pointed toward certain lifestyle factors such as nutrition, sedentary behavior, and stress as possible key determinants in multiple sclerosis (MS) progression but few studies have been dedicated to learning more about the impact of lifestyle risk factors on patient disability and disease progression. A recent study supports the…

RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals announced that it has received an Intent to Grant notice from the European Patent Office (EPO) regarding a patent for its proprietary molecule Thymosin beta 4 (Tβ4), a potential therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS) designed to promote remyelination. The patent will cover the use of Tβ4 in a composition for treating or reducing…

The European Patent Office has released a Notice of Intention to Grant a new patent to support RHB-104 as a therapy for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). RHB-104 is being developed  by RedHill Biopharma. Patents covering the use of RHB-104 exist in over 25 countries, including the U.S., Australia, Canada, Japan, and in…

  Here’s my Pick of the Week’s News, as published by Multiple Sclerosis News Today. Umbilical Cord Blood-derived Cell Therapy Promotes Remyelination in Mice Now this is different, using umbilical cord stem cells. A cell therapy product derived from human umbilical cord blood cells may be…

An innovation in multiple sclerosis (MS) research has been launched by the iConquerMS initiative — a longitudinal, prospective study called “REAL MS,” an acronym for “Research Engagement About Life with Multiple Sclerosis,” with a goal of accelerating research into personalized treatments for MS patients. This type of study collects repeat…

Multiple sclerosis seems to be less severe in people with higher levels of the minor adult hemoglobin variant A2 (HbA2) in their blood, according to a team of Turkish researchers. This could be due to this variant having a higher protective effect on the red blood cell membrane. The authors speculate that HbA2 could therefore be playing a role in reducing long-term neural injury in MS.

Here’s my Pick of the Week’s News, as published in Multiple Sclerosis News Today. Blood Test Seen to Distinguish MS from Other Neurological Conditions A faster way to tell the difference between neurological diseases could mean earlier access to treatment for MS patients. Researchers at Michigan State…

A cell therapy product derived from human umbilical cord blood cells may be a promising treatment approach for patients with demyelinating diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS) or leukodystrophy, according to a recent study developed at the Duke University Medical Center. The study, “A cord blood monocyte–derived cell…

Researchers at Michigan State University suggest that a blood test can distinguish patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) from people with other neurological conditions, according to a recent study published in EBioMedicine. Results from the study, “An In Vitro Diagnostic for Multiple Sclerosis Based on C-peptide Binding to Erythrocytes,”…

Researchers from Colorado State University propose a new model of fatigue in multiple sclerosis (MS), designed to overcome the lack of a unified definition of fatigue that can be objectively tested using experimental approaches. With this model, the authors behind the article, “Fatigue in Multiple Sclerosis: Misconceptions…

The 37th annual congress of The European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) will take place in London between 14 – 17 September 2016.

News that scientists in the U.S. are working to find a new pre-HSCT treatment to carry out stem cell transplants without the need for chemotherapy, as published in Multiple Sclerosis News Today, leaves me with mixed feelings. While such a development could potentially be great news and an…

According to new research out of McGill University in Montreal, Microsoft Kinect, a 3-D depth and motion sensing input device for use with the company’s Xbox 360 and Xbox One video game consoles and Windows PCs, could be a cheap, effective, and easy-to-use tool to evaluate walking gait difficulties in people with multiple…

  You want to help find answers about multiple sclerosis but don’t know how, and I hear your frustration about being unable to contribute in meaningful ways. Let me share with you the news that REAL MS (Research Engagement About Life with MS) was launched this summer, and I…

A long-term study underscores the potential benefits, especially in terms of relapses, of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients beginning treatment as soon as possible after symptoms appear — even before the disease is definitely diagnosed. “The 11-year long-term follow-up study from the randomized BENEFIT CIS trial” was published in the journal Neurology. Researchers in…

Researchers found the molecular target of the multiple sclerosis (MS)-approved drug Tecfidera, (dimethyl fumarate or DMF), unveiling the mechanism associated with the drug’s anti-inflammatory action. The study, “Dimethyl fumarate blocks pro-inflammatory cytokine production via inhibition of TLR induced M1 and K63 ubiquitin chain formation,” was…

Increasing a person’s confidence that they can complete tasks and reach goals in specific situations may benefit patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). In a new study, researchers used an intensive three-day social cognitive treatment, called Can Do, to increase patients’ self-efficacy, which resulted in long lasting improvements in their health-related…

A large study of multiple sclerosis patients (MS) came to the conclusion that clinical and brain imaging assessments drawn from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans are poor measures of long-term prognosis for patients. The study, “Long-term evolution of multiple sclerosis disability in the treatment era,” published in the journal…

There are no specific therapies that can effectively cure patients with multiple sclerosis. However, there are a number of multiple sclerosis treatment options, particularly for the relapsing-remitting form of the disease. 1.Immunomodulation therapies which can control the inflammation of myelin sheaths and help restore the central nervous system.

As inflammation and neuronal death progressed in the brains of mice with multiple sclerosis (MS), a molecular signaling pathway with a key player called Wnt was seen to come into action in brain areas crucial for memory production, triggering the formation of new neurons. The findings, presented in the study…

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) recently awarded a sum of $5.5 million to two researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Bardia Nourbakhsh, MD. (Credit: UCSF) Bardia Nourbakhsh, MD, a clinical fellow in Neurology, received a $2 million grant to conduct a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial to…

The Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) recently announced that its second annual ACTRIMS Forum will be at the Omni ChampionsGate Feb. 23-25, 2017, in Orlando, Florida. ACTRIMS Forum 2017 promises to be of value to physicians, scientists, researchers, analysts, faculty, and allied health…

Patients with aggressive onset multiple sclerosis, characterized by a rapidly progressing disease course and accumulation of disability, may benefit from early aggressive therapies instead of the escalation approach commonly given multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, according to researchers at Weill-Cornell Medical College. Their article, titled “A study of patients with…