Good News—MS Drugs Taken While Breastfeeding May Not Affect Child Development

Certain medications for multiple sclerosis (MS) called monoclonal antibodies, taken while breastfeeding, may not affect the development of a child during the first three years of life, according to a preliminary study released today, March 4, 2024. The study will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 76th Annual Meeting taking place April 13–18, 2024, in person in Denver and online. The study examined four monoclonal antibodies for MS: natalizumab, ocrelizumab, rituximab and ofatumumab.

Biochemists discover what affects the development of autoimmune diseases

The biochemist of RUDN University and Institute of Biomedical Chemistry was the first to study how variants of the protein that controls T-lymphocytes affect the development of autoimmune diseases using the example of multiple sclerosis. This will help find new approaches to the treatment of autoimmune diseases.

Using Ion Beams to Improve Brain Microscopy

Improving the way scientists can see the microscopic structures of the brain can improve our understanding of a host of brain diseases, like Alzheimer’s or multiple sclerosis. Studying these diseases is challenging and has been limited by accuracy of available models.To see the smallest parts of cells, scientists often use a technique called electron microscopy.

Life stressors may contribute to multiple sclerosis flares, disability

Stressors across the lifespan — including poverty, abuse and divorce — are associated with worsening health and functional outcomes for people with multiple sclerosis, a new study finds. Researchers say the findings can inform MS research as well as clinical care, including referrals to mental health or substance use support.

Insomnia, sleep apnea contribute to reports of cognitive decline in women with multiple sclerosis

Sleep disorders such as insomnia and sleep apnea may contribute to perceived cognitive decline, including ability to follow instructions and memory, in women with multiple sclerosis. Cognitive decline affects up to 70% of people with MS.

Can Mediterranean Diet Help People with MS Preserve Thinking Skills?

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who follow a Mediterranean diet may have a lower risk for problems with memory and thinking skills than those who do not follow the diet, according to a preliminary study released today, March 1, 2023, that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 75th Annual Meeting being held in person in Boston and live online from April 22-27, 2023.

MS Center at Jersey Shore University Medical Center Nationally Recognized as a Center for Comprehensive MS Care

Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center’s Multiple Sclerosis Center, a leading provider of care for people living with multiple sclerosis (MS) in New Jersey, has been officially recognized as a Center for Comprehensive MS Care through the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Partners in MS Care program. It is one of only two Centers for Comprehensive MS Care in Monmouth and Ocean counties.

Immunotherapy eliminates disease-causing cells in mice with MS-like disease

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown that the cancer therapy known as CAR-T can be applied to multiple sclerosis (MS), an autoimmune disease of the nervous system. The findings extend the powerful tool of immunotherapy to autoimmune diseases, a class of diseases that are often debilitating and difficult to treat.

Review: Are Climate Change and Air Pollution Making Neurologic Diseases Worse?

People with neurologic diseases like headache, dementia, multiple sclerosis (MS) and Parkinson’s disease may experience worsening symptoms due to climate change, according to a scoping review of research published in the November 16, 2022, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Addressing Health Inequities Could Help Avert a Neurologic Health Crisis

The closing plenary session at ANA2022 spotlighted neurologic health inequities and presented new research finding that neighborhood disadvantage strongly predicted likelihood of death from neurologic conditions independent of individual wealth and demographics.

Health Care Spending May Help Explain Link Between MS and Latitude

Researchers have known people who live farther from the equator are more likely to develop multiple sclerosis (MS) and have often attributed that to vitamin D exposure. But countries farther from the equator are also more likely to be wealthier than countries nearer to the equator. A new analysis shows that the amount a country spends on health care may help explain the link between MS and latitude. This new research is published in the August 24, 2022, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Quality of Life with Multiple Sclerosis May Depend on Several Factors

Quality of life is a measure of a person’s level of comfort, health and happiness. For people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study has found there are specific factors that may affect a person’s physical and mental quality of life. The study is published in the August 10, 2022, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Multiple sclerosis drug works in a surprising way

Drugs called interferon betas are common treatments for multiple sclerosis. Interferon beta, a protein known to contain a zinc-binding pocket, is thought to reduce proinflammatory molecules in MS patients. But researchers now report in ACS Chemical Neuroscience that the molecule reduces the binding of three components — zinc, C-peptide and albumin — to red blood cells.

Researchers Identify Potential Target for Treating Autoimmune Diseases

New research using a mouse model for multiple sclerosis has uncovered a potential new area to explore for possible treatments for autoimmune disorders.

April Research Highlights

This tipsheet highlights the latest medical discoveries and faculty news at Cedars-Sinai. Links to full news releases are included with each item.

Study Finds Rate of Multiple Sclerosis Similarly High in Black and White People

The rate of multiple sclerosis (MS) cases varies greatly by race and ethnicity. A new study suggests that the prevalence of MS in Black and white people is similarly high, while much lower in Hispanic and Asian people. The research is published in the April 27, 2022, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Does MS Affect Survival Rate After Colorectal Cancer Diagnosis?

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who are diagnosed with colorectal cancer may be at a higher risk of dying from cancer or other causes over the next six months to one year than people with colorectal cancer who do not have MS, according to a study published in the September 15, 2021, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Patients with Multiple Sclerosis Show Robust T-Cell Responses to mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines

New research shows that Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients undergoing anti-CD20 (aCD20) treatment – which depletes the B cells that contribute to the MS attacks – are able to mount robust T-cell responses to the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, despite having a muted antibody response to the vaccines.

