Multiple Sclerosis Clinical Trials

Inflammatory or degenerative diseases of the brain and spinal cord, such as multiple sclerosis, may be related to problems with an individual s immune system. However, more information is needed on the ways in which the cells of the immune system interact with the central nervous system (CNS). This study will compare tests performed on both healthy volunteers and individuals who have signs or symptoms of immune-related damage to their CNS. This study will include two groups of subjects at least 12 years old. Subjects will either have symptoms of immune-related CNS damage, or will be healthy volunteers selected for comparison purposes. Study participants will visit the NIH Clinical Center on an outpatient basis for an initial evaluation visit. During the visit, patients will provide a comprehensive medical history and undergo a neurological examination, and will provide blood samples for research purposes. The healthy volunteers will be asked to schedule a return visit for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) procedure, and may be asked to undergo other tests requested by the study researchers on an as-needed basis. The group of patients with symptoms of immune-related CNS damage will be asked to undergo a series of tests, including the following: * MRI procedures, with a minimum of three brain MRIs and one spinal cord MRI taken approximately 4 weeks apart * A diagnostic lumbar puncture, performed on an outpatient basis * Tests of brain and vision activity * Additional blood and tissue samples Patients with symptoms of immune-related CNS damage may be offered the opportunity to participate in additional followup tests with NIH researchers. ... Read Less

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) affects the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. MS lesions can appear on the MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans in many ways. Sometimes they light up from the outer edge and fill inward. This is called ring enhancement. Researchers think this type of lesion may not heal as well as others. Corticosteroids are the standard treatment to reduce symptoms of MS relapse. But there is no standard treatment for people with enhancing MS lesions without signs of MS relapse. Researchers want to see if a short-term high-dose course of corticosteroids helps heal those lesions. Objective: To study the effects of short-term high-dose corticosteroids on ring-enhancing MS. Eligibility: Adults ages 18 and older who: * Have MS and a rim-enhancing lesion on a prior brain MRI * Are enrolled in another NINDS protocol Design: Participants will be screened under another protocol Participants will be randomly assigned to get either no treatment or 3 days of treatment with a corticosteroid. Participants will have: * 1 baseline visit * 3 days of high-dose steroids, intravenous or oral. If IV, participants will receive methylprednisolone by IV each day. Participants will also be prescribed medicine to protect their stomach. * Follow-up visits will be at week 13 and week 25 after randomization to treatment or no treatment. Visits include medical history and physical exam. Participants will have blood and urine tests. Participants will also have neurological exams and MRIs. Participants lie on a table that slides into a cylinder. They are in the scanner 1.5-2 hours. They get a dye through a catheter: A needle guides a thin plastic tube into an arm vein. Read Less

PRISMA, is a pregnancy registry study, focused on comprehensively collecting information about pregnancy in women with chronic neurological conditions from across the United States and internationally. Depending on their specific condition (MS, CIS, NMOSD, or other) and their specific treatment, participants will be asked to contribute to different aspects of the study. (1) The biosamples will be blood, breast milk, infant stool, maternal stool and vaginal swab samples, collected at specific time points. (2) The online surveys will be collected at specific time points. All study activities will be discussed with participants upon enrollment. By collecting this information, the investigators hope to gain deeper insights into the relationship between pregnancy, the neurological condition, and maternal and infant health. For example, one of the sub-studies focuses on breast milk collection for women planning postpartum treatment with Ocrevus, Rituxan, Briumvi or Kesimpta. This study is fully remote and all sample collection is optional, so participants can choose which types of samples they wish to provide. For blood draws, participants can schedule a home visit through ExamOne, making participation even more convenient. The investigators aim to enroll women with chronic neurological conditions who are planning pregnancy, currently pregnant, or within one year postpartum. Read Less

The purpose of this study is to evaluate safety, effiectiveness, and to gain insight into the treatment experience of participants prescribed BRIUMVI® (ublituximab-xiiy) in the real-world setting Read Less

The primary objective of the study is to compare the prevalence rate of major congenital malformations (MCM) between 2 cohorts of pregnant participants with MS who are exposed to BRIUMVI® and who are unexposed to BRIUMVI®. Read Less

