To call my medical career a series of random pivots is an understatement. I have multiple sclerosis (MS) to thank for this wandering journey, one with an uncertain destination, but a surprisingly meaningful landing place. Anesthesiology was my first love. I adored tinkering with the anesthesia machine, working with powerful anesthetics, and being the quiet…
DMTs that protect brain volume may also slow disability progression
Specific disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) significantly slow the rate of brain volume loss in adults with multiple sclerosis (MS), a benefit that is directly linked to reduced long-term disability, according to a new review. A network meta-analysis of more than 26,000 patients confirms that therapies most effective at preserving brain tissue are also those that can…
What a mess in defining MS
Tweet Disability accumulation what drives it? Relapse associated worsening (RAW) or progression independent of relapse activity (PIRA). It says here most of it is due to PIRA but PIRA typically covers all worsening about 30 days after a relapse…One can argue that a significant part of worsening has lesion formation as a root trigger and…
Signaling molecule may show new targets for MS, cancer therapies
A signaling molecule called erythropoietin (EPO) plays a key role in allowing the immune system to distinguish the body’s own cells from foreign threats, a study found. The findings could lead to new treatments for diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS), in which the immune system inadvertently starts to attack healthy cells. Researchers also believe that…
Before my MS diagnosis, I was a paratrooper, fluttering and oblivious
Due to my uneasiness with heights, I complained a lot about parachuting throughout my career in the U.S. Army. There’s a small chance, however, that I haven’t been entirely fair. Sure, I was afraid every time, made some less-than-stellar landings, and sustained a few injuries, but those were really my fault. In all that time,…
New MRI contrast agent shows similar safety in children, adults
Gadoquatrane, a contrast agent Bayer is developing for MRI scans, showed similar safety and pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles — meaning how a drug moves into, through, and out of the body — in both children and adults. That’s according to data from the Phase 3 QUANTI Pediatric study (NCT05915026), which evaluated the safety and pharmacological properties…
Is this the end of PML? Treating JC virus with antivirals.
Tweet Everybody wants to get rid of EBV and there are a number of trials testing tenofovir alafenamide fumarate (TAF). This current study however reported that Tenofovir targets JC virus and so inhibits the development of PML. So this is good news. NDG treated PML in a different way but having an active antiviral iss…
Going from heat intolerance to cold sensitivity with MS
The heat has always been a part of my life in central Texas, whether I liked it or not. Every year, it seemed to linger for longer than most people would have liked. When I was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, I realized the heat was definitely not my friend. At the beginning of my…
Time is Precious
By Angel Blair Time flies. You can say that again, and again, and again. It’s hard to believe that the end of 2025 is upon us and a new year is right around the corner. The year brought many changes, … Continue reading → Source: blog.mymsaa.org
Active lifestyles help support better mobility, mood in people with MS
Regular physical activity was independently linked to lower disability, fatigue, and depression over time in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study found. Other lifestyle factors also supported better outcomes. For example, eating a higher-quality diet was independently associated with less disability, while not smoking was independently tied to lower depression scores, the data…