Past Podcast Episodes

Last week, at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting, Dr. Amit Bar-Or received the John Dystel Prize for Multiple Sclerosis Research for his multiple achievements that have advanced our knowledge of neuroimmunology, precision medicine, and biomarkers in MS. We talked with Dr. Bar-Or about how some of the latest discoveries in MS research would impact patient care.

Tolebrutinib, an investigational disease-modifying therapy, is currently making its way through the FDA's regulatory process. Last week, the results of the Phase 3 clinical trials for Tolebrutinib were published, and we're sharing the details.

We'll also tell you about MindGlide, an AI-powered tool for analyzing MRI scans that will significantly reduce MRI exam times.

We're talking about the results of the Phase 3 clinical trial for high-dose Ocrevus.

And we'll tell you about a cell therapy that doesn't use stem cells that successfully repaired myelin in the mouse model of MS — twice!

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

Congratulations to Dr. Stephen Hauser and Dr. Alberto Ascherio  :22

This Week: The impact of breakthrough MS research on MS care  2:17

Results of the phase 3 clinical trials for Tolebrutinib have been published  3:07

An AI-powered tool for analyzing MRI scans will significantly reduce MRI exam times for patients  4:21

Results of the phase 3 clinical trial for high-dose Ocrevus  8:13

A cell therapy that doesn't use stem cells has successfully repaired myelin in the mouse model of MS — twice!  10:14

Dystel Prize winner Dr. Amit Bar-Or discusses how some of the latest discoveries in MS  research will impact MS care  12:39

Share this episode  22:36

Have you downloaded the free RealTalk MS app?  22:56

SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS

Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/397

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
Email: msactivist@nmss.org

RealTalk MS Episode 310: The Face Laughs While The Brain Cries: The Education of a Doctor with Dr. Stephen Hauser
https://realtalkms.com/310

RealTalk MS ECTRIMS Extra: Results from the Phase 3 Clinical Trial for Tolebrutinib and Relapsing-Remitting MS with Dr. Jiwon Oh
https://realtalkms.com/ectrims244

VIDEO: RealTalk MS ECTRIMS Extra: Results from the Phase 3 Clinical Trial for Tolebrutinib and Relapsing-Remitting MS with Dr. Jiwon Oh
https://youtu.be/zcBmAHRTotA

VIDEO: RealTalk MS ECTRIMS Extra: Results from the Phase 3 Clinical Trial for Tolebrutinib and Nonrelapsing Secondary Progressive MS with Dr. Robert Fox
https://youtu.be/tJQ93qdlXrU

STUDY: Tolebrutinib Versus Teriflunomide in Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis
https://nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2415985

STUDY: Tolebrutinib in Nonrelapsing Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis
https://nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2415988

Enabling New Insights from Old Scans By Repurposing Clinical MRI Archives for Multiple Sclerosis Research
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-58274-8

Fibroblast Technology
https://fibrobiologics.com/technology/#cnsms

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 398
Guests: Dr. Amit Bar-Or

 

For many people, it can be difficult to talk about the feelings of loss that can accompany MS. For some, it's the loss of the way they imagined their life would turn out. For others, it's the more specific loss of function. Perhaps the loss of their mobility. Or a decline in their cognitive skills. It's painful to imagine any of these scenarios, let alone experience them in real life.

The human response to loss is grief. And grieving itself can affect your physical, emotional, and cognitive health. Joining me today to discuss how grieving can affect you, along with ways to best manage grief, is Dr. Mary-Frances O'Connor.

Dr. O'Connor is a professor of psychology at the University of Arizona, where she directs the Grief, Loss, and Social Stress Lab, investigating the effects of grief on the brain and the body. Dr. O'Connor also lives with MS, and the title of her new book is The Grieving Body: How the Stress of Loss Can Be an Opportunity for Healing.

We'll also share the results of a study on MS fatigue in Finland.

We'll tell you about a study that focused on sexual dysfunction among women living with MS in Iran.

You'll learn what a research team discovered when they connected sick days from work with the prodromal phase of MS.

And we're sharing a new resource from the MS International Federation that will help you assess which wellness practices and complementary therapies may be beneficial for you.

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

This Week: Managing the grief that comes from living with MS  :22

Results from a Finnish study adds further evidence to what we know about MS fatigue  1:36

Results of a study that focused on sexual dysfunction among women living with MS in Iran  3:13

Can job-related sick days help researchers better understand the prodromal phase of MS?  5:48

The MS International Federation has produced a very worthwhile guide to wellness practices and complementary therapies for people with MS  10:49

Dr. Mary-Frances O'Connor discusses managing the grief that accompanies being diagnosed with MS  12:42

Share this episode  34:02

Have you downloaded the free RealTalk MS app?  34:22

SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS

Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/397

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
Email: msactivist@nmss.org

STUDY: Evaluation of Patient-Perceived Fatigue in Multiple Sclerosis Using the Finnish MS Registry
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/20552173251325098

STUDY: The Prevalence of Sexual Dysfunction and Its Contributors Among the Women with Multiple Sclerosis
https://bmcwomenshealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12905-025-03653-y

STUDY: The Prodromal Phase of Multiple Sclerosis: Evidence from Sickness Absence Patterns Before Disease Onset — A Matched Cohort Study
https://jnnp.bmj.com/content/early/2025/03/25/jnnp-2024-335279.full

STUDY (PLAIN ENGLISH VERSION): The Prodromal Phase of Multiple Sclerosis: Evidence from Sickness Absence Patterns Before Disease Onset — A Matched Cohort Study
https://tremlettsmsresearchexplained.wordpress.com/2025/03/26/the-prodromal-phase-of-multiple-sclerosis-evidence-from-sickness-absence-patterns-before-disease-onset-a-matched-cohort-study-explained

DOWNLOAD: Wellness Practices and Complementary Therapies in MS
https://msif.org/resources/wellness-practices-and-complementary-therapies/

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 397
Guests: Dr. Mary-Frances O'Connor