Podcasts about multiple sclerosis research

Last week, at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting, Dr. Amit Bar-Or received the John Dystel Prize for Multiple Sclerosis Research for his multiple achievements that have advanced our knowledge of neuroimmunology, precision medicine, and biomarkers in MS. We talked with Dr. Bar-Or about how some of the latest discoveries in MS research would impact patient care.   Tolebrutinib, an investigational disease-modifying therapy, is currently making its way through the FDA's regulatory process. Last week, the results of the Phase 3 clinical trials for Tolebrutinib were published, and we're sharing the details. We'll also tell you about MindGlide, an AI-powered tool for analyzing MRI scans that will significantly reduce MRI exam times. We're talking about the results of the Phase 3 clinical trial for high-dose Ocrevus. And we'll tell you about a cell therapy that doesn't use stem cells that successfully repaired myelin in the mouse model of MS -- twice!  We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! Congratulations to Dr. Stephen Hauser and Dr. Alberto Ascherio  :22 This Week: The impact of breakthrough MS research on MS care  2:17 Results of the phase 3 clinical trials for Tolebrutinib have been published  3:07 An AI-powered tool for analyzing MRI scans will significantly reduce MRI exam times for patients  4:21 Results of the phase 3 clinical trial for high-dose Ocrevus  8:13 A cell therapy that doesn't use stem cells has successfully repaired myelin in the mouse model of MS -- twice!  10:14 Dystel Prize winner Dr. Amit Bar-Or discusses how some of the latest discoveries in MS  research will impact MS care  12:39 Share this episode  22:36 Have you downloaded the free RealTalk MS app?  22:56 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/397 ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts! Email: jon@realtalkms.com Phone: (310) 526-2283 And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group! LINKS If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com Become an MS Activist Web: https://nationalmssociety.org/advocacy Email: msactivist@nmss.org RealTalk MS Episode 310: The Face Laughs While The Brain Cries: The Education of a Doctor with Dr. Stephen Hauser https://realtalkms.com/310 RealTalk MS ECTRIMS Extra: Results from the Phase 3 Clinical Trial for Tolebrutinib and Relapsing-Remitting MS with Dr. Jiwon Oh https://realtalkms.com/ectrims244 VIDEO: RealTalk MS ECTRIMS Extra: Results from the Phase 3 Clinical Trial for Tolebrutinib and Relapsing-Remitting MS with Dr. Jiwon Oh https://youtu.be/zcBmAHRTotA VIDEO: RealTalk MS ECTRIMS Extra: Results from the Phase 3 Clinical Trial for Tolebrutinib and Nonrelapsing Secondary Progressive MS with Dr. Robert Fox https://youtu.be/tJQ93qdlXrU STUDY: Tolebrutinib Versus Teriflunomide in Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis https://nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2415985 STUDY: Tolebrutinib in Nonrelapsing Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis https://nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2415988 Enabling New Insights from Old Scans By Repurposing Clinical MRI Archives for Multiple Sclerosis Research https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-58274-8 Fibroblast Technology https://fibrobiologics.com/technology/#cnsms Join the RealTalk MS Facebook Group https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms Download the RealTalk MS App for iOS Devices https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/realtalk-ms/id1436917200 Download the RealTalk MS App for Android Deviceshttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tv.wizzard.android.realtalk Give RealTalk MS a rating and review http://www.realtalkms.com/review Follow RealTalk MS on Twitter, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com. RealTalk MS Episode 398 Guests: Dr. Amit Bar-Or Privacy Policy

When you look at a list of the typical symptoms associated with perimenopause, you'd think you were looking at a list of MS symptoms. And, for women living with MS, that's where the confusion begins. With an estimated 30% of the current MS population now in peri- or post-menopause, researchers are beginning to focus on how menopause and MS interact and the best ways to treat symptoms.   Dr. Riley Bove, a neurologist and founding director of the Sex and Gender-Enriched (SAGE) Neurology Program at the University of California San Francisco, joins me to talk about the things you need to know when you're managing MS while you're managing menopause. We'll also tell you about this year's winner of the John Dystel Prize for Multiple Sclerosis Research. We'll share a deeply personal poem written by a friend who's been living with MS since 1988. And we'll tell you about the results of a study that should be a reminder of the importance of starting disease-modifying therapy and the value of early intervention. We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! This Week: We're in Washington, D.C., at the National MS Society's Public Policy Conference  :22 Dr. Amit-Bar-Or is the winner of the 2025 John Dystel Prize for Multiple Sclerosis Research  2:26 Magician Wayne Dobson's poem  7:07 STUDY: Cognitive impairment is prevalent among people living with untreated MS  10:23 Dr. Riley Bove talks about the things you need to know when you're managing MS while you're managing perimenopause and menopause  14:18 Share this episode  32:56 Have you downloaded the free RealTalk MS app?  33:16 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/395 ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts! Email: jon@realtalkms.com Phone: (310) 526-2283 And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group! LINKS If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com Become an MS Activist Web: https://nationalmssociety.org/advocacy Email: msactivist@nmss.org RealTalk MS 2025 ACTRIMS Forum YouTube Playlist https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLATxgj1uHpxNEoc2-9_7-Wzmr96B7wt2C Join the RealTalk MS Facebook Group https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms Download the RealTalk MS App for iOS Devices https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/realtalk-ms/id1436917200 Download the RealTalk MS App for Android Deviceshttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tv.wizzard.android.realtalk Give RealTalk MS a rating and review http://www.realtalkms.com/review Follow RealTalk MS on Twitter, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com. RealTalk MS Episode 395 Guests: Dr. Riley Bove Privacy Policy

