image by: NIH Image Gallery

HWN Suggests

Paving the way towards an effective treatment for multiple sclerosis: advances in cell therapy

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a leading cause of chronic neurological disability in young to middle-aged adults, affecting ~2.5 million people worldwide. Currently, most therapeutics for MS are systemic immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory drugs, but these drugs are unable to halt or reverse the disease and have the potential to cause serious adverse events. Hence, there is an urgent need for the development of next-generation treatments that, alone or in combination, stop the undesired autoimmune response and contribute to the restoration of homeostasis.

read full article

Featured

  Disease modifying therapies

Disease modifying therapies (DMTs) aren't a cure for MS, but they can reduce how many relapses someone has and how serious they are. They can also slow down the damage caused by relapsing multiple sclerosis that builds up over time.

 A new ‘cure’ for MS? Not so fast

The stem cell treatment for MS greeted as a “cure” is a breakthrough for five per cent of people with MS. What about the other 95 per cent?

 Multiple Sclerosis Patients on the Most Effective Ways Doctors Can Treat Their Condition

Here’s what eight patients with the disease wish doctors knew when it comes to helping them manage the condition more effectively.

 Time matters in multiple sclerosis: can early treatment and long-term follow-up ensure everyone benefits from the latest advances in multiple sclerosis?

The management of multiple sclerosis (MS) has been a neurology success story for the past 25 years. Advances in understanding of the disease mechanisms and the dynamic nature of the disease have brought around 12 disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) to market in many countries. However, treatment is hampered by adverse effects and by limited evidence of efficacy in more advanced ‘progressive’ MS. Some patients do not receive DMTs for years after diagnosis, or are told medication can no longer help as their disability is worsening. The cost of DMTs is also a significant issue, especially in low-income and middle-income countries.

Articles of Interest

Emerging treatments for multiple sclerosis

There is no cure for multiple sclerosis (MS), but there has been much progress in developing new drugs to treat it. Research is ongoing to develop new and better disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) for this disease of the central nervous system.

Hitting a Medical Wall, and Turning to Unproven Treatments

Within a year, Dr. Wahls had ditched her motorized assists and started riding a bicycle. Eight years later, she shows no signs of her disease. Last summer, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, which has been tracking research into diet and inflammation, committed more than $1 million to study the effect of her diet on M.S.-related fatigue.

Managing Anxiety In Ms: What Works?

You may not know how you'll feel from morning to afternoon or one day to the next. Often, you never know when or if a flare-up will occur or how severely you may be affected.

MS in America: MS treatment

The MS In America 2015 online survey gathered insights from over 5,900 individuals who have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, to better understand what living with MS is really like. This survey not only asked about patients’ diagnosis and treatment journey, it also included the impact on quality of life, symptoms, HCP engagement, and much more. Survey respondents were primarily female and over age 40, similar to the profiles of MS sufferers across the U.S.

Multiple Sclerosis: How Scientists Developed a Breakthrough Drug

Inside the long and winding path to multiple sclerosis treatment.

New Ways to Treat Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis seems to damage the central nervous system at a pace faster than the body's own repair mechanism can keep up. In an attempt to find new approaches to treat the disease, scientists are exploring techniques to give the repair process a boost.

Stem Cell Therapy, A Multiple Sclerosis Breakthrough...

Mesenchymal stem cells have the ability to reduce inflammation and modulate the immune system, both of which may be extremely beneficial for MS patients.

Therapeutic Advances in Multiple Sclerosis

Over the last three decades, there has been a rapid expansion of treatment options for MS as well as increasing efficacy of newer agents against relapses. Despite advances in our understanding of the biology of MS pathogenesis, there remains a scarcity of effective treatment for progressive disease. While newer DMTs have higher efficacy in reducing relapse rate and MRI disease activity, they also may carry higher side effect profiles due to increased levels of immunosuppression.

What Top MS Researchers Want You to Know About MS Care and Treatment Right Now

Here are some of the top takeaways from the latest forum, in areas including MS drug treatment strategies, better use of imaging to inform MS treatment, and whether mind-altering drugs could have a role to play in treating MS.