Marisa Wexler, MS,  senior science writer—

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…

Ultomiris (ravulizumab) is now approved in Canada to treat adults with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) who are positive for antibodies against aquaporin-4 (AQP4). According to a press release from Alexion Canada, which will market Ultomiris in the country, it’s the “first and only” long-acting therapy…

Treatment with Uplizna (inebilizumab-cdon) effectively prevented disease attacks and disability worsening for Asian people with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) in the Phase 2/3 N-MOmentum clinical trial, a new analysis found. “In the Asian [patient] subgroup, the risk of NMOSD attacks was reduced with [Uplizna] versus placebo ……

A Phase 2 clinical trial is testing InnoCare Pharma’s experimental oral medication orelabrutinib in people with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). The trial (NCT05284175), being conducted at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital, in Beijing, China, was cleared by the country’s regulatory agency last year. InnoCare…

A history of smoking is associated with poorer recovery from disease relapses in people with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), a study reports. Findings indicate that patients who smoke or are past smokers are more likely to have neurological lesions that persist months after the relapse, and that these…

When the immune system launches an attack to fight off a cytomegalovirus infection, immune cells may accidentally target aquaporin-4 (AQP4), a protein found at the surface of neuron-supporting cells. That’s the hypothesis suggested by researchers who analyzed the immune cell receptors of people with and without neuromyelitis optica spectrum…

Older age, a poor response to steroids, and the need for a blood-cleaning procedure known as plasma exchange all were found to increase the likelihood of a diagnosis of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) among people experiencing a first optic neuritis attack, a small study shows. These findings led…