New Zealand Multiple Sclerosis Research Trust - Interview with Neil Woodhams, Committee member of the New Zealand Multiple Sclerosis Research Trust on how the trust was created and the past and current projects they are working on. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin www.oar.org.nz

In this special women's health episode of the MS Plus podcast series, we speak with Susan Agland, an MS neuroimmunology transitional nurse practitioner at John Hunter Hospital, about fertility, subfertility and MS. The discussion covers how MS and its treatments can impact conception, the roles of medication, stress, and the importance of understanding personal risk factors. Susan shares insights from a study she is co-leading, on Artificial Reproductive Technologies in MS, emphasising the challenges faced by women with MS undergoing IVF and the need for better guidelines and support. The episode also highlights the contributions of real-world data to understanding medication safety during pregnancy for MS patients. Listen in to gain valuable insight into fertility and family planning, and where to get support when you are having trouble conceiving.  With thanks to Susan Agland, from the Newcastle Multiple Sclerosis Clinic. Susan Agland supports the John Hunter MS team as Neuroimmunology Transitional Nurse Practitioner. She has worked in the MS clinic since 2003, starting as clinical trial coordinator for the Ausimmune study. Since then, Susan has studied a Masters of Nursing Research, examining the role of stress management in MS. Susan has a special interest in stress management in MS, subfertility in MS and rural and remote care of the person with neuroimmunological disease.This podcast was developed as part of a comprehensive Women's Health Resource designed for women living with MS, addressing key topics such as family planning & pregnancy, and menopause. This project was developed in collaboration with women living with MS, with support from expert health professionals.To explore the full resource, visit: https://www.msplus.org.au/womenshealthFor more information: Pregnancy in MS research survey (ARTiMS) - https://www.hnehealth.nsw.gov.au/our_services/multiple_sclerosis_clinic_newcastle/researchReach out for support:MS Plus Connect 1800 042 138 or email connect@msplus.org.au Views expressed on the MS Podcast, including any discussions or reference to medications or treatments by podcast guests, do not necessarily represent the views of MS Plus and should not be seen as either an endorsement or rejection of a treatment. MS Plus does not recommend any specific treatment for people living with MS. Decisions about any treatments, taking into consideration the potential benefits and side effects for each individual's circumstances, should be made in careful consultation with the person's neurologist or health care professional.

From September 26, 2016: Comedy legend and Chicago's own Tom Dreesen discusses his comedy career and his appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson (more than 60!), along with a DVD set:  THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JOHNNY CARSON: THE VAULT SERIES. ABOUT TOM DREESEN (2016 BIO):Tom Dreesen's life is equal parts comedy and philanthropy. He excels at both, and has created an extraordinary legacy in both arenas. Dreesen has made over 500 appearances on national television as a stand-up comedian, including more than 60 appearances on The Tonight Show. He was a favorite guest of David Letterman, and frequently hosted the show in Letterman's absence. He was also a favorite guest of Johnny Carson. For 13 years he toured cross country and opened for Frank Sinatra, and has appeared countless times in Las Vegas, Tahoe, Reno and Atlantic City with artists like Smokey Robinson, Liza Minnelli, Natalie Cole and Sammy Davis, Jr. Tom has acted in numerous television shows – fromColumbo to Murder She Wrote – and appeared in motion pictures including Man on the Moon and Spaceballs. He has recorded comedy albums, starred in his own TV comedy special, Dreesen Street, and hosted a late night talk show in Chicago, Night Time Starring Tom Dreesen.He is currently appearing to rave reviews around the country in his one-man show “An Evening Of Laughter and Memories of Sinatra.” Dreesen's comic style is down-to-earth, warm and unpretentious. Daily Variety called him “a thorough pro… one of the most respected family comedians of our time.” Larry Wilde ,author of The Great Comedians said about Tom's performances. “Excellent Material, Impeccable Timing, Tom Dreesen is the Quintessential Comedian.” Frank Sinatra, who called himself a “saloon singer,” characterized Dreesen as a “saloon comedian.” “We're a couple of neighborhood kind of guys,” said Sinatra.Dreesen has also made an indelible mark with his philanthropic activities. For 30 years he has lent his talent to over 100 charities, and founded a “Day for Darlene” to benefit Multiple Sclerosis Research. He ran 26 miles on three occasions for the event, which is named for his late sister who was afflicted with MS.And he's still going strong. A proud veteran of the United States Navy, he continues to perform for US troops all over the world, and recently appeared at numerous bases in Iraq. Tom Dreesen's hometown of Harvey, Illinois named a street after him. He was a 2005 recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.

