Posts by: Maureen Newman

Maureen Newman

Maureen Newman is a science columnist for BioNews Texas. She is currently a PhD student studying biomedical engineering at University of Rochester, working towards a career of research in biomaterials for drug delivery and regenerative medicine. She is an integral part of Dr. Danielle Benoit's laboratory, where she is investigating bone-homing therapeutics for osteoporosis treatment.

October 15, 2015October 15, 2015

The Future of Stem Cell Therapy for Multiple Sclerosis Patients Relies on Clinical Trial Participation

Multiple Sclerosis News, News

Among the different therapeutic approaches being explored for treating MS, adult stem cell therapy continues to be one of the most discussed and anticipated in the MS community. “Stem cells” ... Read more

September 11, 2015September 11, 2015

Melatonin Levels Positively Correlate With Fewer MS Flare-Ups, According to Study

Multiple Sclerosis News, News

Melatonin, the same hormone that helps people fall asleep by regulating the body’s internal clock, may be helpful in treating multiple sclerosis, according to a study ... Read more

September 8, 2015September 8, 2015

New Genetic Risk Factors for Multiple Sclerosis Identified in Study

Multiple Sclerosis News, News

Two new risk factors for multiple sclerosis have been identified by a research group at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics at the University of ... Read more

July 30, 2015July 30, 2015

MSPrecise Shown to be Accurate in Diagnosing RRMS in Study Cohort

Multiple Sclerosis News, News

A new study testing Amarantus Diagnostics’ MSPrecise on multiple sclerosis patients identified the test as a specific and sensitive diagnostic test for multiple sclerosis. The test accurately diagnosed 84% ... Read more

July 24, 2015July 27, 2015

Masitinib Shows Promise in Study For Treating Progressive MS Patients

Multiple Sclerosis News, News

Progressive multiple sclerosis patients treated with AB Science’s lead compound AB07002 (masitinib) in a Phase 3 clinical trial showed positive results in a non futility test ... Read more

July 23, 2015July 23, 2015

Identifying MS Gene Mutations Could Make Personalized Treatment Possible

Multiple Sclerosis News, News

Personalized medicine, often applied to treat cancer, may be possible for patients with multiple sclerosis as well. Certain patients respond differently to certain multiple sclerosis medications, ... Read more

July 10, 2015July 10, 2015

Risk Assessment Ability Declines With Multiple Sclerosis Disease Severity According To Survey

Multiple Sclerosis News, News

The ability to assess risk may decline as multiple sclerosis disease status progresses over time, as determined by a recent study from University of Alberta in ... Read more

July 8, 2015October 4, 2015

Mitochondria May Play a Role in MS Development and Progression

Multiple Sclerosis News, News

Recent attention to the role of mitochondria in the etiology of multiple sclerosis (what causes the disease) suggests that mitochondrial defects and mitochondrial structural and functional ... Read more

June 25, 2015June 25, 2015

Innovative “Nanoprobe” Used to Diagnose Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis News, News

A nanometric sensor — an extremely small probe originally designed to test samples for the presence of herbicides, heavy metals, and pollutants — was experimentally shown ... Read more

June 10, 2015June 10, 2015

RedHill Biopharma Enrolls Final RRMS Patient in RHB-104 Clinical Trial

Multiple Sclerosis News, News

RedHill Biopharma Ltd. enrolled the final patient for its Phase IIa, proof-of-concept study testing RHB-104 in patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) who test positive ... Read more

June 2, 2015June 22, 2015

SPMS Therapy Developer Opexa Looks to Treat Patients With Neuromyelitis Optica

Multiple Sclerosis News, News

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO), a rare autoimmune disorder often mistaken for multiple sclerosis, is similar in that it is characterized by myelin destruction in the optic nerves and ... Read more

May 25, 2015May 25, 2015

New Compound Tested in Lab Shows Promise for Progressive Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis News, News

Exploratory research conducted at Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Illinois at Chicago may translate into a new therapeutic agent to treat progressive multiple sclerosis. ... Read more

May 4, 2015June 26, 2015

EXCLUSIVE: Opexa Developing Tcelna as a True Personalized MS Therapy For SPMS, RRMS

Multiple Sclerosis News, News

After the Phase 2b clinical trial named Abili-T achieved full enrollment with 190 secondary progress multiple sclerosis (SPMS) patients, The Woodlands, Texas-based Opexa Therapeutics is patiently awaiting ... Read more

