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.

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 Vote to Gut Healthcare in America 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

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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

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RealTalk MS Episode 404
Guest: Meredith O'Brien

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