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Archive for the tag “research studies”

10 Apr 2016

Study finds greater role for environment in MS

Environmental factors may be playing a much greater role in the onset of multiple sclerosis than previously realized, according to early research led by Queen Mary University of London and Barts Health NHS Trust. The theory is based on new findings showing that Black people and South Asians in east London have a higher prevalence of MS compared to those groups in their ancestral countries, indicating a strong environmental influence on the disease that could be driving higher MS rates in London.

The researchers, led by Dr. Klaus Schmierer, used electronic records from general practices in four east London boroughs (Tower Hamlets, Newham, Hackney and City of London) which were reviewed for the number of MS-diagnosed patients, grouped by ethnicity. What they found was that MS appeared to be several times more prevalent among African people and South Asians living in London compared to those groups living in their ancestral territory. While prevalence differences could be explained by fewer MS diagnoses occurring in less resourced countries, the authors said it is unlikely to explain the gulf in prevalence between these territories. They said that an alternative, or additional, explanation would be increased exposure in the UK to environmental agents or behaviors that facilitate the development of MS.

Lead author Schmierer said, “MS is a disease where genetic ancestry and environmental factors play a role, however to what degree these two aspects are driving the risk of developing MS remains unknown. We found that people of Asian and African extraction in London are far more likely to have MS than people of the same ethnicity living in their ancestral countries. Our early results suggest that environmental factors play a pivotal role in the risk of developing MS, while the individual genetic backdrop may be of lesser importance.”

The study was published in Multiple Sclerosis Journal.

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07 Apr 2016

How Do You Weigh the Risks and Benefits of MS Treatments? Take a Survey Developed by Researchers Funded by the National MS Society

Summary: Investigators want to know how people living with MS weigh risks against benefits when choosing MS therapies. This 20-minute survey is funded by the National MS Society, and was developed by Robert Fox, MD, and colleagues at the Cleveland Clinic and the MS patient registry NARCOMS.

Click Here to participate in this survey.

Rationale: Although the effectiveness and risks of MS therapies are well-defined, relatively little is known about how these benefits and risks are perceived and evaluated by people with MS. This benefit/risk trade-off is important for clinicians, industry, and regulators to understand when considering which therapies to develop, approve for use, and recommend. For these reasons, the Society released a targeted request for proposals on this topic. Dr. Fox and colleagues were awarded a Health Care Policy & Delivery Research Contract to administer a large-scale survey regarding preferences related to various benefits/risks of MS therapies. They are looking for patterns of how people weigh risks and benefits based on their health status and other factors.

Goal: The results should provide a deeper understanding of various perspectives concerning risks and benefits of MS therapies among the various stakeholders involved in the development and use of MS therapies: people with MS and their care partners, clinicians, industry, and regulators such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Eligibility and Details: All people who have MS are invited to participate. The survey has a series of questions related to MS, MS therapies, and other personal characteristics; several clinical scenarios accompanied by a series of questions related to your willingness to take risks in each scenario; and questions about how you think people with MS should be involved in the government’s review of new MS therapies. The survey should take about 20 minutes to complete.

Click Here to participate in this survey

If you have questions about the survey, please contact MSregistry@narcoms.org, or 1-800-253-7884.

Read more about NARCOMS.

 

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06 Mar 2016

Researchers Funded by National MS Society Pinpoint Direct Damage to Nerve Connections in Mice, Independent of Myelin Damage

Summary
• Researchers have found evidence that microscopic connectors in the brain called “synapses” are directly damaged during the course of MS-like disease in mice, in an area of the brain linked to cognitive function.
• The damage appeared to be unrelated to myelin damage, and was linked to a specific molecule called platelet-activating factor receptor.
• Further research will determine whether treatment that protects synapses in the hippocampus may preserve cognitive function in people with MS. The team is pursuing therapeutic candidates based on these findings.
• This research was funded in part by a National MS Society-American Brain Foundation (American Academy of Neurology) Clinician Scientist Development Award to Dr. Matthew Bellizzi.
• The team (Drs. Bellizzi, Harris Gelbard, and colleagues, from the University of Rochester Medical Center, in New York) has published results in The Journal of Neuroscience. (2016 Jan 27;36(4):1336-46.)
Background: MS involves immune attacks in the brain and spinal cord. During the course of MS, damage occurs to the myelin that surrounds and protects nerve fibers, and nerve cells and their axons are also damaged. Damage to nerve cells in MS has been linked to cognitive impairment, progressive disability and other symptoms.

