Topic description and stories

Woman with multiple sclerosis in a wheelchair putting on her coat with service dog watching her

‘Disease in a dish’ study of progressive MS finds critical role for unusual type of brain cell

10 Oct 2025

Scientists have identified an unusual type of brain cell that may play a vital role in progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), likely contributing to...

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Dr Nick Cunniffe running a 'visual evoked potential' test with a trial participant in the Cambridge Clinical Vision Laboratory.

Diabetes drug and antihistamine could together repair multiple sclerosis damage, trial finds

26 Sep 2025

Scientists behind the trial say they are “on the brink of a new class of treatments” and that the findings take us another step closer to stopping...

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Ancient migrations

Ancient DNA reveals reason for high MS and Alzheimer's rates in Europe

10 Jan 2024

Researchers have created the world’s largest ancient human gene bank, and used it to map the historical spread of genes – and diseases – over time as...

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Mature Adult Female with Disability

Early-stage stem cell therapy trial shows promise for treating progressive MS

27 Nov 2023

An international team has shown that the injection of a type of stem cell into the brains of patients living with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS...

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Woman with multiple sclerosis in a wheelchair using her phone

Scientists identify first genetic marker for MS severity

28 Jun 2023

A study of more than 22,000 people with multiple sclerosis has discovered the first genetic variant associated with faster disease progression, which...

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Aged rat brain stem cells grown on a soft surface (right) show more healthy, vigorous growth than similar aged brain stem cells grown on a stiff surface (left)

Cambridge scientists reverse ageing process in rat brain stem cells

14 Aug 2019

New research reveals how increasing brain stiffness as we age causes brain stem cell dysfunction, and demonstrates new ways to reverse older stem...

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Neuron with oligodendrocyte and myelin sheath (edited)

Study in mice suggests personalised stem cell treatment may offer relief for progressive MS

22 Feb 2018

Scientists have shown in mice that skin cells re-programmed into brain stem cells, transplanted into the central nervous system, help reduce...

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Hand showing leprosy

Leprosy turns the immune system against itself, study finds

23 Aug 2017

Leprosy hijacks our immune system, turning an important repair mechanism into one that causes potentially irreparable damage to our nerve cells...

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Neuron with oligodendrocyte and myelin sheath (edited)

Vitamin D could repair nerve damage in multiple sclerosis, study suggests

07 Dec 2015

A protein activated by vitamin D could be involved in repairing damage to myelin in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to new research...

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First Aid Kit (cropped)

Calling for help: damaged nerve cells communicate with stem cells

06 Oct 2015

Nerve cells damaged in diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), ‘talk’ to stem cells in the same way that they communicate with other nerve cells...

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Neurons, confocal fluorescence microscopy

New treatments for pain and MS being developed in open innovation programme

25 Jun 2013

Cambridge researchers developing new therapies as part of a collaborative programme with industry.

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Illustration of a network of nerve cells in the brain.

Number of genes associated with MS doubles

11 Aug 2011

Critical insight provided into the disease mechanisms behind multiple sclerosis.

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