By Ed Tobias
Welcome to “MS News Notes,” a column where I comment on multiple sclerosis (MS) news stories that caught my eye last week. Here’s a look at what’s been happening: –
Is it MS or something else?
Should all autoimmune diseases that damage myelin be called MS? Probably not, according to research in the MS News Today story “Biomarker found for potential new disorder that’s been labeled as MS.”
The story reports that about 1% of MS patients, and 6% of those with a related demyelinating condition called neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder, contain a specific biomarker. This may indicate that some people who were diagnosed with MS may be ill with a disease that resembles MS but is something else.
A researcher quoted in this story says that “by distinguishing between myelin-destroying autoimmune diseases that were previously all called MS, we’re taking an important step towards a better understanding of the causes of these illnesses and towards individualized treatments.”
Perhaps the biomarkers these researchers are studying will lead to understanding why various treatments affect people with MS differently and provide a way to target disease-modifying therapies more accurately.
Cow’s milk and MS
Researchers have reported links between diet and MS for years. The story “Cow milk proteins likely trigger of broader immune response with MS” reports that almond and other plant-based milks don’t appear to trigger this same response.
The study suggests it might be possible to use a blood test to see if someone with MS carries milk-related antibodies. Doing this could allow a personalized diet to be created that might reduce some inflammatory responses that trigger MS.
After many years of not caring about my diet, I’ve been trying to eat healthier meals. Is it helping me after more than 40 years of living with MS? The jury is still out on that.
More EBV research
A number of research projects are currently searching for a vaccine that would inoculate people against the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). They’re interesting to people with MS because of the link between EBV and MS. The hope is that if EBV can be prevented, so can MS.
Most people are infected with EBV at some point in their life, but the virus doesn’t always become active. The story “New EBV-targeted vaccine induces durable immune response in mice” reports that this potential vaccine targets both active and latent forms of the virus. Although this is a mouse study and the potential vaccine is still early in the testing process, the data “clearly demonstrate” that the vaccine being tested can generate immunity to EBV that’s both robust and persistent, researchers wrote.
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