April 22, 2015July 19, 2016

Two Researchers Investigate FACETS Program to Fight Fatigue in MS

Multiple Sclerosis News, News

Throughout the years, Dr. Sarah Thomas and Dr. Peter Thomas at Bournemouth University have been developing a program to aid multiple sclerosis patients affected by fatigue. ... Read more

April 22, 2015July 19, 2016

Progressive MS Pipeline Slowly Filling With New, Experimental Therapies

Multiple Sclerosis News, News

As the most common non-traumatic cause of disability in young people in the industrialized world, multiple sclerosis affects more than 2.5 million people globally. Those who ... Read more

April 20, 2015April 20, 2015

Case Study Highlights Demyelinating Lesion in Pediatric MS Patient Discovered After Abdominal Pain

Multiple Sclerosis News, News

Considering the range of neurological symptoms normally associated with adult multiple sclerosis (including loss of coordination, weakness, fatigue, and trouble thinking), symptoms of pediatric multiple sclerosis ... Read more

April 15, 2015April 15, 2015

Researchers Discover New Way To Determine MS Disease Aggressiveness By Measuring Antibody Levels

Multiple Sclerosis News, News

A new commentary concerning genetic variability in multiple sclerosis patients highlights a new marker of disease severity. Local IgG (antibody) synthesis is found in over 90% ... Read more

April 3, 2015April 3, 2015

Multiple Sclerosis Patients Less Susceptible to Gout in Study

Multiple Sclerosis News, News

What do multiple sclerosis and gout have in common? Uric acid. Uric acid, a byproduct of purine metabolism, causes crystal accumulation in joints (usually in the ... Read more

March 27, 2015March 27, 2015

New Imaging Technique Reveals MS Progression Related to Diffusivity in Brain

Multiple Sclerosis News, News

Scientists are developing new tools to understand multiple sclerosis pathogenesis and monitor the benefits of treatments. One of these tools is diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), a ... Read more

March 25, 2015July 19, 2016

Low Dose Naltrexone Review for MS Reveals High Safety Profile, Mixed Results on Benefits in Multiple Studies

Multiple Sclerosis News

One of the most widely disputed treatments for multiple sclerosis is low dose naltrexone (LDN). While a plethora of patient testimonies and anecdotal evidence suggest immense ... Read more

February 16, 2015October 6, 2015

Stem Cells Used to Treat Secondary Progressive Patients in Clinical Trial

Multiple Sclerosis News, News

What may work better than existing drugs to treat severe multiple sclerosis? Stem cells. A phase 2 clinical study from an international group of research centers ... Read more

February 13, 2015June 11, 2015

Experimental SPMS Drug From Innate Immunotherapeutics Shows Success in Early Trials

Multiple Sclerosis News, News

Under development at Innate Immunotherapeutics is a special drug candidate to treat secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). Currently, no viable therapies exist for SPMS — only less-effective ... Read more

December 5, 2014July 19, 2016

Review Finds MS Treatment Goals Shifted Focus in 2014

Multiple Sclerosis News, News

The “2014 Multiple Sclerosis Therapeutic Update,” published in the journal Neurohospitalist by author Bruce Cree, MD, PhD, MCR, provides a positive outlook on the state of ... Read more

November 24, 2014November 24, 2014

New Mouse Model Better Represents JC Virus That Infects MS Patients

Multiple Sclerosis News

Researchers in the laboratory of Steve Goldman, MD, PhD, Co-Director of University of Rochester Center for Translational Neuromedicine, are delving deeper into the science behind progressive ... Read more

November 17, 2014November 17, 2014

Limb Spasm Treatments for MS Patients Explored by Flex Pharma and Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals

Multiple Sclerosis News, News

Upper limb spasticity and lower leg cramps and spasms, two conditions that affect patients with multiple sclerosis, are being treated in separate clinical trials with results ... Read more

September 24, 2014May 22, 2015

Primary, Secondary Progressive MS Therapy to be Tested in Phase 2 Trial by MediciNova

Multiple Sclerosis News, News

MediciNova, Inc., recently announced that it had surpassed 50% enrollment for the phase 2b clinical trial evaluating MN-166 (ibudilast) in progressive multiple sclerosis patients. As of ... Read more

