MS Research Roundup: October 28, 2014

MS Research Roundup collects items of interest to multiple sclerosis researchers from around the Web. Send us your tips: tips@msdiscovery.org.

Rare Brain Infection Case With Dimethyl Fumarate

A person with MS who was taking dimethyl fumarate (Tecfidera, Biogen Idec) developed the rare brain infection progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) and died of pneumonia. The European patient began taking dimethyl fumarate more than 4 years ago during clinical trials for the drug. The patient also had a low white blood cell count, a risk factor for PML. Previous cases of PML resulted in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) taking another one of Biogen Idec’s drugs, natalizumab (Tysabri), off the market in 2005. Natalizumab was returned to the market a year later with increased safety precautions. “Despite this tragic loss, we believe that the overall positive benefit/risk profile of Tecfidera remains unchanged,” Biogen Idec CEO George Scangos said in a conference call with analysts and investors. PML is a rare but serious concern for people on some long-term immunosuppressive treatments for MS. Biogen Idec also reported that over 100,000 patients have taken Tecfidera. The news caused Biogen Idec’s share prices to drop 7%, although shares were up almost 20% in the past year. In unrelated news, neuroscience researchers Christopher Henderson, Ph.D., and Richard Ransohoff, M.D., have left academia and joined Biogen Idec to advance research on neurodegenerative disease. Ransohoff had been a member of MSDF’s scientific advisory board. (CNBC, Boston Globe, FDA, Reuters, Business Wire, Wall Street Journal)

Walking Again, Thanks to Nose Cells

A Polish man with a severed spinal cord is walking again, inspiring hope and caution. The 40-year-old man, who was paralyzed from the chest down after a knife attack, can now move about using a walker and said he has regained some sensation in his left leg. A team of researchers and doctors performed a novel therapy. They harvested and cultured olfactory ensheathing cells, which allow nerve cells to regrow within the nose, from one of the patient’s olfactory bulbs. The surgeons injected the cells at the top and bottom of the injury site and then used grafted nerve tissue to bridge the gap. Scientists cautioned that it is too early to make any conclusions based on the results of a single patient. The New York Times wrote, “The history of spinal injury treatment is studded with false hope and miracle recoveries that could never be replicated, experts said.” The same article also emphasized that sometimes spinal cord injury patients make spontaneous progress without treatment. However, at least one biologist could not sustain his initial skepticism. In his blog, Pharyngula, PZ Myers wrote, “Significant but far from complete improvement is exactly what we’d expect, and that improvement is a very, very good thing. It is an accomplishment to translate animal studies into getting measurable clinical improvements in people.” The experiment was performed on three people, he noted, and media coverage focused on the one with the greatest improvement. (BBC, New York Times, ScienceBlogs)

Walking Again, Thanks to an Exoskeleton

Another spinal cord injury patient is also able to walk again, thanks to the help of an exoskeleton. The prosthetic device, called the Indego exoskeleton and developed by the biotechnology company Parker Hannifin, is still a long way from FDA approval. The device, which is being tested in three patients at Craig Hospital in Denver, Colorado, straps onto a person’s legs. Users move by leaning their body forward to accelerate and by other external body cues. For patients who are completely paralyzed, there is still hope for prosthetics. At the 2014 ACTRIMS-ECTRIMS meeting in Boston, researcher Andrew Schwartz, Ph.D., of the University of Pittsburgh presented updates of a robotic arm controlled by electrodes directly implanted into the brain of a woman with MS. While prosthetics are an interesting avenue in treating spinal cord injury and other motor dysfunction, researchers are exploring even more possibilities. Researchers at Newcastle University are examining the potential to directly stimulate the spinal cord to restore function in a paralyzed limb. (ABC 7 News Denver, CBS 60 Minutes, Medical Daily)

Bogus Health Cures Easy to Sell

Bogus health cures have been around for quite some time. From tapeworms to cocaine, the medical world has long been aware that people will sell just about anything to anyone if they can, and if patients are desperate enough, they’ll buy. Sham cures have also been touted for diseases from Ebola to AIDS to breast cancer. This week, NPR’s health blog, Shots, took a few shots at Dr. Oz, the telegenic doctor known for promoting dubious products like snake oil and green coffee extract. But helpfully, the blog also outlined the magical ingredients to pitch the perfect “miracle” cure. The first step is to stress the “miracle” aspect. Then, back up the claim with anecdotes about people whose lives were completely turned around by said miracle cure. Next, talk up the speed of the cure. If it works overnight—or instantly—even better. Last, emphasize how it is both natural and scientific. Be sure to use science-y sounding words, such as “detox” and “boosts your immune system.” Also avoid mentioning that things like arsenic and cyanide are natural substances, too. (National Public Radio, New Yorker)

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