February 14, 2023 News by Marisa Wexler, MS CNM-Au8 preserves white matter in RRMS patients’ brains: Phase 2 trial Treatment withĀ CNM-Au8, anĀ experimental oral liquid therapy, led to statistically significant improvements in the health of connections between brain regions for people with stable relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). That’s according to new MRI data from the Phase 2 VISIONARY-MS trial (NCT03536559), which tested CNM-Au8 against a placebo in…
May 27, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS BBB Leakiness Decrease May Predict Effectiveness of Lemtrada Treatment Among multiple sclerosis (MS) patients starting on Lemtrada (alemtuzumab), an early decrease in the leakiness of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is associated with a lower likelihood of disease activity after two years, according to a new study. The blood-brain barrier is a cellular divisor that regulates which substances…
April 20, 2022 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Gray Matter Loss in Spine Crucial, But Difficult, Marker of MS Disability Loss of gray matter in the spinal cord clearly associates with greater disability in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), but determining the extent of its loss is limited by an inability to accurately measure gray matter in all patients, a small study in Spain reported. The true amount of…
January 10, 2022 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Lemtrada, Music and White Matter, Diagnosing MS AB Science OKād to Start Masitinib Phase 3 Trial for Progressive MS Many of us with multiple sclerosis (MS) have been waiting for another treatment for progressive forms of MS. I hope this brings us another step closer to one. Masitinib is an oral medication that works by blocking…
January 4, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Being a Lifelong Musician May Protect Brain From Damage of Aging Being a lifelong musician can help protect certain tracts of the brain’s white matter from damage during aging, potentially warding off conditions such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, or dementia for years. That’s according to the study “Effects of Lifelong Musicianship on White Matter Integrity…
November 15, 2021 News by Somi Igbene, PhD Longer Breastfeeding May Damage Brain By Delaying DMT Use Having at least one pregnancy may lower disability scores in women with multiple sclerosis (MS), but breastfeeding for longer than six months may worsen damage to the brain, an observational study in patients has found. Findings support the need for careful pregnancy planning, counseling, and treatment management to ensure…
September 29, 2021 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD NervGen Brings Advanced Imaging to Planned NVG-291 Trials A partnership will allowĀ NervGen to use Imeka‘s proprietary biomarker imaging technology to precisely measure changes in the brain and spinal cord in its upcoming clinical trials, including a study ofĀ NVG-291 in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) NervGen plans to initiate Phase 1b/2Ā trials intoĀ its lead candidate for neural…
January 19, 2021 News by Forest Ray PhD Brain Changes in Relapsing MS Found to Follow Pattern Changes in the amount of grey matter in specific regions of the brain appear to occur early in relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), while structural changes in white matter happen late in disease progression. These were among the findings of a recent study that tracked the sequence of events in…
December 3, 2020 News by Steve Bryson, PhD Chronic Lesion Expansion in RRMS Contributes to Disease Progression, Study Reveals The expansion of chronic white matter lesions in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) determined the increase in total lesion volume and significantly contributed to disease progression, a study has revealed. The study, āExpansion of chronic…
September 14, 2020 News by Marta Figueiredo, PhD #MSVirtual2020 – Cardiovascular Risk Factors Linked to Brain Shrinkage In people with multiple sclerosis (MS) under age 50, the presence of cardiovascular risk factors is associated with a greater loss of brain volume, including white and grey matter, a study showed. The brainās white matter mainly consists of nerve fibers and is typically affected by MS, while…
April 13, 2020 News by InĆŖs Martins, PhD Genetic Risk for MS Linked to White Matter Changes in Brains of Children A high genetic risk for multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with structural alterations in white matter ā brain regions composed mainly of nerve fibers ā in childhood, findings from a large study show. Brain volume, however, was not affected by genetic risk in the more than 2,000 children whose…
March 10, 2020 News by Forest Ray PhD Researchers Study Cognitive Decline in Older MS Patients for Alzheimer’s Link As multiple sclerosis (MS) patients live longer, researchers have observed similarities between changes in their brains and in the brains of Alzheimer‘s patients, a study found. Understanding whether these changes are the result of worsening MS-related neurodegeneration or co-occuring (comorbid) Alzheimerās disease will help guide better treatment…
November 7, 2019 Columns by Tamara Sellman Need to Know: Does Brain Matter Matter? Editor’s note: “Need to Knowā is a series inspired by common forum questions and comments from readers. Have a comment or question about MS? Visit our forum. This week’s question is inspired by the forum topicĀ “Grey Matter Atrophy in MS Shown to Follow a Pattern” from July…
September 10, 2019 News by Steve Bryson, PhD SPMS Triggers and Treatments Among Focus of Expert Panel in Video Series by AJMC Multiple sclerosis (MS) experts discuss disease causes and current treatment options in a new video series released by the multimedia and peer-reviewed science journal,Ā The American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC).Ā The free and online video series is part…
November 6, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Diabetes, Hypertension, Smoking Linked with Brain Shrinkage in MS Patients Diabetes, hypertension, and active smoking correlate with more brain shrinkage in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, a new study shows. The study, āAssessing the burden of vascular risk factors on brain atrophy in multiple sclerosis: A case- control MRI studyā was published in the journalĀ Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders.
