When we talk about myelin damage, most of us typically think of the brain. After all, that myelin is located in your central nervous system. But the inflammation that causes myelin damage may be triggered by activity that's taking place well south of your central nervous system, in your gut microbiome, the colony of trillions of bacteria and microorganisms that live in your intestines. 

Dr. Ashutosh Mangalam joins me to help us understand what this gut-brain connection is all about, how that connection impacts MS, and what you can do to change the makeup of your gut microbiome. Dr. Mangalam is an Associate Professor of Pathology at the Carver College of Medicine at the University of Iowa, where his research is focused on studying the gut microbiome and the immune system in multiple sclerosis.

We're also talking about the newly published guidance from the European Committee for Treatment and Research in MS and the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, recommending autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (aHSCT) for treating some cases of relapsing-remitting MS.

We'll tell you about an experimental drug that may resolve MS-related vision issues through remyelination. 

And we'll introduce you to this year's winner of the Barancik Prize for Innovation in MS Research.

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

This Week: The gut-brain connection (and what it means if you're liviing with MS)  :22

The European Committee for Treatment and Research in MS and the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation issue a recommendation for stem cell therapy to treat relapsing-remitting MS  1:35

Researchers develop a drug that may resolve MS-related vision issues through remyelination  4:44

National MS Society names this year's winner of the Barancik Prize for Innovation in MS Research  7:23

Dr. Ashutosh Mangalam explains how (and why) the brain-gut connection impacts MS    11:14

Share this episode  35:38

Have you downloaded the free RealTalk MS app?  35:58

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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

RealTalk MS on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@RealTalkMS

Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis and Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder -- Recommendations from ECTRIMS and EBMT https://www.nature.com/articles/s41582-024-01050-x

National MS Society Releases Recommendations for aHSCT-Bone Marrow Transplant for MS https://nationalmssociety.org/news-and-magazine/news/national-ms-society-releases-recommendations

STUDY: Incomplete Remyelination Via Therapeutically Enhanced Oligodendrogenesis Is Sufficient to Recover Visual Cortical Functionhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-56092-6

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RealTalk MS Episode 388 Guest: Dr. Ashutosh Mangalam

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