At the American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting in San Diego 4/2025, I asked MS specialists what research, innovation, or impending technology is most exciting. Thanks to everyone who agreed to the interview.
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Dr. Brandon Beaber is a board-certified neurologist with subspecialty training in multiple sclerosis and other immunological diseases of the nervous system. He is a partner in the Southern California Permanente Medical Group and practices in Downey, California (South Los Angeles). He has several publications on MS epidemiology and has participated in clinical trials for MS therapeutics. You can follow him on twitter @Brandon_Beaber where he regularly posts about MS news and research.
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he video material by Dr. Brandon Beaber is general educational material on health conditions and is not intended to be used by viewers to diagnose or treat any individual’s medical condition. Specifically, this material is not a substitute for individualized diagnostic and treatment advice by a qualified medical/health practitioner, licensed in your jurisdiction, who has access to the relevant information available from diagnostic testing, medical interviews, and a physical examination. To the extent that Dr. Beaber endorses any lifestyle change, behavioral intervention, or supplements, the viewer should consult with a qualified healthcare professional to determine the safety and efficacy of the intervention in light of their individualized information.
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Once Again, I'm a Beleaber — thank you so much for sharing all of this info, I'm especially excited to hear that gilenya might become possible to give to pediatric patients!! — that's a huge improvement on doctors tackling Ms early! I'm addition to that, hearing about how AI can help docs with properly deciding on the most effective medicine for patients is amazing! 🧡
Idea's for other video: can I as an MS patient check my own disease progression or improvement by doing some easy tests periodically. For example I've seen hand-tapping speed tests, maybe a speed-typing test, a visual test, a memory test, some other brain tests related to math (I don't know? are there these kind of tests?), a foot tapping test… and then repeat this test as a patient every month to see long term if we get better or worse. Wouldnt it be great if there was an app that has these tests on it and keeps track of the results. Without the need of the precious time of a neurologist, my neurologist is just doing a yearly MRI and asking questions, there is no kind of other hands-on test done when no relapse is detected.
This is such a great video it's exactly what the audience here needs. My hope is that AI will be able to look at all the research and data in all medical fields and will guide us into the right direction on the cause of MS and the solution for it.
Consideration of the Central Vein Sign (a vein at the centre of each lesion) as a biomarker for the diagnosis of MS is nothing new to medicine (though may be new to neurologists). Just ask all the vascular specialists who got involved with MS when the Chronic Cerebrospinal Venous Insufficiency/Obstruction publications came out back in 2009! Mind you the vascular specialists wouldn’t recommend MS patients take immunosuppressants – they’d recommend you treat the vascular disease causing the lesions.
Diagnosed in 2021 at the age of 36 (although I was suffering from unexplained symptoms for at least a decade prior) I felt I received a death sentence right then and there… Dr. Beaver brought me back from the brink of collapse. What a horrible time but I’m here and I’m thankful to him and everyone working to keep me here and well. Thank you 🙏
Go CAR-T!!!
Dr Beaber, please make a video about this.
Thank you! Future videos ideas: antivirals/ antifungals for MS?
Any updates on frexalimab?
I enjoyed seeing my neurologist, hey Dr Hooshmand! He’s an excellent doctor.
Remyelination is the big one for me. Hoping PIPE 307 and Lucid-MS pull through to FDA approval.
Are posters now digital? You don't have to print them out. That is exciting. How 'bout that Musette trial. Not much of a surprise but what was the chatter. Great video!! Loved it
Thanks for sharing what the doctors are most excited about. I heard a lot of references to the prevention/treatment of progression in MS and to me that’s the most important point of MS care. What good is preventing lesions without preventing progression of symptoms?
Awesome, thanks doctor for collecting these opinions for us. Interesting how many are interested in BTK inhibitors.
Exciting MS research focus: myelin repair & neuroprotection! As a patient, I find it fascinating that instead of just managing the immune system, research aims to FIX nerve damage (myelin loss & nerve cell damage). Key areas: finding repair signals, developing drugs (like clemastine & metformin being studied), neuroprotective strategies, & stem cell therapy. Big potential to slow/stop/reverse disability, especially for progressive MS. This new approach beyond just immune control is really promising! I'm just a patient, but I'm staying updated via MS orgs & my doctor.
As a PPMS suffered for 15 years , MS does not excite me !
What I’d love to see in the next five years: (1) Rapid integration of AI-driven diagnostic tools into MRI systems, potentially making contrast agents unnecessary. (2) The first EBV-targeted therapy and vaccine. (3) The first remyelination drug. (4) A much deeper understanding of MS mechanisms.
I liked Dr Esfahari MD talking about better Dx of PIRA.. Thank you Dr B. for sharing, you are my Rock Star in the MS World( cant leave out Dr Boster too:)
I have primary progressive multiple sclerosis ppms or something but my new ms doctor was really good
Aww! Dr. Z.E. was my neurologist until my insurance changed, and after my last visit with her, she changed my dx to SPMS (pira). It’s a source of frustration for my new neurologist (and me, obvs), too!
Thank you for this very informative video, as it provides patients with hope!
Could you please explain the meaning of the central vein sign?
When will BTK be available
Remyelination medication for MS patients in clinical trial! That's the most exciting part about MS treatment. Might solve the problem altogether!
So happy that we are finally looking into the efficaciousness of dietary and lifestyle intervention!
Food is medicine!
LOL. All BS and all supported by BIG PHARMA. Get HSCT in every State in thd US and have insurance cover it.
I am actually excited that multiple organizations have teamed up to share trial results. For instance, Breakthrough T1D (Type 1 Diabetes) partners with Lupus Research Alliance, National Multiple Sclerosis Society. This is a step in the right direction. So for instance, currently there is an ongoing phase 3 trial Frexalimab for RRMS and SPMS. And they have a phase 2 trial for Frexalimab in T1D. Many people who have 1 autoimmune disease tend to have others or are at risk of developing others. There is much to gain if they could take the opportunity to utilize the information from trial participants for dual diseases. What I'm least excited about are more diet trials. I've said in the past, diets are wrong. Healthy eating is right. If people stop eating junk foods & society does better with weaning out all the toxic additives in our food, then everyone regardless of disease will feel better. It isn't going to be a cure or a treatment, just something to aid in disease symptoms. And not everyone can follow specific diets due to other specific disease food restrictions. I think it may be better to do a trial where everyone eats their usual way, records all food and drink like they are in an old weight watcher group, and add notes on what foods made them feel worse and how. And then they can create their own way of healthy eating or alongside a nutrition specialist who specializes in not a specific disease or diet but rather in healthy eating geared to each individual instead. Slow and steady changes will be better accomplished than trying to do a complete food intake change all at once.
Sorry but for us long timers, Remyelination is the big deal…
Thank you!
We need AI because the medical industry has gotten lazy. We have gotten to a point of relying on computers. What have we even learned after all this money and time spent? Medications are clearly STILL the cash cow
Drug$, no thank you
Thank you very much!