Background: In people with multiple sclerosis (MS), brain and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers indicate inflammation or disease. Researchers want to see if 4 drugs given alone or combined affect MS biomarkers. They want to see if a change in biomarker levels can predict which drugs a person with MS might respond to. Objective: To see if signs of inflammation in CSF help predict a person s response to different drugs. Eligibility: People ages 18 and older who: * Are in protocol 09-I-0032 * Have progressive MS * Can stand and walk a few steps * Take an MS drug Design: Participants will be screened in protocol 09-I-0032. Participants will take 1 of the 4 study drugs. Researchers will call after 1 month to see how they are doing. Some will start a second drug. They may take each drug or combination for up to 18 months. Participants will have 2 visits a year for up to 6 years. Visits include: * Medical history * Physical exam * Blood and heart tests * X-rays and scans * Eye exam and tear collection * Lumbar puncture: A needle inserted between back bones removes some CSF. * Lymphocytapheresis: Blood is removed through a needle in one arm and run through a machine. The blood is returned through a needle in the other arm. * A sensor on the forehead records blood flow and oxygen use. * Participants may get a device for testing at home. Participants will stop taking the drugs if they have taken 2 drugs together for 18 months or if they do not do well on the drugs. Participants will be called 3 months later to see how they are doing. Read Less

Studies performed under 89-N-0045 are designed to examine the natural history of multiple sclerosis (MS) using MRI and immunological measures. In addition to studying the natural history of untreated patients, the natural history of patients receiving approved disease-modifying therapies of MS will be examined. In both cohorts of patients levels of disease activity on MRI will be compared with immunological characteristics in order to help identify disease mechanism. Patients with either definite MS (based either on clinical or combined clinical and MRI criteria) or with an initial presentation of neurological dysfunction consistent with MS will be studied longitudinally by MRI. Disease activity on MRI will be assessed using several MRI measures of disease activity including the number of contrast enhancing lesions, the overall burden of disease, brain atrophy and measures to assess axonal damage. Patients will be assessed clinically and correlations between immunological and genetic factors and disease activity as seen clinically or by MRI will be studied. A second cohort of patients starting the use of approved therapy will also be examined. Patients referred to NIH prior to beginning approved therapy will be assessed with a series of three monthly MRIs to determine the level of pretreatment disease activity. After beginning approved therapy under the direction of their private physician, patients will be followed similarly to the natural history cohort. Immunological and genetic findings will be accessed before and during therapy in order to help establish the mechanisms of action of the therapies and to identify mechanisms accounting for either a response or lack of response to therapy. Part of the collected samples willl be cryopreserved to provide respository for further studies focusing on detection of biomarkers indicative of disease state, disease stage or repsonse to therapies. Additionally, a cohort of normal volunteers will be studied. The studies in the normal volunteers will be used to establish the most appropriate imaging sequences for studying normal white matter in MS patients using magnetization transfer (MT) imaging sequences for studying normal white matter in MS patients using magnetization transfer (MT) imaging and to provide normative immunological measures. Read Less

The purpose of the research study is to identify the genetic, environmental and immune profiles that may increase a person's risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS). While MS is not a disease caused by a single variation in genetic material (DNA), a single environmental factor, or a single malfunction in immune cells, there are genetic alterations, environmental exposures and immunologic factors that make the development of MS more likely. Obtaining information about who is at risk for MS will be beneficial in the future if the investigators can identify effective ways to prevent or slow down the progression of this disease. Read Less

This phase Ib trial studies the side effects of nivolumab and to see how well it works in treating patients with autoimmune disorders and cancer that has spread to other places in the body or cannot removed by surgery. Immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies, such as nivolumab, may help the body's immune system attack the cancer, and may interfere with the ability of tumor cells to grow and spread. Read Less

This Phase 2 clinical trial will study RVP-001, a new manganese-based MRI contrast agent, in people who are known to have gadolinium-enhancing central nervous system (CNS) lesions, for example brain tumors or multiple sclerosis. The goal of this study is to assess safety, efficacy, and pharmacokinetics of RVP-001 at three dose levels. The study will also compare RVP-001 imaging to gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA) imaging. A single dose of RVP-001 will be administered to each subject. Subjects will have known gadolinium-enhancing CNS lesions and will have a gadolinium-based contrast agent-enhanced MRI of the brain 2-14 days before receiving RVP-001 with imaging. The ultimate goal of this research program is development of a gadolinium-free alternative to current general purpose MRI contrast agents. Read Less

The overall goal of this study is to elucidate a mechanism by which vancomycin modulates the gut-brain axis in multiple sclerosis (MS). The gut microbiome plays an important role in autoimmunity, including MS. However, the identity of gut microbes modulating neuroinflammation in MS and their mechanisms of action remain obscure. Hence, here the research team proposes to investigate the effects of vancomycin on the gut microbiota composition, peripheral immune function, and brain MRI lesions in MS patients. Read Less

The purpose of this study is to provide information on maternal, fetal, and infant outcomes following exposure of ozanimod during pregnancy so that participants and physicians can weigh the benefits and risks of exposure to the pharmaceutical during pregnancy and make informed treatment decisions. Read Less