MS affects women almost 3 times more frequently than it affects men, which makes understanding how MS may impact other women's health issues a priority. Dr. Rhonda Voskuhl and Dr. Anna Shah join me as we take a deep dive into both the research and clinical side of how MS affects women's health and how those other health issues may affect MS. Dr. Shah is an Associate Professor of Neurology and Associate Clinic Director of Outpatient Neurology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Dr. Voskuhl is the Director of the UCLA Multiple Sclerosis Program, she holds the Jack H. Skirball Chair in MS, she's a Professor in the UCLA Department of Neurology, and Dr. Voskuhl also serves as Faculty Neurologist of the UCLA Comprehensive Menopause Care Program. We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! This Week: We're taking a deep dive into women's health and MS  :22 Dr. Rhonda Voskuhl named the recipient of the 2024 John Dystel Prize for Multiple Sclerosis Research  :52 Dr. Rhonda Voskuhl discusses her research looking at why MS affects men and women differently   2:32 Dr. Anna Shah discusses how MS can affect women's health issues and how those health issues can affect MS  13:21 Share this episode  32:40 Have you downloaded the free RealTalk MS app?  33:00 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/345 ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts! Email: jon@realtalkms.com Phone: (310) 526-2283 And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group! LINKS If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com Join the RealTalk MS Facebook Group https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms Download the RealTalk MS App for iOS Devices https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/realtalk-ms/id1436917200 Download the RealTalk MS App for Android Deviceshttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tv.wizzard.android.realtalk Give RealTalk MS a rating and review http://www.realtalkms.com/review Follow RealTalk MS on Twitter, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com. RealTalk MS Episode 345 Guests: Dr. Rhonda Voskuhl and Dr. Anna Shah Privacy Policy  

In this episode we chat with neurologist Dr Cassie Nesbitt, one of the principal investigators for haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne. Cassie explains the process of HSCT, risks and considerations for accessing HSCT treatment overseas, as well as the current research on who is likely to benefit and how this is accessed in Australia. Cassie outlines things to consider when undergoing HSCT such as fertility preservation, and the impact of HSCT on the immune system. We chat about how hope plays a role in people taking risks for treatment, and the future of HSCT and treatment for MS. Cassie also highlights how collaborative the MS HSCT community of neurologists are, and that they welcome people who have undergone HSCT overseas to continue seeing their neurologists and engaging in their healthcare With thanks to Dr Cassie NesbittDr Cassie Nesbitt is a neurologist at Alfred Health in Melbourne. She is one of the principle investigators for HSCT at the Alfred, and one of the Autologous Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant (AHSCT) Registry Steering Committee Members.You can read the episode transcript HereFor more information about HSCT:MS Research Australia: https://www.msaustralia.org.au/ahsct/Get in touch with MS Plus to speak with a Nurse Advisor about HSCT and treatment options Reach out for support:MS Plus Connect 1800 042 138 or email connect@msplus.org.auGet in touch to share your comments and suggestions about this episode, or for future guests and episode topics by emailing education@ms.org.au Views expressed on the MS Podcast, including any discussions or reference to medications or treatments by podcast guests, do not necessarily represent the views of MS Plus and should not be seen as either an endorsement or rejection of a treatment. MS Plus does not recommend any specific treatment for people living with MS. Decisions about any treatments, taking into consideration the potential benefits and side effects for each individual's circumstances, should be made in careful consultation with the person's neurologist or health care professional.

With thanks to Olivia Wills.Olivia is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and member of Dietitians Australia's. She completed a Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics (Hons)(Deans Scholar) from the University of Wollongong in 2021. Olivia is now completing a PhD in multiple sclerosis and lifestyle management and is supported by a postgraduate scholarship from MS Australia.At the heart of Olivia's research is her commitment to enhancing the lives of those living with MS. Her research focuses on the impact of adopting protective health behaviours to maximise lifelong brain health and she is particularly passionate about translational research, engaging healthcare professionals and people living with MS to support her research findings into actionable strategies. Olivia also has experience in providing dietetic counselling services for a range of endocrine, gastrointestinal, metabolic disorders and neurological disorders. She is a firm believer of providing individualised and specific advice and support to all of her patients and is a strong advocate for adopting a holistic approach in the management of medical conditions.Check out the episode transcript here.Check out the Brain Health: time matters in multiple sclerosis report here.  Views expressed on the MS Podcast, including any discussions or reference to medications or treatments by podcast guests, do not necessarily represent the views of MS Plus and should not be seen as either an endorsement or rejection of a treatment. MS Plus does not recommend any specific treatment for people living with MS. Decisions about any treatments, taking into consideration the potential benefits and side effects for each individual's circumstances, should be made in careful consultation with the person's neurologist or health care professional.

In this episode of The Just M.S. Show, we delve into the groundbreaking discovery linking the Epstein-Barr virus to multiple sclerosis and its potential implications for the future of treatment and prevention. We discuss highlights from STAT News' interview with the dedicated scientist behind this discovery, Dr. Alberto Ascherio, as he shares his research journey, recent challenges, and hopes for making an impact on the lives of those affected by neurodegenerative diseases. Link to original article: https://www.statnews.com/2023/03/16/alberto-ascherio-multiple-sclerosis-als/The Just MS (Multiple Sclerosis) Show, w host Justin Loizos, is a podcast that connects, educates and tries to uplift others living with multiple sclerosis. It provides real-life stories, interviews, and information about DMTs (disease modification therapies) and updates on research developments.www.justmultiplesclerosis.com

On this episode, super friends Sheila Thorne, President and CEO of Multicultural Healthcare Group, and Dr. Annette Okai, Director of Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis Research at North Texas Institute of Neurology and Headache will chat with Dr Mitzi about MS Research and YOU!

This week, Jonathan sits down with Professor Leigh Charvet, Director of Multiple Sclerosis Research, NYU Grossman School of Medicine. They explore her vast research within MS, consider her time working in industry compared with her experiences in academia, and evaluate the impact of mindfulness when used in conjunction with traditional treatments.

