Posts by: Alice Melão

Alice Melão

August 3, 2017August 4, 2017

Resistance Training Can Slow MS Patients’ Brain Shrinkage, Clinical Trial Indicates

News

Resistance training like weight lifting can protect or even regenerate the nerve cells of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients, slowing the progression of the disease, according to ... Read more

July 27, 2017July 28, 2017

Columbia University Researchers Record Action of Receptor Linked to Neurodegenerative Diseases

News

The neurotransmitter glutamate triggers most brain signals by activating proteins on the surface of neurons called glutamate receptors. Columbia University Medical Center researchers have taken the first ... Read more

July 26, 2017July 27, 2017

Wealthy Oilman with Multiple Sclerosis Funds Canadian Studies for Promising MS Therapy

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Canadian oilman Hank Swartout made a fortune as longtime founder and CEO of Precision Drilling. The Calgary native mortgaged his house to start the company, which ... Read more

July 25, 2017July 27, 2017

Lilly, Nektar Partner to Develop T-Cell Stimulator NKTR-358 for MS, Autoimmune Disorders

News

Eli Lilly and Nektar Therapeutics have established a development and commercial agreement for the investigational T-cell stimulator therapy NKTR-358 for the treatment of autoimmune disorders, including ... Read more

July 25, 2017July 26, 2017

New Innate Analysis Fails to Show Clinical Benefit of MIS416 for Secondary Progressive MS Patients

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A new analysis of Phase 2 clinical data on Innate Immunotherapeutics’ investigational drug MIS416 to treat secondary progressive multiple sclerosis has confirmed that the drug failed ... Read more

July 24, 2017July 25, 2017

Pre-Existing Inflammatory Diseases Reduce Therapeutic Potential of Stem Cells for MS Treatment, Study Shows

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According to a study by researchers at Cleveland’s Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, pre-existing inflammatory diseases affecting the central nervous system make mesenchymal stem ... Read more

July 17, 2017July 18, 2017

Copaxone Benefits RRMS Patients in the Long Term by Modulating Immune System Responses, Study Shows

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An Italian study shows that first-line treatment with Copaxone benefits relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients by boosting the number of anti-inflammatory immune cells and restoring the balance ... Read more

July 13, 2017July 14, 2017

Dormant Herpes Virus Can Impede Repair of Myelin Sheath Whose Deterioration Causes MS, Study Reports

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A herpes virus that lies dormant in many people can hinder the repair of the neuron-protecting myelin sheath whose deterioration causes multiple sclerosis, a study reports. The ... Read more

July 7, 2017July 11, 2017

FOXP3 Gene Mutations May Explain Immune System Excitability in MS and Other Diseases

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A gene mutation may explain the uncontrolled, inflammatory immune response seen in autoimmune and chronic inflammatory diseases like multiple sclerosis, scientists at the Research Institute of ... Read more

July 5, 2017July 5, 2017

MSBase, Icometrix Collaborate on Global Imaging Project to Understand MS Progression

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MSBase and icometrix have joined efforts in a large-scale project to identify imaging markers of multiple sclerosis (MS) that could help diagnose the disease in its ... Read more

July 5, 2017July 5, 2017

MIS416 Fails to Benefit Secondary Progressive MS Patients in Phase 2 Clinical Trial

News

Innate Immunotherapeutics’ MIS416 has failed to help secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) patients in a Phase 2 clinical trial. The company said it will continue testing the ... Read more

June 27, 2017June 29, 2017

Cladribine Tablets Are Only a Step Away from European Union Approval for Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis

News

Merck’s cladribine tablets are now just one step away from obtaining European Union approval as a relapsing multiple sclerosis treatment. The European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal ... Read more

June 22, 2017June 22, 2017

MS Researcher Stephen Hauser, MD, Awarded the 2017 Taubman Prize

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Stephen L. Hauser, MD, director of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)‘s Weill Institute for Neurosciences, has been awarded the 2017 Taubman Prize for Excellence in Translational ... Read more

June 19, 2017June 19, 2017

FDA Expands Dysport’s Approval for Treatment of Lower Limb Spasticity in Adults

News

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has expanded approval of Dysport (abobotulinumtoxinA) for treatment of spasticity in adults, a condition that affects many people in ... Read more

June 5, 2017June 5, 2017

Researchers Develop New Method to Specifically Target Immune Cells that Trigger MS, Other Autoimmune Processes

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Researchers at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC) have developed a new experimental method to specifically target unwanted activation of the immune system without the toxicity of ... Read more

June 2, 2017June 2, 2017

Acne Therapy Reduces Rate of Multiple Sclerosis Progression, Canadian Study Reports

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A common acne medicine called minocycline can reduce the rate of multiple sclerosis progression in patients who are at early stages of the disease, according to a ... Read more

May 24, 2017May 24, 2017

N.Y. Stem Cell Foundation Grows Brain Immune Cells in a Dish, Offerings Clues into MS Research

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Researchers from the New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) have developed a method to produce brain immune cells, called microglia, from human stem cells. That can help scientists ... Read more

May 23, 2017May 23, 2017

Results of Phase 3 Trial for Celgene’s Ozanimod Suggest Therapeutic Benefit in RMS Patients

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Relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS) patients taking the investigational drug ozanimod, also known as RPC-1063, had lower relapse rate than those on weekly Avonex (interferon β-1a) therapy, according ... Read more