October 10, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD #ECTRIMS2018 – Researcher Presents Data About Myelocortical MS, a New Disease Subtype A new subtype of multiple sclerosis (MS) ā called myelocortical MS (MCMS) ā is characterized by cortical neuronal loss, but not by loss of myelin in the brain’s white matter, according to a study. Research on this new type of MS was presented today at the 34thĀ congress of…
September 17, 2018 Columns by Debi Wilson This Is What Excites Me About Remyelination Therapy Research RemyelinationĀ therapies are on the horizon as an innovative multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment, according to my neurologist. These therapies have been on my radar the last few years, but to hear my neurologist say they could soon be a reality makes me hopeful of the possibilities. To offer a…
August 22, 2018 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Myelocortical MS, New Disease Subtype Marked by Nerve Cell But Not Myelin Loss, Identified in Study Researchers have identified a new subtype of multiple sclerosis (MS), one marked by nerve cell degeneration that occurs independently of immune system attacks against myelin, a process known as demyelination and considered a hallmark of MS. The new subtype ā called myelocortical MS ā is indistinguishable from others in the…
July 17, 2018 News by Ashraf Malhas, PhD Managing High Blood Pressure Important for Managing MS, Study Suggests An association between high blood pressure and reduction of brain integrity in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients highlights the importance of blood pressure management by MS healthcare providers. The severity of MS varies greatly. Although this is still poorly understood, certain factors, such as obesity and high blood pressure, are suspected…
May 10, 2018 News by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD Molecule Whose Fragments Appear to Block Myelin Repair Identified in Study A molecule responsible for preventing the repair of white matter in the brain, a process critical to treatingĀ multiple sclerosis (MS) and cerebral palsy, has been identified. The research, āA TLR/AKT/FoxO3 immune-tolerance like pathway disrupts the repair capacity of oligodendrocyte progenitors,ā was published in The Journal…
April 30, 2018 News by Diogo Pinto Rehabilitation Technique Improves Limb Movement in MS Patients, Phase 2 Trial Shows Constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT), a rehabilitation technique originally developed for stroke patients, may also be effective in improving limb use in the daily activities of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, results from a Phase 2 trial show. Findings were reported in the study, āPhase II Randomized Controlled Trial of…
May 12, 2017 News by Joana Fernandes, PhD Loss of Spinal Cord Neurons May Not Be a Good Predictor of MS Disability, British Study Finds Loss of spinal cord neurons may not be a reliable tool to predict disability in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), contrary to what was originally thought, according toĀ researchers at Queen Mary University of London. Their study, āAxonal loss in the multiple sclerosis spinal cord revisited,ā appeared in the journal…
December 8, 2016 News by Alice MelĆ£o, MSc Imbalances in Brain Microbiota May Be Behind Demyelination in MS, Study Says Alterations in microorganisms in the brains of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients could contribute to underlying disease mechanisms, including demyelination, according to researchers. The study, āBrain microbiota disruption within inflammatory demyelinating lesions in multiple sclerosis,ā was published in the journalĀ Scientific Reports. It is widely recognized that the…
October 24, 2016 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Study of Myelin-producing Cells a Step Forward for MS, Other Neurological Disorders A study found that the cells responsible for the production of myelinĀ selectively introduce a myelin-insulating layer in a particular set of neuronal axons in the brainās white matter. This represents a step forward in the basic mechanisms that may underlie neurological disorders, including multiple sclerosis (MS). Also, aĀ newly developed method…
June 3, 2016 News by Patricia Silva, PhD #CMSC16 – Online Atlas Links Cell Characteristics to Genes for Stem Cell Research The use of induced pluripotent stem cells to create disease-specific neurons and oligodendrocytes for the study of multiple sclerosis (MS) is hampered by the huge variability of features such cells possess. To getĀ around this problem, researchers from Ohio State University created an atlas of how cell characteristics are linked…
January 29, 2016 News by admin MS Drug May Prevent Brain Damage in Premature Babies Premature infants are known to be at risk of cerebral injury due to oxygen deprivation and later problems with cognitive development, but anĀ immunomodulating drug mostly used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) may be of help. Researchers in Germany and Switzerland reported that the drug fingolimod (Gilenya)Ā prevented brain…