When Dr. Katherine Knox first arrived in Saskatchewan more than two decades ago, the province covered one prescription drug for patients with Multiple Sclerosis. Beyond that, patients had to pay for drugs out-of-pocket.   Today, Knox said the province reimburses MS patients for 14 different drugs.   “MS is an expensive disease on many levels,” said Knox, noting Saskatchewan's coverage is now the most favourable for MS patients anywhere in Canada.   In Saskatchewan, three in 1,000 people have Multiple Sclerosis — one of the highest incidences of Multiple Sclerosis in the world.    As treatments improve, the number of people living with this chronic autoimmune disease is rising.   “It's probably a combination of genetic and environmental factors that play a role,” said Knox, who first learned about the disease as a student volunteer with the MS Society of Canada.   “Everyone had such a unique disease experience,” Knox said. “So I just became more curious.”   Her research these days focuses on non-drug approaches which prevent the onset of disability.   After 15 years with the disease, it's estimated roughly half of MS patients need a cane or walking aid.   “Understandably many people don't want to use a walker for good reason,” said Knox.    “It's bulky, it's awkward, it certainly lets people know that you have an issue with your walking.”   To delay that, Knox turned to researchers at the College of Kinesiology's Biomechanics of Balance and Movement Lab, to look at the power of a ‘light touch'.   The goal is to help people with MS regain — and keep — their balance and mobility.   “Patients would tell us you know when I walk the dog and hold the leash, my balance feels better. Or when I lightly touch the back of the chair I can be re-orientated,” she said.    By teaming up with Dr. Alison Oates, fourth-year resident Najala Orrell, and Pawan Kumar, an engineer and kinesiology research fellow, Knox studies patients' balance and stability, using various haptic inputs.   “Even just a light touch on a walker or perhaps a different object can help them regain their balance,” said Knox.   In this episode, she said keeping her patients moving and avoiding falls is crucial.   “We do need innovation and technology to come up with ways that can provide sensory feedback that would be discreet, socially acceptable, and easy to use,” said Knox.

Shane talks with Multiple Sclerosis Specialist, May Han, about the new research being done on MS, the diagnosis process, and things patients can do to help treat their symptoms. They are joined by special guest and personal friend of Shane's, Megan, who shares her personal journey through being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.  Dr. Han is a Board-certified neurologist and a clinician-scientist who specializes in multiple sclerosis and central nervous system demyelinating diseases as well as the Associate Professor of Neurology & Neurological Sciences at Stanford School of Medicine.  Her research focuses on utilizing Systems Biology approach (genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics) to identify targets for therapy in MS and NMO. Dr. Han is also an attending physician at the Neuroimmunology clinic and at the Stanford Hospital. Thank you for watching and being an inquisitive being. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shane talks with Multiple Sclerosis Specialist, May Han, about the new research being done on MS, the diagnosis process, and things patients can do to help treat their symptoms. They are joined by special guest and personal friend of Shane's, Megan, who shares her personal journey through being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.  Dr. Han is a Board-certified neurologist and a clinician-scientist who specializes in multiple sclerosis and central nervous system demyelinating diseases as well as the Associate Professor of Neurology & Neurological Sciences at Stanford School of Medicine.  Her research focuses on utilizing Systems Biology approach (genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics) to identify targets for therapy in MS and NMO. Dr. Han is also an attending physician at the Neuroimmunology clinic and at the Stanford Hospital. Thank you for watching and being an inquisitive being. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Highly effective B-cell therapies like rituximab and ofatumumab have changed the outlook for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Alexander Rae-Grant, MD, emeritus professor of neurology at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, discusses recent advances in the diagnosis and treatment of MS. Related Article(s): Diagnosis and Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis Progress in Multiple Sclerosis Research

MS-related pain is one of those invisible symptoms that can have a profound impact on your quality of life. So we're devoting this entire episode of RealTalk MS to taking a deep dive into assessing and managing MS-related pain with my guests, Dr. Dawn M. Ehde and Dr. Heidi Maloni. Both of my guests are experts at assessing, treating, and managing MS-related pain, but each approaches pain from a slightly different perspective.      Dr. Ehde is a clinical psychologist and professor of rehabilitation medicine at the University of Washington, where she has an endowed professorship in Multiple Sclerosis Research. Dr. Ehde and her group at UW have published the results of several studies on MS-related pain in peer-reviewed medical journals.    Dr. Heidi Maloni is a nurse practitioner and the National Clinical Nursing Director for the Multiple Sclerosis Center of Excellence East at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Dr. Maloni heads up research programs to further the understanding of MS and its impact on Veterans while also aiding in the development of treatments to manage the disease and its symptoms.   We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! The different ways you might experience MS-Related Pain  :23 My interview with Dr. Dawn Ehde & Dr. Heidi Maloni 3:41 Share this episode  27:07 Donate to the National MS Society COVID-19 Response Fund  27:27 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email:  https://realtalkms.com/170 ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts! Email: jon@realtalkms.comPhone: (310) 526-2283 And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group! LINKS If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com Give RealTalk MS a Rating and Review National MS Society's Ask An MS Expert Video Replay What You Need to Know About Coronavirus (COVID-19) National MS Society: Pain Resources National MS Society COVID-19 Response Fund Join the RealTalk MS Facebook Group Download the RealTalk MS App for iOS Download the RealTalk MS App for Android Give RealTalk MS a Rating and Review Follow RealTalk MS on Twitter, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com. RealTalk MS Episode 170 Guests: Dr. Dawn Ehde and Dr. Heidi Maloni Tags: MS, MultipleSclerosis, MSResearch, MSSociety, MSActivist,  RealTalkMS Privacy Policy  

Director of the Experimental Therapeutics Program in Cleveland Clinic’s Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis, Jeffrey Cohen, MD, shares insights on how stem cell-based therapies may provide revolutionary treatment options for neurological disorders and deliver exciting prospects in modern medicine.