September 24, 2014September 24, 2014

Vaccine Against MS Being Developed at Baylor Institute for Immunology Research

Multiple Sclerosis News, News

A vaccination against multiple sclerosis is in progress in the laboratory of SangKon Oh, PhD, at the Baylor Institute for Immunology Research. Along with Gerard Zurawski, ... Read more

September 23, 2014September 23, 2014

RRMS Treatment from Antisense Highly Effective in Clinical Trials

Multiple Sclerosis News, News

For the first time, an antisense oligonucleotide has been shown to be effective in treating relapse-remitting multiple sclerosis. A phase 2a clinical trial of Antisense Therapeutics ... Read more

September 22, 2014September 22, 2014

New MS Therapy From Biogen Idec, AbbVie Reveals Positive Phase 3 Results in RRMS Patients

Multiple Sclerosis News, News

Phase 3 clinical trial results from Biogen Idec and AbbVie presented at the Sixth Triennial Joint Meeting of the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in ... Read more

September 18, 2014September 18, 2014

Cognitive Defects in Multiple Sclerosis Caused in Part By Brain Processing Speed

Multiple Sclerosis News, News

Trying to nail down the reason for executive deficits in multiple sclerosis can be difficult, considering the number of factors related to the condition. A team ... Read more

September 12, 2014September 12, 2014

Real-World Analysis of AMPYRA Multiple Sclerosis Drug Presented by Acorda and HealthCore

Multiple Sclerosis News, News

Acorda Therapeutics will present results of a study analyzing AMPYRA (dalfampridine) Extended Release Tablets in multiple sclerosis patients at the 2014 Joint ACTRIMS-ECTRIMS Meeting in Boston, ... Read more

September 11, 2014September 12, 2014

Working Memory and Cognitive Reserve Linked in MS Kessler Foundation Study

Multiple Sclerosis News, News

Any intervention that could help multiple sclerosis patients preserve long-term memory would likely be well-received. As suggested by a recent study from the Kessler Foundation, “Working Memory ... Read more

September 8, 2014September 8, 2014

Comorbidities More Prevalent With Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis

Multiple Sclerosis News, News

While multiple sclerosis is most typically associated with progressively declining physical ability, multiple sclerosis patients are often times affected by a number of physical and mental ... Read more

September 5, 2014September 5, 2014

Novel MS Therapy from GeNeuro Performed Well in Phase 2a Clinical Trial

Multiple Sclerosis News, News

A novel therapeutic from GeNeuro to treat multiple sclerosis showed promising results in a one-year, open-label extension phase 2a clinical trial. GeNeuro tested its first-in-class GNbAC1 ... Read more

August 29, 2014August 29, 2014

Multiple Sclerosis Cases Continue To Rise in Countries With Traditionally Small MS Populations

Multiple Sclerosis News, News

Recent research continues to suggest that MS is on the rise is countries that in the past posted small diagnoses of the disease. The latest study ... Read more

August 28, 2014August 28, 2014

Low Dose Naltrexone May Improve Multiple Sclerosis Patient Quality of Life

Multiple Sclerosis News, News

Low dose naltrexone (LDN) may be on its way to becoming a new therapeutic agent for multiple sclerosis. Evidence for its efficacy in attenuating multiple sclerosis ... Read more

August 23, 2014August 25, 2014

Serum Proteins May Reveal Impending Multiple Sclerosis Symptom Onset

Multiple Sclerosis News, News

According to new research published in European Journal of Neurology, susceptibility to multiple sclerosis may be predicted by looking at individuals’ protein profiles, otherwise known as ... Read more

August 15, 2014August 15, 2014

Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms Aggravated By Genetic Alterations in Patients

Multiple Sclerosis News, News

While the majority of scientists dedicated to multiple sclerosis research focus on genetic regulators of conditions such as autoimmunity, demyelination, inflammation, and neurodegeneration, a team from the ... Read more

August 5, 2014August 5, 2014

Angiogenesis, VEGF Are Interesting Targets in Treating Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis News, News

Findings of a number of scientific research articles, reviewed in a recent article from researchers at University of Bari and National Cancer Institute in Italy, describe ... Read more

July 24, 2014July 24, 2014

Low Vitamin D is Linked to Severe Acute Optic Neuritis in Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis News, News

For the approximately 15-20% of multiple sclerosis patients with acute optic neuritis (AON), lack of vitamin D may be partly responsible. A new study published in ... Read more