Article
Immunology
Emanuele D'Amico, Aurora Zanghi, Nunziatina Laura Parrinello, Alessandra Romano, Giuseppe Alberto Palumbo, Clara Grazia Chisari, Simona Toscano, Francesco Di Raimondo, Mario Zappia, Francesco Patti
Summary: This study characterized the immune cell phenotypes of patients recently diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis who had not received disease-modifying therapies. The results revealed differences in myeloid, B, and T cells between these patients and healthy controls.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Pablo Rodriguez de Vera Gomez, Mariola Mendez Muros, Alberto Torres Cuadro, Francisco Javier Toyos Saenz de Miera, Rocio Lopez Ruiz, Raquel Guerrero Vazquez, Juan Jesus Garcia Gonzalez, Antonio Manuel Garrido Hermosilla, Tomas Martin Hernandez
Summary: This study describes the clinical and biochemical characteristics of GD-ALZ and the clinical course of GO-ALZ cases in patients treated with Alemtuzumab for RRMS. GD-ALZ was observed in 32.6% of the cases, mainly affecting women with an average age of 41.9 years. Having first-degree relatives with hypothyroidism was identified as a risk factor. GO-ALZ was diagnosed in 13.6% of the cases, with 3 cases requiring anti-IL-6 treatment.
JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Zhizheng Zhuo, Yongmei Li, Yunyun Duan, Guanmei Cao, Fenglian Zheng, Jinli Ding, Decai Tian, Xinli Wang, Jinhui Wang, Xinghu Zhang, Kuncheng Li, Fuqing Zhou, Muhua Huang, Yuxin Li, Haiqing Li, Chun Zeng, Ningnannan Zhang, Jie Sun, Chunshui Yu, Xuemei Han, Sven Haller, Frederik Barkhof, Fudong Shi, Yaou Liu
Summary: Three MRI subtypes of RRMS were identified with distinct clinical and imaging features and different prognoses. The subtypes showed variations in cognitive impairment and conversion rate to SPMS.
JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Insha Zahoor, Hamid Suhail, Indrani Datta, Mohammad Ejaz Ahmed, Laila M. Poisson, Jeffrey Waters, Faraz Rashid, Rui Bin, Jaspreet Singh, Mirela Cerghet, Ashok Kumar, Md Nasrul Hoda, Ramandeep Rattan, Ashutosh K. Mangalam, Shailendra Giri
Summary: Metabolic aberrations were found to impact the pathogenesis of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, with changes in multiple metabolic pathways identified in patient samples. Enhanced glycolysis in immune cells of MS patients was observed, and treatment with a glycolytic inhibitor showed promising effects in ameliorating disease progression by promoting an antiinflammatory phenotype. This study highlights the potential of blood-based metabolomic approaches in identifying therapeutic targets for developing new treatment strategies for multiple sclerosis.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Tatiana Koudriavtseva, Svetlana Lorenzano, Maria Cellerino, Mauro Truglio, Marco Fiorelli, Caterina Lapucci, Giovanna D'Agosto, Laura Conti, Annunziata Stefanile, Silvana Zannino, Maria Maddalena Filippi, Antonio Cortese, Carlo Piantadosi, Marta Maschio, Andrea Maialetti, Edvina Galie, Marco Salvetti, Matilde Inglese
Summary: The objective of this observational study was to identify the most specific pro-coagulative/vascular factors for multiple sclerosis pathogenesis and to correlate them with brain hemodynamic abnormalities. The results showed that tissue-factor was one of the key variables in differentiating multiple sclerosis from controls and relapse from remission.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Rita Rodrigues, Raquel Rocha, Goncalo Bonifacio, Daniela Ferro, Francisco Sabenca, Ana Isabel Goncalves, Filipe Correia, Joaquim Pinheiro, Jose Leal Loureiro, Rui Pedro Guerreiro, Jose Vale, Maria Jose Sa, Andreia Costa
Summary: Therapeutic inertia (TI) is a common issue in the management of RRMS patients in Portugal, with approximately 1 in 5 patients exhibiting TI. Factors such as absence of relapses, current use of disease-modifying therapies (DMT), absence of adverse events, and care level of the treatment center are associated with TI. Further studies are needed to explore the impact of these factors on therapeutic decisions in RRMS patients.
