Episode 388: Understanding Gut Health and MS with Dr. Ashutosh Mangalam

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 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/388 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: [email protected] 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 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 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 Deviceshttps://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 388 Guest: Dr. Ashutosh Mangalam Privacy Policy