February 27, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD ACTRIMS 2023: ‘Bacteria X’ in gut microbiome may drive inflammation A certain bacterial species is enriched in the gut of people with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) and may promote neuroinflammation and drive disability progression in these patients, a study found. When isolated from SPMS patients and given to a mouse model, this strain led to more pronounced neurological…
June 8, 2022 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Blocking Kidney Protein Prevents Progression in MS Mouse Model A protein called nephronectin mediates autoimmunity in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS), and blocking this protein was found to prevent disease progression and processes that drive T-cells toward an inflammatory state, researchers reported. Study findings support nephronectin, a protein involved in kidney development, as a promising treatment…
March 24, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS STAT5 Protein Complex Implicated in MS Autoimmunity in Mice A four-protein complex, or tetramer, of the protein STAT5 is involved in the development of multiple sclerosis (MS)-like autoimmune disease in mice, a new study shows. The findings point to this protein complex and its signaling pathway as a potential treatment in MS and other autoimmune conditions, scientists noted.
September 13, 2021 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Pro-inflammatory Th17 Immune Cells Harm Myelin-producing Cells Pro-inflammatory T helper 17 cells, known as Th17 cells ā a type of immune cell known to play a role in multiple sclerosis (MS) ā directly interact with myelin-producing cells, promoting their damage and death, according to a study in a mouse model of MS and in samples from…
July 1, 2021 News by Forest Ray PhD Destroying Myelin-damaging Immune Cells May Be New Therapy Vesicles containing the chemotherapeutic agent doxorubicin can be used to destroy the aberrant, myelin-damaging immune cells that contribute to multiple sclerosis (MS), suppressing the progression of the neurodegenerative disorder, according to recent research findings using a mouse model. If further validated, this technique could provide physicians with a new…
May 19, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Male Immune Cells Drive More Severe MS, Study Suggests Due to differences in sex chromosomes, certain immune cells cause more severe disease in males than females, according to a new study in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS). The findings could help to explain why biological males with MS tend to have more severe disease. The study,…
October 15, 2020 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD New Immune Cells Therapy Found to Suppress MS Symptoms in EAE Mice Scientists developed a new therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS) that prevents immune cells from exiting the lymph nodes and entering the spinal cord of mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) ā a condition that mimics MS in humans. The therapy, which consists of a…
September 24, 2020 News by Joana Carvalho, PhD Immune Treg Cells Seen to Ease Paralysis in Mouse Model of MS Regulatory T-cells (Tregs) ā immune cells that normally dampen immune and inflammatory responses by inhibiting the activity of pro-inflammatory immune cells ā enabled mice in a model of multiple sclerosisĀ to partly recover from limb and tail paralysis, scientists reported. Tregs can do this by preventing a subtype of…
August 28, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Gut Bacteria Working in Concert May Promote MS, Early Study Suggests Two specific bacteria present together in the gut led to more immune attacks on myelinĀ and harsher symptoms in a mouse model of multiple sclerosisĀ (MS). These findings add toĀ existing evidenceĀ supporting the link between gut microbiota and MS, and highlight the need to consider potential combined effects of these…
March 16, 2020 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Metabolite of Gut Bacteria, as Supplement, May Regulate Immune System A short-chain fatty acid produced by gut bacteria helps to counteract inflammatory responses in multiple sclerosis (MS) by promoting greater numbers of regulatory immune cells, a study reports. But the bacterial composition of the gut (its microbiome) of MS patients is deficient in bacteria that produce this acid ā…
February 6, 2020 News by Vanessa Pataia Dietary Changes May Delay Development and Progression of MS, Study Finds Changing a person’s diet to reduce the amount of methionine (amino acid found in food) could delay the development and progression of inflammatory and autoimmune disorders, includingĀ multiple sclerosis (MS). That finding was described in the study ā…
September 9, 2019 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News that Caught My Eye Last Week: Cancer Medication Slows MS, Vitamin D and Myelin, Targeting ‘Helper’ T-cells, Vaccination Guidelines Ofatumumab Better at Easing Relapse Rates and Slowing MS Progression Than Aubagio, Phase 3 Data Show Ofatumumab isn’t approved as a multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment. It’s a cancer medication that’s marketed as Arzerra. But in two clinical trials reported here, it did better than Aubagio at treating MS. Its…
September 4, 2019 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD Targeting Inflammatory Th17 Cells to Slow MS Disability Possible with Fewer Side Effects, Study Suggests Scientists may have found a way to manipulate T-helper 17 (Th17) cells so as to lower their ability to trigger inflammation, delaying the onset ofĀ multiple sclerosisĀ (MS) in a mouse model and slowing its progression without affecting the entire immune system. Their findings may lead to new treatments with fewer…
January 3, 2019 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Stem-like Th17 Cells May Lead to New Therapeutic Approaches for MS, Other Autoimmune Diseases, Study Suggests An altered metabolism and signaling is associated with the ability of a subset of immune T helper 17 (Th17) cells to induce neuroinflammation, according to a new study of mice. The findings may lead to new treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other chronic inflammatory diseases, the scientists said.