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS AND RELATED DISORDERS
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Marcus Vinicius Magno Goncalves, Wesley Nogueira Brandao, Carla Longo, Jean Pierre Schatzmann Peron, Giordani Rodrigues dos Passos, Gabriela Low Pagliarini, Osvaldo Jose Moreira do Nascimento, Daniel Rodrigo Marinowic, Denise Cantarelli Machado, Jefferson Becker
Summary: This study compared the effects of Fingolimod treatment alone and after GA or IFN-β in RRMS patients. The plasma concentrations of IL-31 and sCD40L were identified as potential biomarkers that may be useful in monitoring disease progression and treatment effectiveness. Further studies are needed to confirm their efficacy.
JOURNAL OF NEUROIMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Malin Boremalm, Peter Sundstrom, Jonatan Salzer
Summary: Rituximab is safe and effective in treating RRMS, with long-term effects on inflammatory disease activity. Disease reactivation is rare in MS patients who discontinued treatment, and low-dose rituximab (< 1000 mg yearly) is sufficient to maintain suppression of inflammatory disease activity in stable patients.
JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Stefan Braune, Fabian Rossnagel, Heidi Dikow, Arnfin Bergmann
Summary: The study in Germany showed that the diversity of drug treatments for RRMS patients has improved clinical effectiveness over time, with more patients receiving treatment and starting treatment earlier. The introduction of oral DMTs has led to higher readiness to switch treatments, indicating a potential benefit for personalized treatment allocation.
Article
Immunology
Nicole Kashani, Eve E. Kelland, Borna Vajdi, Lauren M. Anderson, Wendy Gilmore, Brett T. Lund
Summary: This study revealed that patients treated with alemtuzumab for multiple sclerosis showed an increase in the number and function of regulatory B cells after treatment, which were positively correlated with regulatory T cells. Additionally, an anti-inflammatory bias in monocytes was observed after the second annual course of treatment. These findings highlight the importance of further studies on all regulatory cell types following alemtuzumab treatment to understand the mechanisms of drug action and identify key predictors of durable clinical efficacy.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Johannes Lorscheider, Pascal Benkert, Carmen Lienert, Peter Haenni, Tobias Derfuss, Jens Kuhle, Ludwig Kappos, Oezguer Yaldizli
Summary: In a real-world setting, dimethyl fumarate and fingolimod demonstrate comparable effectiveness in reducing relapses and disability worsening in patients with RRMS. Findings from this study suggest that there is no significant difference in efficacy between the two treatment options, regardless of whether patients are treatment-naive or switching from another DMT.
JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Malthe Faurschou Wandall-Holm, Mathias Due Buron, Tine Iskov Kopp, Karsten Thielen, Finn Sellebjerg, Melinda Magyari
Summary: Initiating treatment early reduces the risk of disability pension in patients with RRMS. This finding highlights the importance of early diagnosis and treatment on a patient-centered, socioeconomic disability milestone.
JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY NEUROSURGERY AND PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sylwia Pietrasik, Angela Dziedzic, Elzbieta Miller, Michal Starosta, Joanna Saluk-Bijak
Summary: Multiple sclerosis is a neurodegenerative disease with a variable course, often characterized by alternating periods of exacerbation and stabilization. Distinguishing between subtypes early can lead to faster implementation of appropriate treatment. Research suggests circulating microRNAs may be valuable for MS diagnosis and predicting disease subtype.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Damien D. Pearse, Andrew B. Hefley, Alejo A. Morales, Mousumi Ghosh
Summary: This study investigated the expression of transglutaminase-2 (TG2) in brain tissue of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and its correlation with binding partners and effectors involved in inflammation, scar formation, and repair antagonism. The results showed that TG2 was upregulated in active lesions and colocalized with astrocytes and extracellular matrix components.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Daniel Merlo, Jim Stankovich, Claire Bai, Tomas Kalincik, Chao Zhu, Melissa Gresle, Jeannette Lechner-Scott, Trevor Kilpatrick, Michael Barnett, Bruce Taylor, David Darby, Helmut Butzkueven, Anneke Van der Walt
Summary: This study utilized a computerized cognitive battery and latent class mixed models to identify discrete longitudinal reaction time trajectories in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. The findings indicate that a group of participants showed slowing reaction times and were more likely to experience 6-month confirmed disability progression.
Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Albert Pons-Escoda, Alonso Garcia-Ruiz, Pablo Naval-Baudin, Francesco Grussu, Juan Jose Sanchez Fernandez, Angels Camins Simo, Noemi Vidal Sarro, Alejandro Fernandez-Coello, Jordi Bruna, Monica Cos, Raquel Perez-Lopez, Carles Majos
Summary: This study proposes a new method for DSC-PWI analysis, which includes all time-points and voxels to generate robust diagnostic models. Satisfactory results were obtained for distinguishing glioblastoma and metastases, with AUCs of 0.71-0.83 and accuracies up to 88%. The method shows promise for presurgical discrimination in heterogeneous diseases.
EUROPEAN RADIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Francesco Grussu, Kinga Bernatowicz, Irene Casanova-Salas, Natalia Castro, Paolo Nuciforo, Joaquin Mateo, Ignasi Barba, Raquel Perez-Lopez
Summary: This study investigates the relationship between diffusion-weighted MRI signals and hepatocyte microstructure, and finds that important information about liver cell size and diffusivity can be obtained from minimal diffusion encodings under specific conditions.
MAGNETIC RESONANCE IN MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Neuroimaging
Carmen Tur, Francesco Grussu, Floriana De Angelis, Ferran Prados, Baris Kanber, Alberto Calvi, Arman Eshaghi, Thalis Charalambous, Rosa Cortese, Declan T. Chard, Jeremy Chataway, Alan J. Thompson, Olga Ciccarelli, Claudia A. M. Gandini Wheeler-Kingshott
Summary: Predicting disability in progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) is challenging due to the lack of established quantitative metrics characterizing spatial distribution of white matter (WM) lesions. A novel approach, SPACE-MS, was introduced to quantitatively characterize spatial distributional features of brain MS lesions, showing that lesions in lower parts of the brain and more isotropic spreading of lesions are associated with clinical deterioration in progressive MS. This approach may be applicable to other conditions with brain WM lesions.
NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL
(2022)
Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Julien Cohen-Adad, Eva Alonso-Ortiz, Stephanie Alley, Maria Marcella Lagana, Francesca Baglio, Signe Johanna Vannesjo, Haleh Karbasforoushan, Maryam Seif, Alan C. Seifert, Junqian Xu, Joo-Won Kim, Rene Labounek, Lubomir Vojtisek, Marek Dostal, Jan Valosek, Rebecca S. Samson, Francesco Grussu, Marco Battiston, Claudia A. M. Gandini Wheeler-Kingshott, Marios C. Yiannakas, Guillaume Gilbert, Torben Schneider, Brian Johnson, Ferran Prados
Summary: This study compared different MRI protocols (1.5 T, 3 T, and 7 T) for visualizing spinal cord gray matter. Qualitative assessments indicated comparable image quality for 3 T and 7 T scans, while 1.5 T scans had moderate to low image quality. The proposed evaluation criteria and metrics can serve as a benchmark for optimizing spinal cord gray matter imaging protocols in the future.
