Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Federica Murgia, Florianna Giagnoni, Lorena Lorefice, Paola Caria, Tinuccia Dettori, Maurizio N. N. D'Alterio, Stefano Angioni, Aran J. J. Hendren, Pierluigi Caboni, Monica Pibiri, Giovanni Monni, Eleonora Cocco, Luigi Atzori
Summary: Sex hormones are correlated with the clinical activity of multiple sclerosis. Estrogens and progesterone may have a neuroprotective effect in MS, supporting further research on their therapeutic uses.
Review
Clinical Neurology
Antonios Bayas, Monika Christ, Simon Faissner, Juliane Klehmet, Refik Pul, Thomas Skripuletz, Sven G. Meuth, SPMS Working Group
Summary: Although the understanding of SPMS is evolving, early detection of relapse-independent progression remains difficult. The term RMS includes RRMS and SPMS with relapses, and disease-modifying therapies approved for RMS or active SPMS are used. However, there are differences in efficacy and safety evidence between drugs approved for RMS and SPMS. Clinical trials have shown that siponimod and interferon-beta 1b s.c. have significant reductions in disability progression in SPMS populations, but data on other drugs approved for RMS are limited to small subgroups and the potential to reduce relapse-independent progression is unclear.
THERAPEUTIC ADVANCES IN NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Georges Jalkh, Rachelle Abi Nahed, Gabrielle Macaron, Mary Rensel
Summary: In the past decade, the therapeutic options for multiple sclerosis have greatly expanded, with newer and more effective disease modifying therapies being increasingly used early in the disease course. Despite their advantages in controlling disease activity and improving long-term outcomes, these newer therapies come with safety concerns and monitoring requirements that highlight the need for periodic re-evaluation and adjustment of monitoring strategies for optimizing treatment safety in an individualized manner.
Review
Immunology
Hans-Peter Hartung, Bruce A. C. Cree, Michael Barnett, Sven G. Meuth, Amit Bar-Or, Lawrence Steinman
Summary: Disease-modifying therapies for relapsing multiple sclerosis reduce relapse rates by suppressing peripheral immune cells but have limited efficacy in progressive forms of the disease. Cladribine and sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor modulators could have beneficial direct central nervous system properties.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Steve Simpson-Yap, Edward De Brouwer, Tomas Kalincik, Nick Rijke, Jan A. Hillert, Clare Walton, Gilles Edan, Yves Moreau, Tim Spelman, Lotte Geys, Tina Parciak, Clement Gautrais, Nikola Lazovski, Ashkan Pirmani, Amin Ardeshirdavanai, Lars Forsberg, Anna Glaser, Robert McBurney, Hollie Schmidt, Arnfin B. Bergmann, Stefan Braune, Alexander Stahmann, Rodden Middleton, Amber Salter, Robert J. Fox, Anneke van der Walt, Helmut Butzkueven, Raed Alroughani, Serkan Ozakbas, Juan Rojas, Ingrid van der Mei, Nupur Nag, Rumen Ivanov, Guilherme Sciascia do Olival, Alice Estavo Dias, Melinda Magyari, Doralina Brum, Maria Fernanda Mendes, Ricardo N. Alonso, Richard S. Nicholas, Johana Bauer, Anibal Sebastian Chertcoff, Anna Zabalza, Georgina Arrambide, Alexander Fidao, Giancarlo Comi, Liesbet Peeters
Summary: Using data from 12 sources in 28 countries, this study examined the characteristics of COVID-19 severity in people with MS, particularly those taking immunosuppressive therapies. The results showed that older age, progressive MS phenotype, and higher disability were associated with worse COVID-19 outcomes. Additionally, rituximab was consistently associated with increased risk of hospitalization, ICU admission, and need for ventilation, while ocrelizumab was mainly associated with hospitalization and ICU admission.
Review
Clinical Neurology
Francesca Washington, Dawn Langdon
Summary: Research shows that patients with multiple sclerosis often struggle with treatment adherence, influenced by factors such as age, gender, emotions, cognition, and treatment satisfaction. Targeted patient support programs should be developed to improve treatment compliance.
JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Claudia Vinciguerra, Salvatore Iacono, Liliana Bevilacqua, Annamaria Landolfi, Giuseppe Piscosquito, Federica Ginanneschi, Giuseppe Schiro, Vincenzo Di Stefano, Filippo Brighina, Paolo Barone, Carmela Rita Balistreri
Summary: The prevalence, onset, pathophysiology, and clinical course of neuromuscular disorders (NMDs) can differ significantly between males and females. Genetic inheritance plays a familiar role in sex differences in NMDs, but hormonal and genetic factors can also influence the clinical presentation and severity of acquired forms. This review summarizes the sex-related differences in both acquired and inherited NMDs, highlighting the distinctive biological roles of these factors.
