Category: What’s New in MS Research

Reviewed by MSAA Chief Medical …

The first quarter of 2021 has been marked by welcome news on the medical front, and those hopeful developments aren’t limited to the increasing number of COVID-19 vaccinations being given across the country. Significant strides in treating and understanding MS also have been made in these early months of the year, as detailed in this edition of “What’s New in MS Research.”

The expression, “Here’s hoping this year is better than the last” has particular poignancy as we transition into 2021. Happily, much of the recent news regarding multiple sclerosis (MS) provides cause for considerable hope, as reflected in the study results and other reports featured in this month’s iteration of “What’s New in MS Research.”

While we all know “MS” stands for “multiple sclerosis,” with so much exciting research reported in this edition of “What’s New in MS Research,” we can almost imagine that “MS” could also refer to the quest for “multiple solutions” in MS. Although a great deal of the research looks to further understand the biology, easing the symptoms, and slowing or stopping the physical damage of MS, the studies and other information presented here are very encouraging – and they are only a small sample of the vast array of research under way around the world.

This edition of MSAA’s “What’s New in MS Research” article features highlights from the annual meetings of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) and the Consortium of MS Centers (CMSC). Because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, both of these meetings were held virtually. While not all of the reports are positive, the good far outweighs the rest, and encompasses not only promising research advances in MS, but also a potential role for a long-established DMT in treating COVID-19.

To live with multiple sclerosis (MS) is to cope with the challenges it presents and to look forward to the promise of ongoing progress in understanding and managing the condition. This edition of “What’s New in MS Research” reflects that mix of obstacles and opportunities.

This edition of MSAA’s “What’s New in MS Research” provides highlights from this year’s European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) annual meeting. Experts from throughout the world gathered in Stockholm, Sweden in mid-September to share and discuss the latest research into the causes, diagnosis, course, and treatment of multiple sclerosis.

If you have any doubts about the breadth and depth of ongoing research into the causes, nature, and treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS), the 12 items that follow should entirely allay those concerns. This latest edition of “What’s New in MS Research” reports on findings from the depths of the seas to the aisles of your local supermarket, and then to laboratories, hospitals, and MS clinics.

The effort to enhance the lives and health of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) is advancing on many fronts, as researchers explore the impact of approaches ranging from stress management, exercise, diet, stem-cell therapy, and cannabis use, to a variety of approved and investigational disease-modifying therapies (DMTs). This latest edition of “What’s New in MS Research” features highlights from the annual meetings of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) and the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC), both held in May of this year.

The opening months of 2019 saw significant research advances on many fronts in multiple sclerosis (MS). A sophisticated analysis of data using healthcare claims found that the number of people in the United States living with MS is more than twice as high as previously estimated. Dietary studies sounded a cautionary note for people with MS drinking soda and many other sweetened beverages, and a hopeful note on the potential for flavonoid-rich cocoa to reduce MS-associated fatigue. A promising stem-cell therapy is moving forward in the clinical-trials process, while the FDA is considering whether to approve a new disease-modifying therapy (DMT).