About MS-Perspektive - The Multiple Sclerosis Podcast
In the MS-Perspektive Podcast, I present my view of multiple sclerosis and show you how you can make the best of the diagnosis. Because a beautiful and fulfilling life is also possible with multiple sclerosis.
Here you will find information and strategies on how you can actively influence your course. In addition, I publish solo articles with my experiences, interview experts and on various topics related to living with MS as well as other affected people. In addition, there are a few episodes that serve the relaxation, positive attitude and stimulation.
#186: Protecting nerve cells in multiple sclerosis: A new path toward neuroprotection with Prof. Manuel Friese
Why can multiple sclerosis progress even when relapses are well controlled? In episode 186, I speak with Prof. Manuel Friese about the next challenge in MS research: protecting nerve cells from damage and preserving function over time.
Read the full interview on my blog: https://ms-perspektive.de/en/186-manuel-friese/
Manuel is a neurologist and clinician scientist who directs the Institute of Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis in Hamburg. His team's research explores why some nerve cells withstand inflammation while others degenerate. One unexpected finding was a protective role for complement factor H inside neurons, beyond its familiar role in regulating the immune system.
We discuss how smoldering inflammation can keep nerve cells under stress, why oxidative damage matters and how ferroptosis, an iron-dependent form of cell death, fits into the picture. Manuel explains possible ways to strengthen the cells' own defenses and why getting a promising mechanism into a treatment remains a major challenge.
We also talk about alpha-lipoic acid, the Octopus trial and the importance of careful clinical testing. Early research signals can be encouraging, but they do not yet prove that a treatment safely slows disability progression.
Table of contents
Opening & introduction
Understanding neurodegeneration in MS
The new discovery: Complement factor H
From discovery to potential therapy
The bigger picture: Protecting the brain in progressive MS
Looking ahead
Closing
Introduction: Who is Prof. Manuel Friese?
Prof. Manuel Friese: I'm a clinician scientist based in Hamburg, Germany, and I direct an institute for neuroimmunology and multiple sclerosis. The main focus of my research nowadays is to understand why progression in MS happens. That is also why we want to understand in much more depth how nerve cells react to inflammation. It is not so much about how inflammation occurs in the central nervous system. I think we have a fairly good understanding of that, but we still have not understood why neurons die.
This extract has been edited for readability.
Links and resources
INIMS: follow the team's research (https://www.inims.de/)
Prof. Manuel Friese's UKE profile
Study: Intracellular complement factor H protects neurons during CNS inflammation, Nature, 2026
Related paper: STING orchestrates the neuronal inflammatory stress response in multiple sclerosis (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38878778/)
Octopus interim results: alpha-lipoic acid moves to the next stage
Octopus trial information
Manuel Friese's research post on LinkedIn
Related episodes
#146: Chronic smoldering inflammation in MS with Dr. Klarissa Stürner (https://ms-perspektive.de/en/146-dr-stuerner/)
#148: Recognizing silent progression in MS with Prof. Heinz Wiendl (https://ms-perspektive.de/en/148-heinz-wiendl/)
#050: The future of MS treatment with Prof. Tjalf Ziemssen (https://ms-perspektive.de/en/50-tjalf-ziemssen/)
Time stamps
00:32 Episode introduction
00:45 Opening & introduction
03:39 Understanding neurodegeneration in MS
15:14 The new discovery: Complement factor H
25:36 From discovery to potential therapy
31:55 The bigger picture: Protecting the brain in progressive MS
37:35 Looking ahead
39:41 Closing
41:11 Where to follow Manuel's research
42:02 Next episode and farewell
The contents are for information and do not replace individual medical advice.
See you soon and try to make the best out of your life,
Nele
For more information and positive thoughts, subscribe to my newsletter for free (https://ms-perspektive.de/en/newsletter/).
Click here for an overview of all podcast episodes published so far.
30 Sept 2026
#185: Living with MS in Mexico – who gets diagnosed, who gets treated, and who gets left behind?
An MS diagnosis can depend on where you live, whether you can reach a neurologist and how quickly you can get an MRI. In this episode, Nele speaks with neurologist and neuroimmunologist Dr. Enrique Gomez Figueroa about the gaps in MS care across Mexico. Enrique explains why official case numbers may miss people, what delays diagnosis and why access to an effective treatment can require a lengthy approval process. He also shares what research on switching therapies can tell us—and why listening to people with MS is essential.
