Marisa Wexler, MS, senior science writer —

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) patients whose first symptoms affect the brainstem, which is the bottommost part of the brain, are frequently misdiagnosed and experience higher rates of relapses, according to a two-center study in China. Data also showed about half of these patients initially experienced uncontrollable nausea, vomiting,…

Immune T-cells of the CAR T-cell therapy CT103A are able to rapidly eliminate disease-driving immune cells and reduce immune cells’ overall inflammatory activity in people with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), a study shows. “This study is the first in-depth single-cell … analysis of multiple types of body fluids…

The risk of developing type 2 diabetes is more than 50% higher among people with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) compared with matched people without the neurological condition, a study found. Results suggest that the risk of diabetes is particularly high in NMOSD patients who have receive treatment with…

None of the neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) patients in the Phase 3 CHAMPION-NMOSD clinical trial have had a disease relapse while on Ultomiris (ravulizumab-cwvz) treatment for a median of more than 2.5 years. These findings were shared by Sean Pittock, MD, the trial’s principal investigator, at the…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Ultomiris (ravulizumab-cwvz) to treat adults with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) who are positive for antibodies against the aquaporin-4 (AQP4) protein. About 75% of people with NMOSD produce antibodies that bind to AQP4, according to the therapy’s developer, Alexion…

People with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) who have experienced only one relapse tend to underestimate their risk of future relapses, but patients who’ve had multiple relapses tend to overestimate this risk, a small study has found. The findings underscore the importance of clear communication with healthcare providers so…

Under normal circumstances, immune B-cells train T-cells, another type of immune cell, on which targets not to attack, preventing the development of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), according to a study in mice. This training occurs in the thymus gland, a small organ behind the breastbone that works as…

Two blood markers — neurofilament light chain (NfL) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) — provide complementary clinical information about neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), a review study highlights. “Based on the results of several studies, both NfL and GFAP are considered to have their own strengths as clinical…

A new study of disease prevalence estimates that about 22,000 people in the U.S. were living with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) in 2022. The findings also suggest that the progressive autoimmune disease is most common in Black women, as compared with other U.S. demographics. For Asian American women,…

People with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) who switch between treatments more than once because of side effects or non-medical reasons have an increased risk of disease activity, a study shows. While each additional switch for either reason increased the risk of NMOSD activity, no such association was seen…