Are Multiple Sclerosis Drugs Used Early on in the Disease Also Effective Later?

Finding treatments for advanced multiple sclerosis (MS) has been difficult. But new research may help neurologists identify which drugs are best for people with the advanced form of MS called secondary progressive MS. The new study, published in the June 30, 2021, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, found that the more potent disease-modifying drugs are more effective in reducing flare-ups in secondary progressive MS than the less potent drugs that tend to be safer to take. However, the researchers found no difference in how fast the disease progressed between these two types of drugs.

Does Socioeconomic Status Explain Why Black People with MS Have More Disability?

A new study suggests that even when differences in socioeconomic status are taken into consideration, Black people with multiple sclerosis (MS) may be more negatively impacted by the disease than white people with MS. The research is published in the June 30, 2021, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study found that Black people with MS had lower scores on certain measures of neurological health, like dexterity and walking tests and showed more evidence of disease progression on brain scans.

Could Rising Temperatures Send More People with MS to the Hospital?

As average temperatures around the globe climb, a preliminary study has found people with multiple sclerosis (MS) may expect worsening symptoms, enough to send them to the hospital more often. The preliminary study released today, March 2, 2021, will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 73rd Annual Meeting being held virtually April 17 to April 22, 2021.

Press and Media Registration is Open for 2021 AAN Annual Meeting

No matter where you are in the world, the 2021 AAN Annual Meeting is one click away. Journalists can now register to attend the 73rd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) being held virtually April 17-22, 2021. The AAN Annual Meeting is the world’s largest gathering of neurologists who come together to share the latest advances in neurologic research.

Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplants May Provide Long-Term Benefit for People with MS

A new study shows that intense immunosuppression followed by a hematopoietic stem cell transplant may prevent disability associated with multiple sclerosis (MS) from getting worse in 71% of people with relapsing-remitting MS for up to 10 years after the treatment. The research is published in the January 20, 2021, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study also found that in some people their disability improved over 10 years after treatment. Additionally, more than half of the people with the secondary progressive form of MS experienced no worsening of their symptoms 10 years after a transplant.

Study: Medication May Improve Thinking Skills in Advanced Multiple Sclerosis

People with the advanced form of multiple sclerosis (MS) called secondary progressive MS who took the drug siponimod for one to two years had improved cognitive processing speed compared to those who did not take the drug, according to a new study published in the December 16, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Multiple Sclerosis May Not Put You at Risk for Breast, Colorectal Cancers

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) may not be at higher risk of developing two of the three cancers that occur most commonly in people with MS, breast and colorectal cancer, than people who don’t have the disease, according to a new study published in the November 25, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. However, the study did find that people with MS had a higher incidence of bladder cancer.

Smartphone Use Offers Tool to Treat MS, Other Diseases

Monitoring how patients with multiple sclerosis or other degenerative diseases use their smartphones could provide valuable information to help get them better treatment. In the journal Chaos, researchers used an app to record the keystroke dynamics of a control group and those of subjects in various stages of MS treatment. In doing so, they observed changes in the way people with MS typed that were not seen in subjects who did not have the disease.

CLEVELAND CLINIC UNVEILS TOP 10 MEDICAL INNOVATIONS FOR 2021

An up-and-coming gene therapy for blood disorders. A new class of medications for cystic fibrosis. Increased access to telemedicine. These are some of the innovations that will enhance healing and change healthcare in the coming year, according to a distinguished panel of clinicians and researchers from Cleveland Clinic.

In conjunction with the 2020 Medical Innovation Summit, Cleveland Clinic announced the Top 10 Medical Innovations for 2021.

First results of the COVID-19 in MS Global Data Sharing Initiative suggest anti-CD20 DMTs are associated with worse COVID-19 outcomes

Background: As the COVID-19 pandemic amplifies, efforts to minimise the risk on vulnerable people are essential. People with multiple sclerosis (MS) may be a vulnerable group due to the high proportion taking long-term immunosuppressive disease-modifying therapies (DMTs). Studies from Italy…

Interrupting disease modifying treatment for pregnancy in multiple sclerosis – effect on disease activity and serum neurofilament light chain

Background: Pregnancy in MS typically goes along with reduced disease activity in the third trimester, followed by an increase in relapse frequency postpartum. Neurofilament light chain levels in serum (NfL) is a specific biomarker of neuroaxonal injury. Increased NfL levels…

Phase 2 clinical trial evidence that a retinoid-X receptor agonist promotes remyelination in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis

Background: Retinoid acid X receptor [RXR] gamma agonists promote oligodendrocyte progenitor cell differentiation and remyelination following experimental demyelination. Objectives: To assess the safety and efficacy of bexarotene, a non-specific RXR agonist licensed for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, as a remyelinating therapy…

New Study Reveals 75% of Multiple Sclerosis Patients Face Financial Toxicity

A new study from Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute finds that over ¾ of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients face financial toxicity that often results in non-adherence to follow up care. This Multiple Sclerosis Journal study is the first of its kind to evaluate financial toxicity in MS patients and whether financial hardship is linked to patients foregoing the therapy and imaging follow-up prescribed in their treatment plan.

8th Joint ACTRIMS-ECTRIMS (MSVirtual2020) Meeting to Be Held Virtually September 11-13, 2020 with an Encore Event on September 26th with Late Breakers and Special Session on COVID-19

Registered media to MSVirtual2020 will have access to the full program including plenary sessions, invited speakers and platform presentations of abstracts, poster presentations, teaching courses, and industry supported satellite symposia, both scheduled and on-demand