The causes of nerve damage are not yet well understood, which has limited progress in developing therapies that prevent damage and preserve nerve function (neuroprotection) to slow or stop progressive disability. Some research has shown that microscopic connectors in the brain called “synapses” may be lost in some parts of the brain during the course of MS, but details have been lacking. Synapses are the point of communication between individual nerve cells, and they are critically important for all functions of the nervous system including memory. A team at the University of Rochester has been attempting to determine the extent of damage to nerve cell fibers and synapses in brain, to find ways to protect nerves from damage.

The Study: The team, led by Matthew Bellizzi, MD, PhD, and Harris Gelbard, MD, PhD (University of Rochester), studied mice with the MS-like disease EAE. They measured the density of synapses in an area of the brain called the hippocampus. The hippocampus is involved in memory function. Although myelin was preserved, synaptic density was reduced by 28%, compared with mice that did not have EAE.

In another study, the team grew nerve cells from the hippocampus in laboratory dishes, and then added brain cells called microglia. This made the synapses more vulnerable to damage, and this damage seemed to be dependent on signals from a molecule called platelet-activating factor receptor (PAFR). To test this, the team administered an experimental molecule – BN52021 – that inhibits PAFR. Administering this molecule before EAE developed did not prevent the disease, but preserved synapses.

This research was funded in part by a National MS Society-American Brain Foundation (American Academy of Neurology) Clinician Scientist Development Award to Dr. Matthew Bellizzi. The team published results in The Journal of Neuroscience. (2016 Jan 27;36(4):1336-46.)

Next Steps: Further research will determine whether treatment that preserves synapses in the hippocampus can improve cognitive function in people with MS. According to a press release from the University of Rochester, the researchers are now focused on exploring potential therapeutic candidates based on these findings.

Read more about research to repair damaged tissue in MS
Read more about efforts to understand how MS affects cognitive function
Watch the educational video, Mood & Cognition in MS: [What you can do].

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15 Feb 2016

Study authors find brain lesion, taste problem link

A new study finds that the more lesions spotted on an MRI, the worse the taste function of the patient with multiple sclerosis. They also found that women did better men on taste measures.

The researchers, led by Richard Doty, director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Smell and Taste Center, administered a standard taste test (sweet, sour, bitter, and salty) to 73 MS patients and 73 controls subjects, along with MRI of 52 brain regions known to be affected by MS in both groups. They found that the disease significantly influenced the ability to identify tastes, especially salty and sweet. Fifteen to 32 percent of MS patients – which is nearly twice as high as previous studies found – had taste scores below the 5th percentile of controls. What’s more, taste scores were inversely correlated with lesion amounts and volumes in the large sectors of the frontal and temporal lobes, the higher regions of the brain, identified on the MRI.

Regardless of subject group, women outperformed men on taste measures, which mirrors what previous taste studies have found. It is likely because women have more taste papillae and taste buds than men, the researchers said.

“It appears that a sizable number of these patients exhibit taste deficits, more so than originally thought. This suggests that altered taste function, though less noticeable than changes in vision, is a relatively common feature in MS. Future studies investigating the relationship between taste and MS may help better diagnose and understand the disease, as well as better manage symptoms,” Doty said.

The findings were reported in the Journal of Neurology.

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07 Feb 2016

MRI Study Yields Clues to the Development of Primary-Progressive MS

Summary

  • In a study of 453 people described as having radiologically isolated syndrome (specific areas of damage on MRI scans with no accompanying symptoms), about 12% eventually developed primary-progressive MS. This mirrors the frequency of primary-progressive MS seen in other studies of people with MS.
  • Those who developed primary-progressive MS were more likely to be men, were significantly older, and were more likely to have MS-like lesions in the spinal cord compared to those who went on to develop clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) or relapsing-remitting MS.
  • This study provides a rare glimpse of a very early stage of disease even before progression begins, and provides additional evidence of the value of research into radiologically isolated syndrome. Finding a way to identify and track primary-progressive MS earlier may help to improve access to care for those who have it.
  • The team (Dr. Orhun Kantarci, Mayo Clinic and Foundation, and national and international collaborators) published their findings in Annals of Neurology (published online, December 29, 2015).