Years ago, when many multiple sclerosis researchers believed that a type of immune cell known as a T cell was the cause of the disease, Dr. Anne Cross turned her focus instead to B cells. Her findings have led to key breakthroughs in MS research – and also to receiving the John Dystel Prize for Multiple Sclerosis Research from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and the American Academy of Neurology.

One of the best ways to maintain physical function, manage the effect of some MS symptoms, and even offset depression is exercise. My guest is Dr. Deborah Backus, the director of Multiple Sclerosis Research at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta. We're discussing the importance of early rehabilitation, the difference that exercise can make for people living with MS, and STEP FOR MS -- an important clinical trial that may turn out to be a game-changer for MS rehabilitation.   We're also talking about what people living with MS need to know about polypharmacy, a new transportation pilot project that's designed to make life easier for people living with MS, why an MS caregiver also needs to be an advocate, what happens when an MS caregiver ignores self-care, and a new clinical trial that will look at non-pharmacological approaches to managing MS chronic pain. We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS?! ___________ Join the RealTalk MS Conversation   :22 Polypharmacy & Relapsing-Remitting MS  2:39 MS FOCUS's Transportation Pilot Project  6:21 What It Means For an MS Caregiver To Be An Advocate  8:06 What Happens When an MS Caregiver Ignores Self-Care  12:16 Clinical Trial to Study Non-Pharmacological Approaches to Managing Chronic MS Pain Is Recruiting  14:53 My Interview with Dr. Deborah Backus  18:04 Download the RealTalk MS App  33:05 ___________ ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts! Email: jonstrum@RealTalkMS.com Phone: (310) 526-2283 ___________ LINKSIf your podcast app doesn’t allow you to click on these links, you’ll find them in the show notes in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com Download the RealTalk MS App for iOS Download the RealTalk MS App for Android Give RealTalk MS a Rating & Review Polypharmacy in Outpatients With Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis: A Single-Center Study Investigators Recruiting People With MS Nationwide To Test Approaches to Managing Chronic Pain: Email: msadapt@uw.edu Phone: (855) 320-8230 STEP FOR MS Study STEP FOR MS Eligibility & Study Sites Shepherd Center   ___________ Follow RealTalk MS on Twitter, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com. RealTalk MS Episode 76 Hosted By: Jon Strum Guest: Dr. Deborah Backus Tags: MS, MultipleSclerosis, MSResearch, Caregiving, StepForMS, ShepherdCenter, RealTalkMS

My guest this week is Dr. Rhonda Voskuhl, Director of the Multiple Sclerosis Program at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the Jack H. Skirball professor of Multiple Sclerosis Research. Dr. Voskuhl is responsible for first identifying that understanding the gender differences in the disease is an important part of understanding MS. This is one of my favorite interviews, and it's packed with great information. We're also talking about the potential of data and technology to improve care for people living with MS, how MS and depression can lead to high rates of Alexithymia among people living with MS, how recognizing non-traditional MS symptoms can lead to getting an MS diagnosis years earlier, and an opportunity for African-Americans with MS to participate in a UCSF study. We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS? ____________ MS + Depression or Anxiety = High Rates of Alexithymia  2:04 MS Society U.K. Commissions Report on the Potential of Data and Technology to Improve Care for People Living with MS  4:13 U.K.'s National Health Service Announces New App  9:18 Recognizing Non-Traditional Symptoms Can Lead to MS Diagnosis Years Earlier  11:34 UCSF Recruiting African-Americans with MS for Study  14:24 Interview with Dr. Rhonda Voskuhl  17:01 ___________ LINKSIf your podcast app doesn’t show these links, you’ll find them in the show notes at www.RealTalkMS.com   International Progressive MS Alliance High Levels of Alexithymia in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis Improving Care for People with MS: The Potential of Data & Technology New NHS App Will Make It Quciker & Easier to Access Health Services Five Years Before MS Onset: Phenotyping the Prodrome Email Address for UCSF Study is msdb@ucsf.edu Give RealTalk MS a Rating & Review ___________ Follow RealTalk MS on Twitter, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com. RealTalk MS Episode 44 Hosted By: Jon Strum Guest: Dr. Rhonda Voskuhl Tags: MS, MultipleSclerosis, MSResearch, ProgressiveMS, mssocietyuk, UCLANeurology, UCSFMedicine, RealTalkMS

Professor Charles ffrench-Constant, Professor of Multiple Sclerosis Research, presents the Medical Detectives lecture, "Why Doesn't the Brain Repair Itself?". The patient disabled by spinal cord injury or multiple sclerosis illustrates the consequences of the failure of repair in the brain after injury. But why does this fail? Other tissues such as skin repair very well, so what factors make the brain different? This talk examines the clues that experiments have given us as to the identity of the culprits. How is current research trying to deal with them, and why might it be that they turned to crime in the first place? Recorded on 7 November 2013 at the University of Edinburgh's Anatomy Lecture Theatre.

