People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who undergo an autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) — which uses a patient’s own stem cells — face unique physical and emotional challenges at every stage of the process, from balancing hope and fear when deciding on moving forward with the treatment…
treatment
Roche signed a definitive agreement to acquire Poseida Therapeutics, a deal that includes Poseida’s portfolio of CAR T-cell therapy candidates being developed for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other diseases. Poseida and Roche have been collaborating since 2022 on cell therapies for people with blood cancer. The companies…
Adding noninvasive brain stimulation to physical therapy may help people with multiple sclerosis (MS) improve their balance and walking ability, a study shows. Benefits to physical therapy with and without brain stimulation were observed, but most only remained significant after six months in those who’d also received brain stimulation.
LPX-TI641, Lapix Therapeutics‘ experimental oral therapy to restore immune system balance in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune diseases, was found safe and well tolerated at all doses tested in healthy adults. That’s according to top-line data from a Phase 1 trial (NCT05853835), which…
A large majority of people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) who received Tysabri (natalizumab) in a real-world setting experienced no evidence of disease activity for as long as six years, according to a study from a single center in Hungary. No evidence of disease activity, known as NEDA-3,…
Fampyra (fampridine), an oral medication that’s approved to improve walking ability in adults with multiple sclerosis (MS), may also help some people with poor working memory, according to a new study. Working memory refers to a person’s ability to keep small pieces of information at the forefront of…
Too often, I’d find myself amid joyful moments with loved ones, struggling to keep irritability at bay. At those times, my mind would stagger between living in the happiness of the moment or an overwhelming sense of overstimulation, annoyance, and frustration. Most of the time, the irritability took over. When…
People with multiple sclerosis (MS) are primarily admitted to the hospital due to urinary tract infections, which indicates that bladder problems need to be better managed in this population, a study shows. Neurological problems without an identifiable cause came second among the reasons for admission to a hospital,…
Percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS), a nonsurgical treatment that delivers mild electrical impulses to a nerve in the ankle, significantly reduced bladder activity and improved sexual function for women with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), according to a clinical trial. While PTNS is designed to modulate neural mechanisms involved in…
Two enzymes in brain cells are responsible for mediating the toxic effects of certain fat molecules in multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study in a mouse model of the disease suggests. According to the researchers, these enzymes may serve as potential targets for easing neurodegeneration in people with MS.
Backed by a $1 million grant, researchers at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio will explore ways to keep astrocytes in check, protecting the nervous system from damage due to multiple sclerosis (MS). These star-shaped cells of the brain and spinal cord go awry and become toxic in this…
A ketogenic diet — a very low-carbohydrate, high-fat eating plan called a keto diet for short — was able to lessen the severity of multiple sclerosis (MS) in mouse models by modulating the activity of gut bacteria and their metabolites, a new study shows. The findings suggest that…
The first time you try something should not be the moment you absolutely need it. During my time in the military, I often applied this concept to both performing a critical task with my nondominant hand and using certain medical equipment. In both cases, the logic of “I’m sure I’ll…
A new technology is designed to be a “wearable” device for neurons, wrapping around individual nerve fibers with a goal of achieving new ways to study and treat neurological diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS). Still in early testing stages and needing further refinement, the technology was developed by scientists at…
The European Commission (EC) fined Teva Pharmaceuticals €462.6 million — more that $502 million — after an investigation it launched found the company illegally tried to stop competitor versions of Copaxone (glatiramer acetate injection), its blockbuster drug for multiple sclerosis (MS), from entering markets. Several patents…
A first group of healthy adults has been dosed in a Phase 1 safety and tolerability trial of Lucid-21-302, a potential myelin-protective oral treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS), regardless of disease type. These initial volunteers will serve as the trial’s sentinels, an occasional study feature allowing for a…
Developing a more comprehensive understanding of the interactions between the brain, blood vessels, and the immune system holds great promise for unlocking new ways to treat neurological diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS), a team of researchers argued in a new commentary paper. “Interactions between the brain, blood vessels, and…
The rate of disability progression among people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) has slowed over the years due to advances in disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), according to a long-term analysis. Patients diagnosed in recent decades have experienced fewer progression events associated with relapses, called relapse-associated worsening (RAW), and also…
Researchers at the Oregon Health & Science University have discovered a plant-derived small molecule that can promote the growth of cells that produce myelin, the protective coating around nerve fibers that’s damaged in multiple sclerosis (MS). The naturally occurring molecule, sulfuretin, blocks the activity of an enzyme that…
Increased production of cholesterol by stem cells in the brain contributes to neurological damage in multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new study conducted in lab-grown cells. Findings suggest cholesterol-lowering medications can reverse this damage, implying such treatments might be able to be repurposed for MS. “Cholesterol metabolism has…
An independent data monitoring committee has recommended that the twin ENSURE Phase 3 trials testing vidofludimus calcium in people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) continue as planned without adjustments. The opinion that the trials are worth continuing was based on a review of interim, unblinded trial…
Treatment with modafinil, a medication used to reduce excessive sleepiness, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can both provide clinically meaningful reductions in fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study reports. Combining modafinil with CBT, a form of talk therapy, wasn’t more effective for MS-related fatigue than…
Helius Medical Technologies is opposing new decisions from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that stipulate how much of the cost of its PoNS device — a neurostimulator designed to improve mobility in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) — will be covered by these…
Transplanting genetically engineered oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs), which give rise to mature myelin-making cells, significantly boosted myelin repair in mice with multiple sclerosis (MS)-like chronic brain lesions. The cells were engineered to ignore chemical signals that would normally inhibit OPCs being recruited into lesions and then restore…
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is awarding a total of $4.6 million in funding to advance research into how the protective myelin sheath that’s damaged in multiple sclerosis (MS) can be repaired — a step toward developing new treatments for the disease. Five research projects have been chosen…
Sanofi has ended a Phase 2 clinical trial into oditrasertib, an investigational RIPK1 inhibitor therapy, in people with relapsing and progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) after it failed to meet its goals. The study, which had started dosing early last year, failed to show that oditrasertib significantly lowered…
Combining the approved medication Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate) with targeted therapy using a patient’s own immune cells may eventually be a promising way of treating multiple sclerosis (MS), according to recent research. The targeted therapy uses tolerogenic dendritic cells (tolDCs), which are being tested in clinical trials, to make…
People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who better adhere to an at-home therapy regimen with the PoNS device — which provides electrical stimulation to the brain and is approved for use in combination with physical rehabilitation — may experience greater improvements in walking function. That’s according to early data…
SetPoint Medical is planning to launch a clinical trial next year to investigate its nerve stimulator device, intending to support myelin repair, in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The announcement comes after U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of an investigational device exemption, allowing the…
Plasma exchange (PLEX) therapy is effective for severe relapses in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who respond inadequately to standard corticosteroid therapy, according to a new study conducted in Serbia. Better outcomes were seen in younger patients and in those with low disability scores at the time of…