MECHANISMS OF AGEING AND DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Veronica Cabreira, Pedro Abreu, Ricardo Soares-dos-Reis, Joana Guimaraes, Maria Jose Sa
Summary: Most MS patients receiving DMTs do not have a higher risk of severe COVID-19, but factors like age, comorbidities, and disability can significantly impact outcomes. While most DMTs have minimal influence on COVID-19, therapies causing severe lymphopenia and hypogammaglobulinemia, like anti-CD20 therapies, may lead to increased hospitalization, worse outcomes, and higher reinfection risk.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Ibrahima Diouf, Charles B. Malpas, Sifat Sharmin, Izanne Roos, Dana Horakova, Eva Kubala Havrdova, Francesco Patti, Vahid Shaygannejad, Serkan Ozakbas, Sara Eichau, Marco Onofrj, Alessandra Lugaresi, Raed Alroughani, Alexandre Prat, Pierre Duquette, Murat Terzi, Cavit Boz, Francois Grand'Maison, Patrizia Sola, Diana Ferraro, Pierre Grammond, Bassem Yamout, Ayse Altintas, Oliver Gerlach, Jeannette Lechner-Scott, Roberto Bergamaschi, Rana Karabudak, Gerardo Iuliano, Christopher McGuigan, Elisabetta Cartechini, Stella Hughes, Maria Jose Sa, Claudio Solaro, Ludwig Kappos, Suzanne Hodgkinson, Mark Slee, Franco Granella, Koen de Gans, Pamela A. McCombe, Radek Ampapa, Anneke van der Walt, Helmut Butzkueven, Jose Luis Sanchez-Menoyo, Steve Vucic, Guy Laureys, Youssef Sidhom, Riadh Gouider, Tamara Castillo-Trivino, Orla Gray, Eduardo Aguera-Morales, Abdullah Al-Asmi, Cameron Shaw, Talal M. Al-Harbi, Tunde Csepany, Angel P. Sempere, Irene Trevino Frenk, Elizabeth A. Stuart, Tomas Kalincik
Summary: This study compared the effectiveness of six commonly used therapies for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) over a 5-year period. The results showed that natalizumab, fingolimod, and dimethyl fumarate were more effective in reducing relapses than glatiramer acetate. Natalizumab also showed superior effects in reducing disability worsening and improving disability compared to other interventions.
JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY NEUROSURGERY AND PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Peter Alping
Summary: This study aimed to summarize the current evidence for rituximab as a treatment for relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS).
BASIC & CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY & TOXICOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anna Bizon, Justyna Chojdak-Lukasiewicz, Aleksandra Koltuniuk, Slawomir Budrewicz, Anna Pokryszko-Dragan, Agnieszka Piwowar
Summary: This study evaluated oxidative stress parameters in the serum of patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), and found associations between these parameters and clinical/laboratory markers. AOPP and FRAP concentrations were higher in male patients. There were correlations between AOPP and inflammation markers, and differences in AOPP among subgroups receiving different treatments.
Review
Clinical Neurology
Isabella Laura Simone, Carla Tortorella, Alma Ghirelli
Summary: Multiple sclerosis predominantly affects young women, impacting fertility, pregnancy, fetal outcome, and breastfeeding. The use of disease-modifying therapies has changed the natural history of the disease and perspectives on pregnancy.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Anthony T. Reder, Diego Centonze, Maria L. Naylor, Anjali Nagpal, Rajani Rajbhandari, Arman Altincatal, Michelle Kim, Aaron Berdofe, Maha Radhakrishnan, Eunice Jung, Alfred W. Sandrock, Karen Smirnakis, Catrinel Popescu, Carl de Moor
Summary: The study revealed that comorbidities, obesity, and Black/African ancestry were major risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). It also found that interferons and glatiramer acetate were associated with reduced COVID-19 risk, while anti-CD20 therapies were linked to increased risk within the treated MS cohort.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Diego Centonze, Maria A. Rocca, Claudio Gasperini, Ludwig Kappos, Hans-Peter Hartung, Melinda Magyari, Celia Oreja-Guevara, Maria Trojano, Heinz Wiendl, Massimo Filippi
Summary: COVID-19 emerged in Wuhan, China in December 2019 and quickly spread globally, with over 132 million cases and 2.8 million deaths recorded to date. A massive vaccination campaign has been initiated worldwide since the end of 2020, although there are concerns among neurologists about the safety and efficacy of vaccination in multiple sclerosis patients on immunomodulatory or immunosuppressive therapies.
JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2021)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Masoud Etemadifar, Hosein Nouri, Maristella Pitzalis, Maria Laura Idda, Mehri Salari, Mahshid Baratian, Sepide Mahdavi, Amir Parsa Abhari, Nahad Sedaghat
Summary: Studies have shown that patients with multiple sclerosis receiving disease-modifying therapies may have lower immune response after COVID-19 vaccination. B-cell depletion therapies may accelerate post-vaccination antibody waning. Real-world data suggests that patients receiving certain therapies have higher incidence and severity of breakthrough COVID-19. Therefore, optimizing immune response and ensuring its durability are necessary in the COVID-19 vaccination policy for these patients.
JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY NEUROSURGERY AND PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
