RealTalk MS

Past Podcast Episodes

Episode 452: Why Natural Myelin Repair Stops Working for People with MS (And How It Could Be Re-Started!) with Dr. Larry Sherman


Myelin repair is a natural function. But, for people living with MS, that ability to repair myelin eventually stops working. New research led by my guest, Dr. Larry Sherman, may explain why that happens and point to new possibilities for future myelin repair treatments.

Dr. Larry Sherman

Dr. Sherman is a professor at the Oregon National Primate Research Center at Oregon Health & Science University, and his research focuses on how the brain and spinal cord respond to injury and disease, particularly in demyelinating conditions such as multiple sclerosis.

We're also sharing some potentially good news for people living with non-relapsing secondary progressive MS in Europe, but not in the United States.

We'll give you the details about an experimental drug that's just been submitted to the FDA and EMA for approval for treating relapsing forms of MS and primary progressive MS.

We'll share the results of a study that focused on the impact of a cancer diagnosis on MS care.

We'll tell you how Fernando Mendoza celebrated being named the #1 pick in this year's NFL draft.

And we're sharing news about a new AI tool for your doctor.

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

This Week: Why myelin repair stops working for people living with MS  :22

EMA's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use recommends approval of Tolebrutinib   1:35

Roche submits Fenebrutinib for FDA and EMA approval  4:45

Study results show the effect of a cancer diagnosis on MS care  6:13

The first pick in the 2026 NFL draft, Fernando Mendoza, partners with the National MS Society to launch the Mendoza Family Fund  9:43

OpenAI launches ChatGPT for Clinicians  10:56

Dr. Larry Sherman discusses why myelin repair stops working for people with MS, and how his team may have found a way to restart it  14:37

Share this episode  27:59

Next week  28:19

SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS

Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/452

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 at www.RealTalkMS.com

LISTEN: RealTalk MS Episode 440: An MS Specialist Responds to the FDA with Dr. William Conte
https://realtalkms.com/440

STUDY: Impact of Cancer on Multiple Sclerosis-Related Healthcare and Disease-Modifying Drug Use: A Multinational Cohort Study
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13524585261437966

STUDY (Plain English Version): Impact of Cancer on Multiple Sclerosis-Related Healthcare and Disease-Modifying Drug Use: A Multinational Cohort Study
https://tremlettsmsresearchexplained.wordpress.com/2026/04/23/impact-of-cancer-on-multiple-sclerosis-related-healthcare-and-disease-modifying-drug-use-a-multinational-cohort-study-explained

DONATE: The Mendoza Family Fund (in Partnership with the National MS Society)
https://nationalmssociety.org/how-you-can-help/ways-to-give/mendoza

LEARN MORE: ChatGPT For Clinicians
https://chatgpt.com/plans/clinicians

AbleNOW
https://ablenow.com

JOIN: The RealTalk MS Facebook Group
https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms

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

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

RealTalk MS Episode 452
Guest: Dr. Larry Sherman

 

Episode 451: Meet the 2026 Winner of the John Dystel Prize for MS Research with Dr. Ludwig Kappos


The annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology is underway in Chicago this week, and one of the highlights is the presentation of the John Dystel Prize for Research in Multiple Sclerosis, awarded jointly by the National MS Society and the American Academy of Neurology.

This year's winner of the Dystel Prize is Dr. Ludwig Kappos, a physician-scientist at the University Hospital Basel in Basel, Switzerland, and the director of the Research Center for Clinical Neuroimmunology and Neuroscience Basel.

Dr. Ludwig Kappos

Dr. Kappos has played a major role in how clinical trials in MS are conducted. He helped establish the Expanded Disability Status Scale, or EDSS, which is the gold standard for measuring disability in people with MS, and Dr. Kappos and his team have advanced our current understanding of a key driver of disability in MS, known as progression independent of relapse activity, or PIRA. 

Dr. Kappos will be delivering the Dystel Prize lecture at the American Academy of Neurology meeting this week, and he's joining us to share a preview of that lecture in a conversation you won't want to miss.

We're also sharing news about a blood test used to monitor MS disease activity that has just been approved by the European Union.

We'll give you the details of a study focused on whether disease-modifying therapies can impact neurodevelopmental birth defects in children born to mothers with MS.

We'll explain why yaks and Tibetan antelope may have opened a door to neuroprotection and myelin repair for people living with MS.

And we'll tell you where healthcare providers and patients may differ when it comes to defining high-quality MS care.

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

This Week: The John Dystel Prize for Multiple Sclerosis Research is awarded  :22

A blood test to monitor MS disease activity is approved by the EU  2:28

Researchers determine whether disease-modifying therapies have an impact on neurodevelopmental birth defects among children born to mothers with MS  4:21

Researchers studying yaks and Tibetan antelope may have uncovered a pathway to neuroprotection and even myelin repair  7:24

Healthcare providers and people living with MS share their perspectives on what needs improvement in delivering high-quality MS care  10:01

Dr. Ludwig Kappos reflects on how MS clinical trials need to change  13:33

Share this episode  30:58

Next week  31:19

SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS

Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/451

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 at www.RealTalkMS.com

STUDY: Association of Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Congenital Anomalies with Prenatal Multiple Sclerosis Treatment: Real World Historial Cohort Study
https://ascpt.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cpt.70235

STUDY: A Gain-of-Function Retstat Variant from High-Altitude Adaptation Promotes Myelination Via a Neuronal Dihydroretinoic Acid-RXR-Y Pathway
https://www.cell.com/neuron/fulltext/S0896-6273(26)00013-9

ARTICLE: Areas for Improvement for High-Quality Multiple Sclerosis Care: Insights from Interviews with People with Multiple Sclerosis, Providers, and Clinical Educators
https://sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1936657426000300

AbleNOW
https://ablenow.com

JOIN: The RealTalk MS Facebook Group
https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms

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

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

RealTalk MS Episode 451
Guest: Dr. Ludwig Kappos