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Past Podcast Episodes

Episode 404: World MS Day 2025 with Meredith O’Brien


Every five minutes, someone somewhere in the world is diagnosed with MS. But getting that diagnosis can be challenging. And the evidence is clear that early intervention makes a difference. The sooner someone can begin a disease-modifying therapy, the better their outcome is going to be.

World MS Day is May 30th, and this year, World MS Day is focused on eliminating the obstacles that get in the way of a timely and accurate diagnosis.

Uncomfortably Numb 2

I thought World MS Day would be the perfect time to invite Meredith O'Brien to join me to discuss her new book, Uncomfortably Numb 2: An Anthology for Newly-Diagnosed MS Patients.

We'll also explain how the drastic cuts to Medicaid funding that were approved by the U.S. House of Representatives will affect hundreds of thousands of people with MS, and how the additional changes made to the Affordable Care Act will leave millions of Americans without health insurance.

We're sharing the results of a study that may have identified how B-cells infected by the Epstein-Barr Virus migrate into the brain. And we'll explain why that could be the activity that triggers MS.

We'll tell you about a study that makes the case for treating pediatric MS with Ocrevus.

And we'll share the results of a study that discovered an association between inflammation-causing molecules and frailty among people with relapsing forms of MS.

We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??!


This Week: World MS Day   :22

U.S. House of Representatives Votes to Gut Healthcare for millions of Americans  2:29

Get involved! Become an MS Activist today!  3:38

A research team has demonstrated how EBV-infected B-cells migrate to the brain  4:28

Researchers demonstrate the efficacy of Ocrevus in treating pediatric MS  7:13

Researchers show an association between frailty and an inflammatory molecule  8:57

Meredith O'Brien discusses her new book, Uncomfortably Numb 2: An Anthology for Newly-Diagnosed MS Patients  11:05

Share this episode  24:51

Have you downloaded the free RealTalk MS app?  25:12


SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS

Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/404

ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION

I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts!

Email: jon@realtalkms.com
Phone: (310) 526-2283

And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group!


LINKS

If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com

Become an MS Activist
Web: https://nationalmssociety.org/advocacy

World MS Day
https://worldmsday.org

Uncomfortably Numb 2: An Anthology for Newly-Diagnosed MS Patients
https://amazon.com/Uncomfortably-Numb-Anthology-Newly-Diagnosed-Patients/dp/1954332580/ref=sr_1_1

STUDY: Epstein-Barr Virus Induces Aberrant B Cell Migration and Diapedesis Via FAK-Dependent Chemotaxis Pathways
https://nature.com/articles/s41467-025-59813-z

STUDY: Ocrelizumab for Relapsing Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis
https://sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/s2211034825002810

STUDY: Association Between Frailty and Inflammatory Cytokines in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis: A Case-Control Study
https://sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/s1043466625000924

Join the RealTalk MS Facebook Group
https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms

Download the RealTalk MS App for iOS Devices
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/realtalk-ms/id1436917200

Download the RealTalk MS App for Android Devices
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tv.wizzard.android.realtalk

Give RealTalk MS a rating and review
http://www.realtalkms.com/review


Follow RealTalk MS on Twitter, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com.

RealTalk MS Episode 404
Guest: Meredith O'Brien

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Episode 403: Moving Toward a Biologically Based Description of MS with Dr. Bruce Bebo, Dr. Daniel Ontaneda, and Kathy Smith


Last week, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis convened a meeting in Dublin, Ireland, to dive deeper into what a new framework for describing MS might look like.

There's still a tremendous amount of work to be done here. But, considering that whatever language is eventually adopted will affect every person living with MS, I want to keep you fully informed on this important work. So I'm devoting this entire episode of the podcast to sharing conversations I had with three of the attendees at the meeting in Dublin.

Welcome to Dublin

First, you'll hear from Dr. Bruce Bebo, the National MS Society's Executive Vice President of Research. Then, you'll hear from Dr. Daniel Ontaneda, a neurologist specializing in MS at the Cleveland Clinic, and, finally, you'll hear from Kathy Smith, who's lived with MS for the past 20 years.

As you listen to these conversations, I think you'll hear three slightly different perspectives, but you'll also hear some of the broad concepts and ideas around which there was a high level of agreement at our meeting.

We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??!


This Week: A meeting to discuss moving to a biologically based description of MS  :22

Dr. Bruce Bebo discusses how a new framework for describing MS could impact MS research and people living with MS  3:45

Dr. Daniel Ontaneda describes some of the shortcomings of the current MS course descriptors and discusses how a new framework for describing MS could impact   people living with MS  17:34

Kathy Smith explains how current MS course descriptors fail to fully capture her experience as someone living with MS, and explains how new course descriptors could benefit people living with MS  26:24

What's next in the work to develop new course descriptors for MS  35:20

Share this episode  35:44

Have you downloaded the free RealTalk MS app?  36:03


SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS

Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/403

ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION

I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts!

Email: jon@realtalkms.com
Phone: (310) 526-2283

And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group!


LINKS

If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com

RealTalk MS Episode 279: A New Framework for Researching, Diagnosing, and Treating MS with Professor Tanja Kuhlmann
https://realtalkms.com/279

RealTalk MS Episode 280: How the Proposed Framework for Diagnosing and Treating MS Will Affect You with Dr. Tim Coetzee
https://realtalkms.com/280

Join the RealTalk MS Facebook Group
https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms

Download the RealTalk MS App for iOS Devices
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/realtalk-ms/id1436917200

Download the RealTalk MS App for Android Devices
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tv.wizzard.android.realtalk

Give RealTalk MS a rating and review
http://www.realtalkms.com/review


Follow RealTalk MS on Twitter, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com.

RealTalk MS Episode 403
Guests: Dr. Bruce Bebo, Dr. Daniel Ontaneda, Kathy Smith

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Filed Under: Uncategorized

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