May 22, 2017October 26, 2017

Real-world Spanish Study Confirms Gilenya’s Ability to Reduce Multiple Sclerosis Relapses

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A real-world medical-facilities setting has confirmed clinical trial findings that Gilenya (fingolimod) can reduce multiple sclerosis relapses, according to a Spanish study published in Plos One. Gilenya, developed by Novartis ... Read more

May 17, 2017May 17, 2017

PODS May Aid in Transporting Growth Factors for Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis, Other Diseases

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PODS (POlyhedrin Delivery System), a new technology designed to transport any protein in the human body, may open up new approaches in treating multiple sclerosis (MS) and ... Read more

May 16, 2017May 16, 2017

RRMS Patients on Beta-Interferon Therapy Have Increased Risk of Stroke, Study Finds

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A large-scale study revealed potential adverse reactions to beta-interferon (IFN-β) therapy, one of the most common treatments used for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). According to the ... Read more

May 15, 2017May 15, 2017

Transcription Factor T-Bet Triggers MS, Other Autoimmune Diseases, Study Finds

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The expression by immune B-cells of a protein called T-bet is crucial to promoting production of autoantibodies that recognize and destroy the tissues of one’s own body, ... Read more

May 9, 2017May 9, 2017

Laquinimod Fails to Meet Primary Clinical Trial Goal of Slowing Progression of RRMS

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Laquinimod failed to meet its primary Phase 3 clinical trial objective of slowing the progression of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) after three months, according to its developers, Teva Pharmaceutical ... Read more

May 3, 2017May 3, 2017

Smoking Reduces Levels of Circulating Immune Cells that Protect Against MS, Other Autoimmune Diseases

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Smoking can kill off the immune cells that commonly protect people from multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune diseases, say researchers at the University of Copenhagen — a ... Read more

May 2, 2017May 2, 2017

Two Proteins Play Key Roles in Regulating Brain Inflammation, MS-related Study Shows

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Neuroinflammation is an essential process in the development and progression of several neurodegenerative diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Researchers from the University of ... Read more

April 26, 2017April 26, 2017

Bioinformatics Approach Identifies Potential Therapies Targeting TNF, a Factor in MS, Other Diseases

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Greek researchers have developed a new bioinformatics tool to identify potential therapies for chronic inflammatory diseases. Using this approach, they identified and confirmed the therapeutic potential of ... Read more

April 21, 2017April 21, 2017

Decisions to Stop Taking Tysabri for MS Are Often Subjective, Study Concludes

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Many decisions to stop taking the multiple sclerosis treatment Tysabri (natalizumab) appear to be based largely on subjective factors such as patients’ or physicians’ view of the risk, ... Read more

April 20, 2017April 20, 2017

Early Use of Tecfidera and Tysabri Improves MS Patients’ Outcomes, Studies Suggest

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The latest results on Tecfidera (dimethyl fumarate) and Tysabri (natalizumab) use in a clinical practice setting suggest that early treatment can improve outcomes in multiple sclerosis (MS) ... Read more

April 13, 2017April 13, 2017

Scottish Medicines Consortium Approves Zinbryta for NHS Treatment of RRMS Patients in Scotland

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  The United Kingdom’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) last month recommended Zinbryta (daclizumab) to treat relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) in England and Wales. On April 10, Scotland received Scottish Medicines ... Read more

January 12, 2017January 13, 2017

Proximity to Heavy Traffic Raises Dementia Risk – But Not That of MS, Study Finds

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The effect air and noise pollution can have on the development of neurodegenerative diseases is not fully understood, but results from a large study published in ... Read more

January 6, 2017January 6, 2017

Fusion Protein, CGEN-15001, Shows Ability to Restore Immune Balance in Mice with MS

News

Compugen has reported new and promising results from studies on animal models of multiple sclerosis (MS) that support its lead drug candidate, CGEN-15001, as a potential treatment for a variety ... Read more

December 8, 2016December 8, 2016

Imbalances in Brain Microbiota May Be Behind Demyelination in MS, Study Says

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Alterations in microorganisms in the brains of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients could contribute to underlying disease mechanisms, including demyelination, according to researchers. The study, “Brain microbiota ... Read more

November 23, 2016November 23, 2016

New Research into T-cells May Lead to Immune-based Therapies for MS, Other Diseases

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A recent study published in Nature Communications showed, for the first time, that a protein complex called LUBAC is responsible for controlling the late-stage development of immune ... Read more

November 11, 2016November 11, 2016

Late-Onset MS Patients More Likely to Progress Quickly to Disability, Study Says

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People with late-onset multiple sclerosis (MS) tend to more rapidly rise in disability scores than younger patients with early onset MS, according to study in MS patients in ... Read more

October 26, 2016October 26, 2016

Degree of Posture Difficulties in MS Linked to Areas of Nervous System Most Damaged by Disease

News

Posture control is a complex skill, requiring different areas of the nervous system to work well and to work together — but the damage caused by multiple ... Read more

October 20, 2016October 20, 2016

Relapses and Dislike of Needles Among Reasons MS Patients Stop Betaferon Treatment

News

Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with more advanced disease, as evidenced by disability, and those more frequent relapses or aversion to needles are among the groups of ... Read more

September 30, 2016September 30, 2016

Satisfaction with MS Therapy Influenced by Doctor-Patient Communication, Study Finds

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A study published in the BMC Neurology journal emphasized that clear and regular communication between physicians and patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) is essential for patient satisfaction with ... Read more