Background: Diagnosing MS can be challenging, and it often happens in stages. The term “clinically isolated syndrome” (CIS) is used to describe a first episode of neurologic symptoms  that lasts at least 24 hours and is caused by inflammation and demyelination in one or more sites in the brain and spinal cord. Individuals who experience a CIS may or may not go on to develop definite MS. However, clinical trials of specific disease-modifying therapies have led to approvals for their use to treat CIS.

Some people have specific, “clinically silent” lesions (areas of inflamed or damaged tissue) on MRI, meaning that they are experiencing no symptoms and only have imaging findings. There has been growing research on this phenomenon, called “radiologically isolated syndrome (RIS),” which like CIS may or may not go on to develop into definite MS. There is debate as to whether people with RIS would benefit from early treatment with disease-modifying therapies.

Primary-progressive multiple sclerosis is a relatively rare form of MS, with about 10% of all people with MS receiving this diagnosis. It is characterized by steady worsening of neurologic functioning, without any distinct relapses (also called attacks or exacerbations) or periods of remission.

The Study:  This team examined data from 453 people with RIS collected from 22 investigators in five countries; a database of 210 people with MS in Olmsted County, Minnesota; and a cohort of 754 people with progressive MS.

Of the 453 people with RIS, 128 (28%) went on to develop a first neurological event consistent with CIS or relapsing MS. Of these, 15 (11.7%) developed primary-progressive MS. Those who developed primary-progressive MS were more commonly men, and older at diagnosis by approximately 10 years, than the 113 people who developed CIS/MS. The frequency of primary-progressive MS and age comparisons were similar to those identified in other groups of MS. Of the 15 who went on to develop primary-progressive MS, 12 had MRI scans of the spinal cord, and all 12 had lesions in the spinal cord, compared with 64% of those who developed CIS/MS.

The team (Dr. Orhun Kantarci, Mayo Clinic and Foundation, and national and international collaborators) published their findings in Annals of Neurology (published online, December 29, 2015).

Conclusions: This study provides a rare glimpse of a very early stage of disease even before progression begins, and provides additional evidence of the value of research into radiologically isolated syndrome. Finding a way to identify and track primary-progressive MS earlier may help to improve access to care for those who have it.

Read more about primary-progressive MS

– See more at: http://mjnickum-mynewbook.blogspot.com/#sthash.AQU8pdwj.dpuf

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24 Jan 2016

The Latest on Stem Cell Treatment

Recent media reports have featured news about a clinical trial involving harvesting a person’s own stem cells to treat aggressive multiple sclerosis.
• This treatment, called autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT), attempts to “reboot” the immune system, which is believed to launch attacks on the brain and spinal cord in people with MS.
• HSCT is under investigation in clinical trials in Canada, the United States, Europe and elsewhere. Clinical trials are needed to fully understand the benefits and risks of HSCT in MS, and who might benefit most from this approach, since it does not seem to be effective in all types of MS.
• In HSCT, stem cells from a person’s own bone marrow or blood are stored, and the rest of the individual’s immune cells are depleted usually by chemotherapy. Then the stored stem cells are reintroduced and over time they produce new cells that repopulate the body with immune cells.
• There is exciting progress being made through innovative research related to the potential of many types of stem cells both for slowing MS disease activity and for repairing damage to the nervous system.
• At present, there are no approved stem cell therapies for MS. Stem cell therapy is in the experimental stage, and it’s important for people to have the best available information to understand this exciting area of research and make decisions related to this complex issue.
• In November 2015, the International Conference on Cell-Based Therapy for Multiple Sclerosis was convened by the National MS Society and the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis, bringing leading researchers and clinicians together to confer on clinical trials needed to provide answers about which types of cells, which route of delivery, and which types and stages of disease, would be the most promising approach for treating MS. A summary and consensus on next steps will be published by the conference organizers, with recommendations to help speed the development of new cell-based treatment solutions.
• With the urgent need for more effective treatments for MS, particularly for those with more progressive forms of the disease, we believe that the potential of all types of cell therapies must be explored. The Society is currently supporting 12 research projects exploring various types of stem cells, including cells derived from bone marrow, fat and skin, and has supported 68 stem cell studies over the past 10 years.

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03 Jan 2016

Small Pilot Trial Suggests High-Dose Vitamin D is Safe and Regulates Immune Responses in People with MS

Summary
• High-dose vitamin D supplementation increased vitamin D levels in the blood, was safe and tolerable, and reduced the proportion of immune cells that are thought to drive disease, in a small study of 40 people with relapsing-remitting MS.
• The trial was too small to detect differences in disease activity, but a larger Society sponsored trial of vitamin D supplementation is currently recruiting participants.
• The team (Elias S. Sotirchos, MD, Pavan Bhargava, MD, Peter A. Calabresi, MD, and colleagues, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore) has published results in Neurology. Dr. Bhargava was funded by a Sylvia Lawry Physician Fellowship from the National MS Society.