Practical Neurology Associate Editor Neil Scolding interviews ABN Medallist Prof. Alastair Compton, at the British Neurosciences Association 2016 conference. Alastair Compton, Professor Emeritus of Neurology, looks back to the history of the Multiple Slerosis research, the books he is publishing, advice for young scientists and his most recent medal. The ABN conference 2016, which theme was "The Seven Ages of Man", was held in May, in Brighton, UK.

[intro music]   Hello, and welcome to Episode Thirty of Multiple Sclerosis Discovery, the podcast of the MS Discovery Forum. I’m your host, Dan Keller.   This week’s podcast features an interview with Dr. Seema Tiwari-Woodruff about estrogen in animal models of MS. But to begin, here’s a brief summary of some of the latest developments on the MS Discovery Forum at msdiscovery.org.   Last week, we reported on the results of another clinical trial for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in relapsing-remitting MS. Compared to the “halt-MS” trial, which we reported on in January, this study used a less aggressive conditioning approach. Patients involved in the study demonstrated improvement in EDSS scores, and eighty percent of them were relapse-free at four years. The results raised important questions about how to prep MS patients for the transplant. Visit our “News and Future Directions” section to read the full story.   A recent study published in the Multiple Sclerosis Journal demonstrated a potential new way to monitor lesion repair using standard MRI techniques. Clinical trials usually look for new lesions in brain scans to monitor drug efficacy. Lead author, Daniel Reich, told MSDF it’s more important than ever to be able to visualize changes in tissue since drug development is shifting towards neuroprotection and repair.   We’re also pleased to announce that Daniel Reich is one of two new members of our Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Reich is the director of the Translational Neuroradiology Unit in the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, part of NIH. Our other new board member is Deborah Backus, an expert on rehabilitation who is Director of Multiple Sclerosis Research at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Read their full bios in our “Who We Are” section under the “About Us” tab.   [transition music]   Now to the interview. Dr. Tiwari-Woodruff is an associate professor of biomedical sciences at the University of California, Riverside. She met with MSDF editor-in-chief, Bob Finn, to talk about her research on estrogen and multiple sclerosis.   Interviewer – Robert Finn Dr. Tiwari-Woodruff, welcome.   Interviewee – Seema Tiwari-Woodruff Thank you.   MSDF So what is the connection between estrogen and MS?   Dr. Tiwari-Woodruff It’s an interesting connection between estrogen and MS, because estrogen is actually a part of life in a way that our brains require it, our bodies require it at every moment of our life, I should say. Many years ago it was found that relapsing-remitting patients had less relapses when they were pregnant, and the causes of that was potentially estrogens – high levels of them – or progesterone or vitamin D. Many researchers went ahead and looked at those high levels of pregnancy estrogens called estriol and found that high levels of estriol were the reason why these women patients had lower levels of MS symptoms.   So eventually down the line, estrogens were parsed out of which estrogen was better. And it turns out that one type of estrogen, which is the estrogen of the alpha, is more immunomodulatory – it actually suppresses the immune response – and that is probably what makes MS symptoms better versus estrogens of the beta ligand was known not to have that much immunomodulatory effect; instead, it was actually directly neuroprotective. So estrogens of the alpha and beta both seem to have an effect on various cell types which are involved in multiple sclerosis.   MSDF So if estrogen seems to be protective in pregnant women with MS, why not just use estrogen, or an analog like estriol or estradiol, as a treatment?   Dr. Tiwari-Woodruff That’s a very good question. And, first, these therapies were thought that we were going to use those first, and a lot of clinical trials were going through with that. But what happens with high levels of estrogen is there are two things which are important to know. One is they have a feminizing effect, and the second one is they have a preponderance for causing uterine cancer or breast cancer. So you don’t want to stimulate those two types of cancer. So high levels of estrogen could be dangerous in that aspect. So that is why we don’t want to use that as potential therapy.   MSDF So you’ve done a lot of work with a specific estrogen receptor agonist called indazole chloride. First, tell me how you came upon this compound.   Dr. Tiwari-Woodruff So estrogens of the beta ligands are not just being looked at for multiple sclerosis, they were being looked at as a potential therapeutic for menopause – hot flashes included – rheumatoid arthritis, and other impairments like prostate cancer, etc. So there were quite a few chemists who were coming up with various different types of estrogen receptor beta ligands. So while I was doing my work with mouse models of MS in generic estrogen receptor beta ligand, which was the DPN – diarylpropionitrile – a study came out which was actually on indazole chloride which was developed by a chemist, John Katzenellenbogen; he’s done a lot of work on developing these molecules. And this particular compound showed that it decreased activation of astrocytes and microglia; this was published in Cell a few years back. And we met at a meeting, John Katzenellenbogen and myself – we were giving a talk at the same time in a meeting in Stockholm – and we decided to talk to each other. And he said, “Your research is very intriguing on estrogen receptor beta ligand, would you like to try this out?” And that’s how I got my hands on the indazole chloride. And we did some preliminary studies and showed good results. Then we decided to embark on a full-fledged study which was published in PNAS.   MSDF So you used indazole chloride in two different mouse models of MS, and you used it both prophylactically and in mice that are already showing symptoms. What did you find?   Dr. Tiwari-Woodruff So prophylactically when you use a compound, you are actually trying to see if you can inhibit the symptoms which are going to come up when you induce a disease, and that is all good. But when you are talking about patients who come to see the doctor, they’re always coming in with symptoms, so they already have the disease ongoing. So the second paradigm where you give the drug when the disease symptoms are already there is closer to what humans are going to be able to see. So the nice thing about indazole chloride was that, prophylactically, definitely it made the mice better, but therapeutically also; they were able to decrease the disease symptoms by nearly 50%.   MSDF What is the significance of the fact that it seems to work on two different mouse models of MS?   Dr. Tiwari-Woodruff So when you’re looking at a drug especially in a disease like multiple sclerosis which has two major components – one is inflammatory component and another one is a neurodegenerative component – if you can show that this drug is working in one way or both ways would be very useful for developing better drugs or better treatments. So what we did was when we treated the mice with indazole chloride, in one mouse model which is the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis which contains both the inflammatory and the neurodegenerative component, we saw a decrease in the disease symptoms. But we couldn’t tell if the indazole chloride was working in the inflammatory component or the neurodegeneration component, because it showed effect on both.   So we went to a second mouse model which is the toxic cuprizone diet model which doesn’t have a primary inflammatory component. The disease starts with oligodendrocytes, the cells which make the myelin. They die when you feed this diet to the mice, so they have massive demyelination in regions of the brain. When we gave the drug during the remyelination phase, we found that indazole chloride was able to remyelinate the axons better when the drug was present versus when it was absent. So this actually showed us that indazole chloride has two arms to it. One, it inhibits the inflammatory component and the second, it inhibits the neurodegenerative component independent of the inflammatory component.   MSDF Is it also sort of confirmatory? The EAE is not a perfect model of MS and neither is the cuprizone mouse model, but does it make you feel better that these two completely different models are showing similar effects?   