MAGNETIC RESONANCE IN MEDICINE
(2022)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Carmen Tur, Anne-Laure Dubessy, Susana Otero-Romero, Maria Pia Amato, Tobias Derfuss, Franziska Di Pauli, Ellen Iacobaeus, Marcin Mycko, Hesham Abboud, Anat Achiron, Angelo Bellinvia, Alexey Boyko, Jean-Laurent Casanova, David Clifford, Ruth Dobson, Mauricio F. Farez, Massimo Filippi, Kathryn C. Fitzgerald, Mattia Fonderico, Riadh Gouider, Yael Hacohen, Kerstin Hellwig, Bernhard Hemmer, Ludwig Kappos, Filipa Ladeira, Christine Lebrun-Frenay, Celine Louapre, Melinda Magyari, Matthias Mehling, Celia Oreja-Guevara, Lekha Pandit, Caroline Papeix, Fredrik Piehl, Emilio Portaccio, Isabel Ruiz-Camps, Krzysztof Selmaj, Steve Simpson-Yap, Aksel Siva, Per Soelberg Sorensen, Maria Pia Sormani, Maria Trojano, Adi Vaknin-Dembinsky, Sandra Vukusic, Brian Weinshenker, Heinz Wiendl, Alexander Winkelmann, Maria Isabel Zuluaga Rodas, Mar Tintore, Bruno Stankoff
Summary: In recent years, there have been rapid developments in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), with a wide range of disease-modifying treatments (DMTs) now available. However, most DMTs come with the risk of adverse events, particularly infections. To address this, an international workshop sponsored by the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) was held in April 2021 to review the current knowledge on infection risks associated with DMT use in MS and NMOSD patients, and to discuss strategies for risk mitigation. The workshop also explored specific populations, such as children, pregnant women, individuals with comorbidities, and those living in regions with high infection burden, as well as the impact of the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on DMT-associated infectious risks.
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Alberto Calvi, Ferran Prados Carrasco, Carmen Tur, Declan T. Chard, Jonathan Stutters, Floriana De Angelis, Nevin John, Thomas Williams, Anisha Doshi, Rebecca S. Samson, David MacManus, Claudia A. Gandini Wheeler-Kingshott, Olga Ciccarelli, Jeremy Chataway, Frederik Barkhof
Summary: This study found that slowly expanding lesions (SELs) make up a significant proportion of T2 lesions in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). These lesions are associated with neurodegenerative MRI markers and clinical worsening, suggesting that they may contribute to disease progression and be a new target for therapeutic interventions.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Wallace J. Brownlee, Christian Wolf, Hans-Peter Hartung, Theo Dingermann, Nadia Anshasi, Richard A. C. Clark, Maria Trojano, Krzysztof Selmaj, Bernard M. J. Uitdehaag, Carmen Tur, Jens Wuerfel, Gabriele Dallmann, Julian Witte, Martina Sintzel, Olga Bobrovnikova, Jeffrey A. Cohen
Summary: This study identified best practices for the development and use of follow-on disease-modifying treatments (FO-DMTs) through the appraisal of published evidence. The consensus reached by a multidisciplinary panel supports the safe and effective use of FO-DMTs in treating multiple sclerosis. The findings may contribute to enhanced quality standards for FO-DMTs use in other regions.
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Rosa Cortese, Ferran Prados Carrasco, Carmen Tur, Alessia Bianchi, Wallace Brownlee, Floriana De Angelis, Isabel de la Paz, Francesco Grussu, Lukas Haider, Anu Jacob, Baris Kanber, Lise Magnollay, Richard S. Nicholas, Anand Trip, Marios Yiannakas, Ahmed T. Toosy, Yael Hacohen, Frederik Barkhof, Olga Ciccarelli
Summary: This study investigated whether imaging characteristics could differentiate between relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), aquaporin-4 antibody-positive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (AQP4-NMOSD), and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD). The results showed that the proportion of lesions with the central vein sign (CVS) was the most accurate measure to differentiate RRMS from AQP4-NMOSD, while white matter lesions were the most accurate measure to discriminate RRMS from MOGAD.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Alberto Calvi, Margareta A. Clarke, Ferran Prados, Declan Chard, Olga Ciccarelli, Manel Alberich, Deborah Pareto, Marta Rodriguez Barranco, Jaume Sastre-Garriga, Carmen Tur, Alex Rovira, Frederik Barkhof
Summary: This study found that chronic active lesions in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), known as slowly expanding lesions (SELs) and paramagnetic rim lesions (PRLs), are associated with greater clinical progression in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. SELs are more numerous than PRLs in MS patients.