Background: Multiple sclerosis involves immune attacks on the brain and spinal cord. A number of genetic and environmental factors influence whether a person will develop MS. These factors may also impact the severity of the disease. There is growing scientific evidence that low levels of vitamin D in the blood are a risk factor for developing MS. In lab mice, vitamin D can reduce the effects of EAE, an MS-like disease, and some evidence suggests it may impact ongoing disease activity in people who have MS.

An important initial step to pursuing this lead was to determine whether taking large doses of vitamin D was safe and provides any hints of impact against the immune activity that is associated with MS. A team at Johns Hopkins University undertook this preliminary step to determine whether a larger-scale clinical trial was warranted.

The Study: Investigators randomly assigned 40 people with MS to receive either 800 IU of vitamin D, or 10,400 IU, daily for six months (nutritional supplementation is typically 600 IU). Participants were maintained on standard disease modifying treatment throughout the course of the study. Blood tests were done at three and six months to determine whether the dose increased the levels of vitamin D in the blood, and immune system effects. Blood and urine were assessed for calcium levels, since an excess of calcium can be a side effect of high-dose vitamin D supplementation. The primary goals of this study were to determine safety and effects on immune activity markers.

The investigators reported a few adverse events that did not differ between the groups, and they were all minor.

Vitamin D levels increased more in the high-dose group, to a level that has been suggested as the optimal target for people with MS. Immune cells known as Th17 cells – which have been suggested to be major players in the immune attack on the brain and spinal cord in MS – were reduced in the high-dose group, but not in the low-dose group. Investigators also found that the higher the levels of vitamin D in the blood, the greater the reduction of Th17 cells.

Results were published in Neurology (published early online, December 30, 2015).

Next Steps: This team is now conducting a larger trial at several centers nationwide, in which they are recruiting 172 people with relapsing-remitting MS to compare the effectiveness of 600 IU of vitamin D supplementation versus 5000 IU vitamin D supplementation at reducing MS disease activity, when added to standard therapy with glatiramer acetate (Copaxone®, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries). The study is funded by a research grant from the National MS Society, with support from the Society’s Greater Delaware Valley Chapter.

Further research in the laboratory also is suggesting that vitamin D’s capabilities go beyond immune regulation. Read more

Read more about the larger, ongoing study
Read more about research on vitamin D and MS

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20 Dec 2015

New Study Suggests People with MS are at Increased Risk for Depression, Anxiety and other Psychiatric Disorders

Summary
• A large-scale study from Canada suggests that people with MS have increased rates of anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, and schizophrenia compared to people without MS.
• Among people with MS, women were more likely than men to develop depression, anxiety disorder, and bipolar disorder, while men were more likely than women to develop schizophrenia. Although women with MS were more likely to develop depression than men, men developed depression at a much higher rate compared to men without MS.
• This study provides new information about the risks of psychiatric disorders in people with MS. Recognizing and addressing issues related to mental and emotional health can greatly improve quality of life for individuals and families.
• The National MS Society is focusing a light on psychosocial issues and emotional health in MS as part of its commitment to drive research and programs in wellness.
• The team (Ruth Ann Marrie, MD, PhD) published their results in Neurology (2015;85:1–8).
Details
Background: In scientific terms, having two chronic medical conditions at once is called “comorbidity.” There is growing recognition that comorbidities may complicate the diagnosis of MS and also influence disease progression, as well as an individual’s wellness and quality of life. It has long been known that depression and bipolar disorder are more common among people with MS than in the general population. In a recent study from Dr. Marrie and others, psychiatric disorders (depression and anxiety) were among the five most prevalent disorders occurring alongside MS. The current study specifically looks at psychiatric comorbidities in people with MS.

The Study: The team identified 44,452 persons with MS and 220,849 controls without the disease in administrative medical data from four Canadian provinces. They examined medical records to determine the incidence (new cases) and prevalence (all existing cases) of depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia from 1995 to 2005 among these groups.

