Enhancement of balance, and mobility in individuals with multiple sclerosis using visual cue guided multidirectional step training - A pilot study.

Background: Individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) often experience limitations in mobility due to impairment of gait and balance. Rehabilitation approaches to improve balance and mobility in individuals with MS are limited. We have developed a novel visual cue guided multi-direction step (MDS) training method to improve balance and mobility in individuals with MS.

Deep DNA metagenomic sequencing reveals oral microbiome divergence between monozygotic twins discordant for multiple sclerosis severity.

In contrast to gut, the oral microbiome of MS patients has not been characterized. Deep sequencing of saliva DNA from a pair of monozygotic twins (MSF1 with relapsing remitting MS; MSF2 with clinically isolated syndrome) identified 2036 bacterial species. Relative abundances of 3 phyla were higher, and 3 lower in MSF1 versus MSF2.

Sulfatides in extracellular vesicles isolated from plasma of multiple sclerosis patients.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane nanovesicles of diverse sizes secreted by different cell types and are involved in intercellular communication. EVs shuttle proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids that reflect their cellular origin and could mediate their biological function in recipient cells. EVs circulate in biological fluids and are considered as potential biomarkers that could be used to analyze and characterize disease development, course and response to treatment.

A single-nucleotide polymorphism in serine-threonine kinase 11, the gene encoding liver kinase B1, is a risk factor for multiple sclerosis.

We identified a family in which five siblings were diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) or clinically isolated syndrome. Several women in the maternal lineage have comorbidities typically associated with Peutz Jeghers Syndrome, a rare autosomal-dominant disease caused by mutations in the serine-threonine-kinase 11 (STK11) gene, which encodes liver kinase B1. Sequence analysis of DNA from one sibling identified a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) within STK11 intron 5.