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Radiology researchers discover that MS affects thalamus of the brain

Radiology researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) have found evidence that multiple sclerosis affects an area of the brain that controls cognitive, sensory and motor functioning apart from the disabling damage caused by the disease's visible lesions.

23 Dec 2011

Faulty lipid metabolism may cause MS, says forensic anthropologist

An article to be published in the December 2011 issue of The Quarterly Review of Biology argues that multiple sclerosis, long viewed as primarily an autoimmune disease, is not actually a disease of the immune system.

23 Dec 2011

Autism Speaks announces 47 new ASD research grants

Autism Speaks, the world's largest autism science and advocacy organization, today announced the awarding of 47 new research grants totaling $13,242,279 in funding over the next three years.

22 Dec 2011

Immunosuppressant combination improves survival of human spinal stem cells in ALS rat model

A team of researchers grafting human spinal stem cells into rats modeled with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as "Lou Gehrig's Disease," a degenerative, lethal, neuromuscular disease, have tested four different immunosuppressive protocols aimed at determining which regimen improved long-term therapeutic effects.

20 Dec 2011

Kessler Foundation researcher earns Humboldt award for brain and behavior study

Jordan Grafman, PhD, director of traumatic brain injury research at Kessler Foundation, has received a Humboldt Research Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. This prestigious award encourages collaborative research between German scientists and renowned investigators like Dr. Grafman, who specializes in the study of the human prefrontal cortex and cognitive neuroplasticity.

20 Dec 2011

Top-line results from Genzyme's teriflunomide and Rebif Phase III comparison trial on RMS

Genzyme, a Sanofi company, today reported top-line results from TENERE, a Phase III clinical trial comparing the effectiveness, safety and tolerability of once-daily oral teriflunomide to interferon beta-1a, an approved injectable therapy, in people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis.

20 Dec 2011

ALS TDI, Biogen Idec and UCB enter agreement to study anti-CD40L antibody for ALS

The ALS Therapy Development Institute today announced a research agreement with Biogen Idec and UCB Pharma SA to investigate the use of an anti-CD40L antibody as a potential therapy for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's or Motor Neuron Disease.

19 Dec 2011

New MRI method can track progression of multiple sclerosis

Medical researchers at the University of Alberta have discovered a new way to track the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS) in those living with the disease, by using a powerful, triple strength MRI to track increasing levels of iron found in brain tissue.

16 Dec 2011

New drug candidate may halt mental decline of Alzheimer's

A new drug candidate may be the first capable of halting the devastating mental decline of Alzheimer's disease, based on the findings of a study published today in PLoS one.

15 Dec 2011

Fast Forward, Lineagen to fund clinical development and validation of blood-based assay for MS

Lineagen, Inc., an innovative molecular diagnostics company focused on complex, genetically linked disorders, and Fast Forward, LLC, a nonprofit subsidiary of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, today announced an alliance to fund the clinical development and validation of a blood-based assay for multiple sclerosis.

15 Dec 2011

Scientists discover how intestinal tract influences B cells to prevent infection

Researchers at the University of Toronto have found an explanation for how the intestinal tract influences a key component of the immune system to prevent infection, offering a potential clue to the cause of autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis.

13 Dec 2011

Reata, Abbott partner to develop and commercialize AIMs for chronic diseases

Abbott and Reata Pharmaceuticals today announced that they have entered into a worldwide collaboration to jointly develop and commercialize Reata's portfolio of second-generation oral antioxidant inflammation modulators.

12 Dec 2011

MS may progress from outermost layers of brain to its deep parts

Multiple sclerosis (MS) may progress from the outermost layers of the brain to its deep parts, and isn't always an "inside-out" process as previously thought, reported a new collaborative study from researchers at the Mayo Clinic and the Cleveland Clinic.

8 Dec 2011

Health Alliance, Bayer sign outcomes-based contract to support MS patients

Bayer HealthCare and Health Alliance Medical Plans have entered into an outcomes-based contract for people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) who are taking Betaseron (interferon beta-1b) to reduce the frequency of clinical exacerbations.

7 Dec 2011

Autism linked with disorganized structure of brain's white matter

It's still unclear what's different in the brains of people with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), but evidence from genetic and cell studies points to abnormalities in how brain cells (neurons) connect to each other. A study at Children's Hospital Boston now provides visual evidence associating autism with a disorganized structure of brain connections, as well as defects in myelin -- the fatty, insulating coating that helps nerve fibers conduct signals and that makes up the brain's white matter.

6 Dec 2011

Study reveals mechanism of action of laquinimod in patients with RRMS

Laquinimod is an orally available synthetic compound that has been successfully evaluated in phase II/III clinical studies for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).

6 Dec 2011

Stem cells for the damaged heart

Stem cell research got its latest boost. For the first time, stem cells were injected into the hearts of humans who had suffered serious heart damage, and patients improved dramatically. The scientists found that the stem cells grew into new heart cells to replace the damaged tissue.

5 Dec 2011

Researchers identify critical steps leading to myelin destruction in neuromyelitis optica

Mayo Clinic researchers have identified critical steps leading to myelin destruction in neuromyelitis optica (NMO), a debilitating neurological disease that is commonly misdiagnosed as multiple sclerosis (MS). The findings could lead to better care for the thousands of patients around the world with NMO. The paper was published in the journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA.

3 Dec 2011

Northwestern researchers receive NIAMSD grant to study scleroderma

Northwestern Medicine researchers have received two five-year grants totaling $953,000 from the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases to study scleroderma, an autoimmune disease for which there currently is no cure.

2 Dec 2011

Compugen's Antibody Target Discovery Platform presented at 7th Annual European Antibody Congress

Speaking today at the plenary session of the 7th Annual European Antibody Congress in Geneva, Dr. Anat Cohen-Dayag, President and CEO of Compugen Ltd., presented Compugen's Antibody Target Discovery Platform, one of the Company's predictive discovery platforms for novel therapeutic targets.

1 Dec 2011