In this episode:
Why MS may be underdiagnosed in parts of Mexico
Barriers to diagnosis and distinguishing MS from NMOSD and MOGAD
Differences between treatments available on paper and in practice
When moving to a more effective therapy may be needed
How research, patient voices and advocacy can improve access
Links and resources
Read the full interview and blog post – https://ms-perspektive.de/185-ms-in-mexico/ (https://ms-perspektive.de/185-ms-in-mexico/)
Atlas of MS: Mexico factsheet
Enrique Gomez Figueroa's publications on PubMed
Enrique Gomez Figueroa on LinkedIn
MSBase study comparing treatment switches — einschließlich des Wechsels zu einer wirksameren Therapie
MEXCTRIMS guideline: part I and part II
2024 revisions to the McDonald diagnostic criteria
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See you soon and try to make the best out of your life,
Nele
For more information and positive thoughts, subscribe to my newsletter for free.
Click here for an overview of all podcast episodes published so far.
23 Sept 2026
#184: MS treatment across the disease course – treat early, think long-term, don't give up too soon with Prof. Klaus Schmierer
Read the full blog post and interview here:
https://ms-perspektive.de/en/184-klaus-schmierer/
How early should MS treatment start, how strongly should we treat, and is there ever a point when it becomes "too late" to protect meaningful function?
In this episode, I speak with Prof. Klaus Schmierer, Professor of Neurology at Queen Mary University of London and honorary consultant neurologist at Barts Health NHS Trust, about MS treatment across the entire disease course. We look at the very beginning of MS, different treatment strategies, advanced disability, and the question of what can still be preserved at each stage.
In this episode, we discuss:
why MS treatment should start as early as possible once the diagnosis is sufficiently secure
why diagnostic accuracy remains essential, especially when MRI findings can be misleading
what the AttackMS trial is investigating with very early high-efficacy treatment
why the traditional escalation approach may sometimes allow avoidable damage to occur
the difference between continuous treatment and immune reconstitution
for whom immune reconstitution approaches may be particularly suitable
how to balance treatment risks against the risks of insufficiently controlled MS
why "mild MS" is difficult to predict reliably in an individual person
why people with advanced disability are still underrepresented in MS trials
what ChariotMS is investigating in people with advanced MS
why arm and hand function can be crucial for independence even when walking is already severely limited
why a high EDSS score alone should not automatically be a reason to stop disease-modifying treatment
whether there may be several different treatment windows across the disease course
which developments Klaus would like to see in the next five years, including better biomarkers, neuroprotection, repair and more equitable access to treatment
Klaus' key message is: treat early, think long-term and don't give up too soon.
Links & resources
Full blog post and interview:
https://ms-perspektive.de/en/184-klaus-schmierer/
AttackMS – how early should we use highly effective DMTs?
MS Society UK:
https://www.mssociety.org.uk/research/latest-research/research-blog/attackms-how-early-should-we-use-highly-effective-dmts
ChariotMS – can cladribine slow worsening in advanced MS?
MS Society UK:
https://www.mssociety.org.uk/research/explore-our-research/search-our-research-projects/chariotms-can-cladribine-slow-worsening
#002: How can a rapid and clear MS diagnosis be made?
https://ms-perspektive.de/en/002-diagnosis/
#179: Multiple sclerosis without the noise – Dominic Shadbolt
https://ms-perspektive.de/en/179-dominic-shadbolt/
#125: The MS Brain Health Strategy with Prof. Barbara Willekens
https://ms-perspektive.de/en/125-barbara-willekens/
#040: Autologous stem cell therapy (aHSCT) in MS with Prof. Roland Martin
https://ms-perspektive.de/en/40-ahsct-roland-martin/
#049: CogeX study insights for progressive MS with Prof. Anthony Feinstein
https://ms-perspektive.de/en/049-cogex-anthony-feinstein/
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See you soon and try to make the best out of your life,
Nele
For more information and positive thoughts, subscribe to my newsletter for free.
Click here for an overview of all podcast episodes published so far.
Who has been a guest on MS-Perspektive - The Multiple Sclerosis Podcast
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Susanne Melanie Schmid
Luigi Azzarone
Non Helena M Smit
Dr Sanja Gluscevic
Dr Franz-Werner Dippel
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 62 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
100
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
60
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