Multiple Sclerosis

A lot is known about the benefits of Natalizumab in the treatment of MS patients, but there is also a known risk of patients developing progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. Finding a balance between the two conditions was the focus of recent research.

Stepping out into the sun may be more important than ever, especially for patients with multiple sclerosis.

As if there aren't enough reasons to stop smoking, a study has revealed smoking also increases the risk of developing multiple sclerosis.

The macular inner retinal layer thickness differs between individuals with neuromyelitis optica (NMO) and multiple sclerosis (MS), according to lead author Richard Loeb. The study will be presented in a poster session on Apr. 18 at the American Academy of Neurology meeting in Washington, DC. The finding should help physicians distinguish between the ailments.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the approval of a generic version of a medication developed to treat patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis.

Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) injection is approved for the management of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). In general, use of Lemtrada should be limited to patients with MS who have not had therapeutic success with 2 or more prior treatments.

Patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) who received a non-myeloablative hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) experienced improved measures of disability and quality of life.

Stem cell therapy for multiple sclerosis is effective at 3-year follow up, according to research published in JAMA Neurology.

Researchers report that a medication that restores myelin for multiple sclerosis patients has proved successful in a phase 2 trial.

By completing the largest ever map of the human genome, researchers believe they are one step closer to understanding diseases.

Patients with multiple sclerosis are influenced by their physicians' relationships with pharmaceutical companies and industry-sponsored clinical trials.

People with HIV are at a lower risk for developing multiple sclerosis, and HIV drugs may slow the progression of MS, according to research from the United Kingdom.

Researchers believe they can target a receptor protein in the spinal cord to slow nerve damage and paralysis caused by multiple sclerosis.

Fatigue in multiple sclerosis patients depended on task length in a study published in Frontiers in Neurology.

Researchers in Germany have figured out the process by which interleukin 4 (IL-4) inhibits inflammation, pointing the way toward a possible treatment for psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and other autoimmune diseases.

The medical marijuana program in Connecticut will expand to cover several additional conditions, including psoriatic arthritis.

In a phase 3 clinical trial, Novartis's drug Gilenya (fingolimod) did not reduce disability in patients with primary progressive multiple sclerosis.

Researchers report that mice with experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (an animal model of brain inflammation that is used to study multiple sclerosis) that were fed a diet that included cinnamon powder experienced a reduction in symptom severity.

Patients with multiple sclerosis who received stem cell therapy instead of treatment with mitoxantrone achieved better outcomes over a 4-year-period.

For the first time, an oral therapy has been proved to reduce the risk of developing clinically definite multiple sclerosis in patients with a clinically isolated syndrome.

Increased salt intake may magnify the risk of relapses in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). According to researchers, excess dietary sodium intake is associated with a higher level of disease activity in patients with relapsing-remitting MS.

In April 2010, Provenge became the first dendritic cell vaccine in cancer treatment to be approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, and the agent is now used in the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Insights gleaned from this research are now being applied in the study of a potential vaccine for multiple sclerosis treatment and prevention.

In a study published in the journal Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, investigators identified uric acid as a potential biomarker in the progression of multiple sclerosis disability.

Although multiple sclerosis is likely a result of multifactorial influences, there is some evidence that viruses play a role in the disease.

Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) often seek information from the Internet. Researchers in Italy interviewed 3 focus groups of patients with MS and 3 focus groups of family members of patients with MS to determine how physicians might improve access to the right type of information.

Although 10 disease-modifying agents are available for patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), and more than 20 years have elapsed since the approval in the United States of the first traditional injectable agents for RRMS, until 2012 only 6 large head-to-head trials had evaluated these treatments directly.

Last year, Copaxone received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for a new 40-mg/mL subcutaneous injection used 3 times weekly, allowing for less frequent administration of the medication than the original 20-mg/mL daily subcutaneous injection.

Studying vision impairments and their effects on quality of life in multiple sclerosis patients is a developing field.

Researchers will adapt an existing video game therapy for multiple sclerosis patients to slow progression of motor decline.

Dalfampridine extended release was evaluated for any links to renal impairments and seizures in multiple sclerosis patients.