November 13, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Inflammatory Th17 Cells Seen to Trigger Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in MS Mouse Model The pro-inflammatory Th17 cells that characterize multiple sclerosis (MS) may also underlie symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), results of a mouse study show. The study, āAuto-Reactive Th17-Cells Trigger Obsessive-Compulsive-Disorder Like Behavior in Mice With Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis,ā was published in the journalĀ Frontiers in Immunology. “For the first time,…
July 3, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias ‘Low T’ and MS Risk in Men Statistics show that men are three times less likely than women to develop multiple sclerosis. Research has shown that men also develop MS at a later age than women and that their disease is more progressive. Could this all be related to “low T,” or low testosterone? Researchers…
June 14, 2017 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Stressful Environment Triggers Inflammatory Cells Linked to Autoimmune Diseases Like MS, Study Shows A stressful microenvironment, characterized by low metabolites and low oxygen levels, triggers the generation of immune cells directly implicated in a variety of inflammatory diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS). The study, āCellular Stress in the Context of an Inflammatory Environment Supports TGF-Ī²-Independent T Helper-17 Differentiation,ā was…
February 24, 2017 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #ACTRIMS2017 – High Salt Diet Seen as Potential Risk Factor for MS in New Study New evidence strengthens the link betweenĀ a diet high in salt and multiple sclerosis (MS) development, researchers show. The study,Ā āSodium Chloride Intake and MS,ā was presented on Feb. 24 at the ACTRIMS) 2017 ForumĀ being held in Orlando, Florida, by Dr. David Hafler with theĀ Yale School of Medicine. The…
February 9, 2017 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Component of Traditional Medicinal Herb Improves Symptoms in MS Mouse Model, Study Shows Paeoniflorin (PF), a herb component used in Chinese medicine, improved symptoms and reduced inflammation in a mouse model that recapitulates the human features of multiple sclerosis (MS). The study, āPaeoniflorin Ameliorates Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis via Inhibition of Dendritic Cell Function and Th17 Cell Differentiationā, appearedĀ in the journal…
September 16, 2016 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD #ECTRIMS2016 – Protein Seen as New Target in Preventing Brain Inflammation in MS Researchers found that blocking a protein,Ā known asĀ integrin alpha 8, may workĀ to prevent inflammation in the central nervous system of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The results were revealedĀ in an oral presentation, āIntegrin alpha8 is a novel mediator of T lymphocyte migration across the CNS barriers,ā atĀ theĀ 32nd Congress of theĀ European Committee…
September 15, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #ECTRIMS2016 – Immune Cells Linked to Autoimmunity Found in MS Patients’ Gut 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, āThe role of gut immunity in multiple sclerosis patients,ā…
February 19, 2016 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Results of New SPMS Study to Be Presented at ACTRIMS At the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) Forum 2016, being held from Feb. 18ā20 inĀ New Orleans, LA, researchers haveĀ gathered to discuss āProgressive MS: Bench to Bedside and Back,ā the meetingās theme. Secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) is one of four types of MS, and is…
January 4, 2016 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc Pilot MS Study Suggests High-Dose Vitamin D Supplements Are Safe and Beneficial Results from a small pilot study indicated that high-dose vitamin D supplementation is safe and tolerable in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), and that it can reduce the presenceĀ of autoimmunity-causing immune T cells. Patients are now being recruited for a larger clinical trial. The study, entitled āSafety and immunologic…
December 17, 2015 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc MS Study Uncovers a Process Leading to Neuroinflammation in the Brain In a new study, researchers from the University of Toronto, Canada, uncovered the process behind the formation and maintenance of tertiary lymphoid tissues (TLTs), structures found in the meninges in the brains of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Their findings, reported inĀ the article āIntegration of Th17- and Lymphotoxin-Derived Signals Initiates…
December 1, 2015 News by Margarida Azevedo, MSc Multiple Sclerosis-like Disorder Blocked in Mice Study Researchers demonstrated a processĀ that prevented an induced autoimmune disease from taking hold in the central nervous system of mice, and think it has the potential of being translated into a multiple sclerosis (MS) therapy. The study detailing the method and its promising results is entitled āInfusion of Sulfosuccinimidyl-4-[N-maleimidomethyl]cyclohexane-1-carboxylate-Conjugated MOG35ā55-Coupled…
October 30, 2015 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Potential Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Based on CCR2 Inhibition New research atĀ the University of Adelaide, Australia, may help pave the way toward the potential inhibition of multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune diseases. The study entitled āCCR2 definesĀ in vivoĀ development and homing of IL-23-driven GM-CSF-producing Th17 cellsā was published in the journalĀ …