MSNEWS
Ketogenic Diet
Alters Immune Function And Metabolism In People With MS
Dietary changes may influence the immune system in people with multiple sclerosis( MS). Researchers at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Virginia investigated how a ketogenic-style diet, known as the Modified Atkins Diet( MAD), affects immune activity and metabolism in people with relapsing MS. MAD is a highfat, low-carbohydrate eating plan that limits carbs to under 20 grams per day while allowing more flexibility than a traditional ketogenic diet.
Thirty-nine participants followed MAD for six months as part of a previously published clinical study. Blood samples taken before and after the diet were analyzed using advanced techniques to measure immune and metabolic markers.
Results showed that MAD helped lower harmful inflammation in the body. It reduced the activity of immune cells that cause damage and boosted cells that help keep the immune system in balance. This shift made the immune system behave in a calmer, more“ resting” state. Researchers also found that certain inflammationrelated proteins in the blood, like interleukin-6, dropped to healthier levels.
In addition to immune changes, MAD also altered cellular metabolism. Immune cells showed a shift from relying on glycolysis( sugar metabolism) to fatty acid oxidation. This was confirmed by decreases in glycolysis byproducts like lactate and increases in fat-based energy markers such as acetylcarnitine.
These findings support the idea that ketogenic diets like MAD might reduce inflammation and change immune function in MS. However, the relevance of these findings to the course of MS over time is unknown. The study authors recommend further large-scale trials to explore how dietary strategies might complement existing MS treatments.
Godfrey W, Moreau GB, Lehner-Gulotta D, Fitzgerald K, Brenton J, Kornberg MD.“ A Six-month Ketogenic Diet Alters the Immune and Metabolic Landscape in Multiple Sclerosis.” ACTRIMS 2025.
New Treatment Slows Disability Progression In Progressive MS
For people with non-relapsing secondary progressive multiple sclerosis( SPMS), treatment options are extremely limited. A new international clinical trial tested tolebrutinib, an oral drug designed to reach the brain and target immune cells involved in chronic inflammation.
More than 1,100 participants with SPMS and no recent relapses were randomly assigned to receive either tolebrutinib or a placebo once daily. The trial lasted over two-and-a-half years, with researchers tracking changes in disability and brain inflammation.
The main finding was that 30.7 % of participants on placebo experienced confirmed disability worsening( sustained
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