Dr. Tiwari-Woodruff Absolutely, you really hit the point where… We are always looking for the best model for multiple sclerosis, but because the disease is so complex no one model can be said that it’s 100% mimicking multiple sclerosis. So for us to see that demyelination which occurs both in EAE and the cuprizone model was improved – we actually saw remyelination in both models – really gave us hope that this drug could be directly acting on oligodendrocytes which are forming the myelin, which is the cause of major mode of dysfunction in multiple sclerosis.   MSDF So does indazole chloride help these mice a little bit, or does it help them a lot?   Dr. Tiwari-Woodruff So that’s a very good question. Similar to what you might see in the patient population, in the mouse model of MS, especially in the EAE model, the disease is not consistent. So the lesions which appear in the brain of EAE animals are very diverse, unlike the cuprizone model where the demyelination is very consistent. So when you’re looking at these mice, especially in the EAE cohort, if the animal is really, really sick, you actually see the disease symptoms go down just a little bit. But if the animals were sick to the middle level, they actually showed a bigger difference, they showed better recovery. And we hypothesize that the axons which have been injured to the point of no return, if the axons have been demyelinated and injured, it doesn’t matter now when you give them therapeutic drugs, these are not going to improve. So there are certain number of axons in the brain which drop out and we don’t see recovery in those. But said that, overall we still saw a significant increase with indazole chloride treatment in both models.   MSDF Have you done histology?   Dr. Tiwari-Woodruff Yes. We’ve done histology, we’ve done electron microscopy. And we do one more thing my lab is very good at, we do electrophysiology. Because one of the things we always think is when you look at remyelination you can see myelin coming up, but is the myelin functional? If the axons can conduct faster or better, then you know that the myelin which has covered the axons is functional. So we do all three. And we also include behavioral testing. So one of the tests we included which a lot of people use is a Rota rod; it’s a motor test to show that the mice can stay on the Rota rod much longer after treatment with indazole versus just the vehicle.   MSDF Do you see any side effects?   Dr. Tiwari-Woodruff So that’s interesting. We did not see any side effects in these mice. Agreed, we treated them up to 60 days, we haven’t treated them longer than that, plus we were giving them at a 5 mg/kg/day concentration. So we didn’t see any kind of toxicity. But said that, we still need to do those studies in a thorough way before we can safely say that they had no side effects.   MSDF So what’s next in the development of indazole chloride as a potential MS treatment?   Dr. Tiwari-Woodruff So indazole chloride is a good target. And while these studies were going on last year, John Katzenellenbogen and myself, we were talking about how are we going to proceed with this because we were seeing really good results; this is even before I published the paper. And he said what would you like to do? And one of the things we said was is it possible to make better analogs of this compound which are going to be more specific, could be used in a lower concentration and may have a better therapeutic outcome?   So he came up with four analogs which he has sent to me, and we did some preliminary studies to see if they were toxic to cells in culture, because that’s the first thing you do. And they have no toxicity in cells, they actually have shown to behave well with proliferation – depreciation of the cell – and we haven’t seen more cell death or less cell death with them. So we are very excited about that. So coming next month, we are actually going to start treatment of EAE animals, and once that goes through the goal is to do toxicity studies on the two best compounds and see if we can find a company so we can have a backing on these drugs for potential human trials. It’s a couple years from now, at least – it could be even more – but we are actually moving in that direction.   MSDF Dr. David Baker in a commentary on his multiple sclerosis research blog seemed less than enthusiastic about indazole chloride. He suggested that many compounds seem to work similarly in mouse models. How do you respond to that criticism?   Dr. Tiwari-Woodruff So Dr. Baker has a very good point on saying that there could be many compounds which are good in EAE but they fizzle out and they don’t go up to clinical trial. I disagree on one point where it comes to indazole chloride, because we have precedence of estrogens showing good therapeutic indication in humans; there were clinical trials done in UCLA where they showed that there was improvement with estriol treatment. And estriol does target both ER-alpha and ER-beta – ER-beta a little more than ER-alpha – so I’m very confident that what we are seeing with estrogen receptor beta is not a fluke. And because it’s a steroid and a small molecule, it does not seem to have a lot of toxicity involved which could be somewhat which is brand new. So we’ll see. I hope Dr. Baker’s wrong and we do manage to get this drug to human patients and we see therapeutic efficacy in them.   MSDF Dr. Baker also said that a critical experiment had not yet been done. And let me quote from his blog post. He said, “The development of demyelination should be allowed to occur after this damage has abated, then punitive remyelinating drugs should be given.” How do you respond to that?   Dr. Tiwari-Woodruff Very good point made by Dr. Baker, but I have actually addressed those in the PNAS paper. We part off particularly this aspect of the disease. So the prophylactic treatment was before the disease started; that is what he’s mentioning in the blog. The second part is what is important where EAE disease was induced, and after peak disease had occurred we gave the drug, indazole chloride. At the peak disease, we actually see increased inflammation, but alongside with that we see demyelination and axon degeneration. So the damage has already started. The drug treatment after that is what caused the disease to get better. We saw increased conduction, we saw increased remyelination, and less axon damage.   Similar to that, we also did the experiment in cuprizone. The treatment paradigm was as such: We actually had nine week of demyelination ongoing in the cuprizone model, which is very chronic; it’s chronically ongoing where you have quite a bit of damage of the axons and you have acute demyelination. During the remyelination phases where we gave the drug either to one group and vehicle to the other group, what we saw was that the drug treatment, indazole chloride, actually increased remyelination and decreased axon damage. So I think Dr. Baker was trying to make a point on we haven’t done the right experiment, but I think we have done the right experiment. And further research with indazole chloride will let us know if this is a good drug or not.   MSDF Dr. Tiwari-Woodruff, is there anything you’d like to add?   Dr. Tiwari-Woodruff I would like to add one more thing. We have actually looked at indazole chloride in optic neuritis – EAE-induced optic neuritis – and we are going to be publishing a paper fairly soon showing that in optic neuritis we see less inflammation in the retina and increased remyelination in the optic nerve. So I’m very confident that it’s not just a phenomenology in one part of the brain which we picked last time – it was the corpus callosum – that we see increased remyelination and decreased damage caused by EAE with treatment of indazole chloride.   MSDF Well, thank you very much.   Dr. Tiwari-Woodruff Thank you.   [transition music]   Thank you for listening to Episode Thirty of Multiple Sclerosis Discovery. This podcast was produced by the MS Discovery Forum, MSDF, the premier source of independent news and information on MS research. MSDF’s executive editor is Robert Finn. Msdiscovery.org is part of the non-profit Accelerated Cure for Multiple Sclerosis. Robert McBurney is our President and CEO, and Hollie Schmidt is vice president of scientific operations.   Msdiscovery.org aims to focus attention on what is known and not yet known about the causes of MS and related conditions, their pathological mechanisms, and potential ways to intervene. By communicating this information in a way that builds bridges among different disciplines, we hope to open new routes toward significant clinical advances.   We’re interested in your opinions. Please join the discussion on one of our online forums or send comments, criticisms, and suggestions to editor@msdiscovery.org.    [outro music]