The results show that the incidence and prevalence of anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, and schizophrenia were all higher in people with MS than in people without MS in the control population. Among people with MS, women were more likely than men to develop depression, anxiety disorder, and bipolar disorder, while men were more likely than women to develop schizophrenia. Although women with MS were more likely to develop depression than men, men developed depression at a much higher rate compared to men without MS.

Results were published in Neurology (2015;85:1–8).

Next Steps: This study adds to a growing body of evidence on conditions that occur alongside MS. The National MS Society is focusing increased attention on psychosocial conditions in MS as part of its commitment to drive research and programs in wellness. Read more

In the face of a chronic, often progressive illness like MS, people may tend to focus primarily on their physical health and neglect their emotional health — which is an essential component of overall health and wellness. Recognizing and addressing issues related to mental and emotional health can greatly improve quality of life for individuals and families. Read more about emotional health and MS

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23 Nov 2015

New Lab Studies Add Evidence That High Salt Diets Increase Inflammation and May Have Implications for MS

Summary
• The results from two recently published laboratory studies suggest that high levels of salt shift the balance of the immune system toward inflammation, and that salt alters the function of several types of immune cells pertinent to MS.
• These two studies, which were both published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, were led by Dr. David Hafler (Yale University) and Dr. Dominik Müller (Max-Delbruck Center, Berlin, Germany).
• Dr. Hafler is funded by the National MS Society to study the impact of high salt on the immune system, and the Yale team is also conducting a pilot clinical trial to explore the impact of high- and low-salt diets on MS disease activity.

Background: Eating high levels of salt, which is part of the typical Western diet, has been linked to heart disease, chronic inflammation, and cancer. Recent lab reports have also suggested that dietary salt can speed the development of the immune attack in an MS-like disease in mice, and that the mouse disease responds differently to salt depending on the gender and genetic makeup of the mice. One small study in people found a possible link between dietary salt levels and relapses in people with MS, but this study suggested a link, which is not the same as establishing an actual cause. So far, laboratory findings related to the effects of salt have been stronger than the few studies that have been reported in people. Understanding whether high dietary salt is a risk factor for developing MS or for worsening disease activity is an active area of research.

The Studies: Two studies recently published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation suggest that high dietary salt affects two types of immune cells in a way that increases inflammation, a state that is generally considered harmful in MS. A study by National MS Society-supported researchers at Yale University and Harvard Medical School led by David Hafler, MD, investigated the effects of high salt on regulatory immune cells called “Tregs.” Tregs normally suppress immune responses by other immune cells, but in people with MS Tregs have been shown to be less able to perform this helpful function to turn off attacks. The team showed in mice and in cells in lab dishes that high salt blocks the ability of Tregs to suppress potentially harmful immune cells, and shifts Tregs toward activity that increases inflammation.

The other study, by an international team led by Dominik N. Müller at the Max-Delbruck Center in Berlin, Germany, investigated immune cells called “macrophages.” This study showed that high salt blocks the activation of a subset of macrophages, reducing their ability to suppress inflammatory cells and creating an imbalance in the immune system. In mouse models, high salt diets also delayed wound healing.

Comment: Taken together, these laboratory studies add new evidence that high levels of dietary salt may increase inflammation and autoimmunity, and decrease the ability of regulatory cells and processes to limit harmful immune cell activity. More studies are needed to determine the possible role of a high-salt diet in the risk of developing MS and whether reducing salt intake may be helpful for reducing disease activity in people with MS. Dr. Hafler is funded by the National MS Society to study the impact of high salt on the immune system, and the Yale team is also conducting a pilot clinical trial to explore the impact of high- and low-salt diets on MS disease activity.

Read more about dietary factors that may play a role in MS
Read more about research on the immune system in MS

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17 Nov 2015

Researchers seek volunteers for self-compassion survey

Oregon State University researchers are seeking participants for an online survey to investigate the relationship of self-compassion on resilience, physical activity, and quality of life for individuals with MS.
Subjects between the ages of 18 and 65 who can communicate in English and have a medical diagnosis of MS are eligible to participate in this study. The survey takes 20 to 30 minutes to complete. Participation in the survey is voluntary. Personal identification information will be removed from the survey data.
Survey answers will help improve understanding of the process of self-compassion and physical activity on improving health-related quality of life for individuals with MS. Results from this study will also help researchers develop effective health interventions to improve wellness and quality of life for people with MS.
To complete the survey, visit http://oregonstate.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_8ktgzQ9Jki71UEt
If you are interested or have any questions, contact the research team at nerym@onid.oregonstate.edu.

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