Most people with MS who develop COVID-19 have mild to moderate symptoms and will not develop serious complications which require hospital care. However, they may still experience long-term effects due to COVID-19. This study was designed to find out how well people with MS recover from mild to moderate COVID-19 and the factors that influence recovery.
An MS Australia-supported study has discovered how NETs might be involved in the damaging immune response seen in some immune-mediated conditions, such as multiple sclerosis (MS).
A recent study published in the American Academy of Neurology suggests that people who did something as simple as including three or more servings per week of common foods like red berries, apples, orange juice and red wine may have improved chances of living longer,” said study author Xiang Gao, MD, PhD, of The Pennsylvania State University in University Park.
Several studies over the past few years suggested an EBV-MS connection, and that link might be in memory B-cells. When EBV is in the body in its dormant form, it situates itself inside those B-cells. Some of our disease-modifying therapies are designed to target B-cells, reducing their numbers or preventing them from traveling into the central nervous system.
The causes of adult-onset MS are thought to be a combination of genetic factors, infectious exposures, and other environmental factors such as low sun exposure, low UVR exposure and low vitamin D levels.
This current research study is believed to be the first to explore environmental factors that may contribute to the development of MS specifically in children.
Researchers have solved a decade-long mystery about a critical protein linked to Parkinson's disease that could help to fast-track treatments for the incurable disease.
The research has produced a 'live action' view of the protein, called PINK1, in exquisite molecular detail.
The discovery explains how the protein is activated in the cell, where it is responsible for initiating the removal and replacement of damaged mitochondria. When the protein is not working correctly, it can starve brain cells of energy, causing them to malfunction and, in the long-term, die, as happens to dopamine-producing cells in Parkinson's disease.
A global study into causes of stroke found one in 11 survivors experienced a period of anger or upset in the one hour leading up to it. One in 20 patients had engaged in heavy physical exertion. The suspected triggers have been identified as part of the global INTERSTROKE study, which analysed 13,462 cases of acute stroke, involving patients with a range of ethnic backgrounds in 32 countries.
Stroke is a leading global cause of death or disability.
Researchers from the International Progressive MS Alliance, through their BRAVEinMS platform, have screened 1,280 medications that have already been through clinical trials and deemed safe. Three of these drugs were found to promote remyelination, an important step in generating new myelin sheaths around axons in the adult central nervous system for people with MS.
MSWA contributes funds annually to support the research efforts of the International Progressive MS Alliance; $1m has been allocated for 2021.
US researchers are using a robotic exoskeleton to provide high-dose therapy early after stroke to maximise physical mobility when neuroplasticity allows the greatest benefits. This study offers insights for the timelines for gait therapy to begin after recovering from stroke, and the use of assisted technologies to do so.
A development from the US has seen an opportunity to track disease progression through MRI brain scans that could potentially measure blood in the brain. Researchers propose the use of this non-invasive test as a biomarker before patients begin showing symptoms.
If you would like more information about specific research, email us at customerservice@mswa.org.au.
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