News

NMOSD, MOGAD Medical Care Maintained in COVID-19 Pandemic

Access to care and the use of healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic were generally kept up in people affiliated with specialized centers in Germany and Austria who had neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody disease (MOGAD), a study showed. Moreover, “patients’ satisfaction with medical…

Increase in Double-stranded DNA Found in NMOSD Brain Fluid

Levels of double-stranded DNA — dubbed dsDNA — are elevated in the fluid around the brain and spinal cord of people with severe neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), a small study suggests. These levels, which indicate cellular damage, may trigger more inflammation in NMOSD patients, potentially contributing to the…

Treatment Changes More Common in NMOSD Patients with Relapses

People with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) who experience relapses are three times more likely to change their treatment regimen than those who have no relapses, a study found. Researchers also observed that people who experienced optic neuritis with or without brain symptoms, those with shorter disease duration, and…

AIMP1 Protein May Be Promising Biomarker for NMOSD, Study Shows

People with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) have elevated levels of the pro-inflammatory protein AIMP1 in the bloodstream, and higher levels seem to correlate with worse disability, a study showed. These AIMP1 levels dropped markedly after anti-inflammatory therapy, but still remained higher among patients in remission than in people…

3 Cases of Cancer-associated NMOSD Reported in Case Series

Tumor removal and immunosuppressive treatment can resolve neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) likely associated with different types of cancer positive for aquaporin 4 (AQP4) protein, according to data from three cases in China. Only two patients showed consistently high blood levels of antibodies against AQP4 (AQP4-IgG) — the most…

Specialized Antibodies Can ‘Disarm’ NMOSD-causing Autoantibody

SAB Biotherapeutics’ DiversitAb platform has generated specialized antibodies against multiple regions of an abnormal self-reactive antibody, or autoantibody, associated with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). The new antibody-based therapy was found to effectively bind to the NMOSD-causing autoantibody and neutralize it in both in vitro (in lab dishes) and in vivo (inside a…

Uplizna Approved in Brazil for Adults With AQP4-positive NMOSD

The Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency has approved Uplizna (inebilizumab-cdon) for the treatment of adults with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) who test positive for antibodies against aquaporin-4 (AQP4-IgG). The Horizon Therapeutics’ therapy is the first and only man-made antibody against CD19 — a cell surface protein present…