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS JOURNAL
(2023)
Editorial Material
Clinical Neurology
Yael Hacohen, Carmen Tur
Summary: Aquaporin-4 antibody (AQP4-Ab) neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is a well-recognized autoimmune disease of the CNS that can lead to blindness and paralysis if left untreated. Lifelong treatment is currently recommended.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Rene Carvajal, Carmen Tur, Xavier Martinez-Gomez, Luca Bollo, Juliana Esperalba, Marta Rodriguez, Agustin Pappolla, Alvaro Cobo-Calvo, Pere Carbonell, Blanca Borras-Bemejo, Jordi Rio, Joaquin Castillo, Nathane Braga, Neus Mongay-Ochoa, Jose Angel Rodrigo-Pendas, Angela Vidal-Jordana, Georgina Arrambide, Breogan Rodriguez-Acevedo, Ana Zabalza, Luciana Midaglia, Ingrid Galan, Manuel Comabella, Jaume Sastre-Garriga, Xavier Montalban, Mar Tintore, Susana Otero-Romero
Summary: A single-dose attempt of VAR and/or MMR vaccines could effectively protect almost two-thirds of patients with multiple sclerosis and reduce delays in immunosuppressive treatment initiation.
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Alvaro Cobo-Calvo, Carmen Tur, Susana Otero-Romero, Pere Carbonell-Mirabent, Mariano Ruiz, Agustin Pappolla, Javier Villacieros Alvarez, Angela Vidal-Jordana, Georgina Arrambide, Joaquin Castillo, Ingrid Galan, Marta Rodriguez Barranco, Luciana Soledad Midaglia, Carlos Nos, Breogan Rodriguez Acevedo, Ana Zabalza de Torres, Neus Mongay, Jordi Rio, Manuel Comabella, Cristina Auger, Jaume Sastre-Garriga, Alex Rovira, Mar Tintore, Xavier Montalban
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of early treatment on the long-term disability risk of patients with a first demyelinating event, including MR scores. The results showed that early treatment can reduce disability risk and improve clinical outcomes.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Omar Abdel-mannan, Dimitrios Champsas, Carmen Tur, Vanessa Lee, Sharmila Manivannan, Haroon Usman, Alison Skippen, Ishita Desai, Manali Chitre, Rob Forsyth, Rachel Kneen, Dipak Ram, Sithara Ramdas, Thomas Rossor, Siobhan West, Sukhvir Wright, Jacqueline Palace, Evangeline Wassmer, Cheryl Hemingway, Ming J. Lim, Kshitij Mankad, Olga Ciccarelli, Yael Hacohen
Summary: Lesion dynamics differ significantly between MOGAD and MS, suggesting greater potential for repair in MOGAD. Early treatment with steroids and plasma exchange is associated with reduced likelihood of new lesions.
JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY NEUROSURGERY AND PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Review
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Ella Fokkinga, Juan A. Hernandez-Tamames, Andrada Ianus, Markus Nilsson, Chantal M. W. Tax, Raquel Perez-Lopez, Francesco Grussu
Summary: This article reviews the latest developments in diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) in the field of oncology, analyzing its value compared to histology measurements. The reviewed techniques provide histologically meaningful indices of cancer microstructure and have sensitivity to microscopic pathological processes.
JOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING
(2023)