Professor Charles ffrench-Constant, Professor of Multiple Sclerosis Research, presents the Medical Detectives lecture, "Why Doesn't the Brain Repair Itself?". The patient disabled by spinal cord injury or multiple sclerosis illustrates the consequences of the failure of repair in the brain after injury. But why does this fail? Other tissues such as skin repair very well, so what factors make the brain different? This talk examines the clues that experiments have given us as to the identity of the culprits. How is current research trying to deal with them, and why might it be that they turned to crime in the first place? Recorded on 7 November 2013 at the University of Edinburgh's Anatomy Lecture Theatre.

Professor Charles ffrench-Constant, Professor of Multiple Sclerosis Research, presents the Medical Detectives lecture, "Why Doesn't the Brain Repair Itself?". The patient disabled by spinal cord injury or multiple sclerosis illustrates the consequences of the failure of repair in the brain after injury. But why does this fail? Other tissues such as skin repair very well, so what factors make the brain different? This talk examines the clues that experiments have given us as to the identity of the culprits. How is current research trying to deal with them, and why might it be that they turned to crime in the first place? Recorded on 7 November 2013 at the University of Edinburgh's Anatomy Lecture Theatre.

Scotland has the highest rate of Multiple Sclerosis in the world. This progressive neurological disease can lead to disability, balance problems and paralysis. But Scotland also happens to be the centre of research into MS, much of it focussing on a new generation of drugs which could help the body heal itself. Charles ffrench-Constant is the Professor of Multiple Sclerosis Research at the MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine at The University of Edinburgh. Four Thought is a series of talks which combine thought provoking ideas and engaging storytelling. Recorded live in front of an audience during the Edinburgh International Festival, speakers take to the stage to air their latest thinking on the trends, ideas, interests and passions that affect our culture and society. Producer: David Stenhouse.

Guest: Rhonda Voskuhl, MD Host: Matt Birnholz, MD Dr. Rhonda Voskuhl discusses her latest research on MS and its connection to naturally occurring hormones.