RealTalk MS

Jan Janisch-Hanzlik was the first MS patient to receive CAR T-cell therapy as part of a clinical trial. We met Jan last year, in episode 424 of RealTalk MS, when she gave us a first-hand report on how she was responding to this treatment.








  



This week, Jan is back with an update on how she's responding to CAR T-cell therapy one year later.
We're just two weeks away from the U.S. midterm elections. We're sharing some resources that will help you get ready to vote.
And we'll remind you that MSToronto 2026 begins tomorrow, and you still have time to register for Patient Community Day.
We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??!

This Week:  An update one year after receiving CAR T-cell therapy  :22
Some homework to help get you ready to vote in the U.S. midterm elections   2:44
Jan Janisch-Hanzlik shares an update one year after receiving CAR T-cell therapy to treat her MS   6:37
Share this episode  28:11
Have you downloaded the RealTalk MS app?  28:31
Next week  29:12

SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS
Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/477
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: jon@realtalkms.com
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 at www.RealTalkMS.com
DOWNLOAD: The RealTalk MS App
iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/realtalk-ms/id6769516594
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.realtalkms.app&pcampaignid=web_share
REGISTER: ECTRIMS Patient Community Day 2026
https://ectrimspatientcommunity.eu

WATCH: National MS Society Webinar -- MS Advocacy in Action: What the 2026 Elections Could Mean for Healthcare Policy and Access to Care
https://youtube.com/watch?v=7AHyGKuRxvw
VISIT: The Congressional Health Care Access Report Card
https:/realtalkms.com/congressional-healthcare-access-report-card/

LISTEN: RealTalk MS Episode 424: I'm a Participant in a Clinical Trial for CAR T-Cell Therapy and MS with Jan Janisch-Hanzlik
https://realtalkms.com/424
JOIN: The RealTalk MS Facebook Group
https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms
REVIEW: Give RealTalk MS a rating and review
http://www.realtalkms.com/review

Follow RealTalk MS on X, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com.
RealTalk MS Episode 477
Guest: Jan Janisch-Hanzlik
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What happens when you're diagnosed with a chronic, unpredictable condition just as your career is taking off? That's exactly what happened to my guest, Dana Foote.  



This week, Dana joins us to share her journey from hiding her MS diagnosis as a young auditor at one of the largest accounting organizations in the world to becoming National Managing Partner for Audit & Assurance Operations and a leader in the MS community.
We'll also update you on the status of a disease-modifying therapy that has been submitted to the FDA for review as a potential treatment for relapsing MS and primary progressive MS.
We're sharing details of the National MS Society's recent $8.9 million investment to support 15 cutting-edge research projects.
We'll tell you about a study that shows physical therapy can produce confirmed disability improvement for people living with MS.
And we'll remind you that with MSToronto 2026 just one week away, you can still register for Patient Community Day.
We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??!

This Week:  Managing MS in a demanding, high-stakes work environment  :22
The FDA grants fenebrutinib Priority Review status   1:22
The National MS Society announced $8.9 million in new research investments   4:53
A study shows ongoing physical therapy can lead to confirmed disability improvement   9:12
We're one week away from MSToronto 2026. Will you be part of Patient Community Day?  13:40
Dana Foote shares her corporate journey from a young auditor diagnosed with MS to National Managing Partner for Audit & Assurance Operations at KPMG US   15:40
Share this episode  33:20
Have you downloaded the RealTalk MS app?  33:36
Next week  34:21

SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS
Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/476
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: jon@realtalkms.com
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 at www.RealTalkMS.com
DOWNLOAD: The RealTalk MS App
iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/realtalk-ms/id6769516594
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.realtalkms.app&pcampaignid=web_share
REGISTER: ECTRIMS Patient Community Day 2026
https://ectrimspatientcommunity.eu

RealTalk MS Episode 461: A New Disease-Modifying Therapy Has Been Submitted for FDA Approval with Dr. Jiwon Oh
https://realtalkms.com/461
STUDY: Physiotherapy and Confirmed Disability Improvement in People with Multiple Sclerosis
https://msard-journal.com/article/S2211-0348(26)00949-1/fulltext
JOIN: The RealTalk MS Facebook Group
https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms
REVIEW: Give RealTalk MS a rating and review
http://www.realtalkms.com/review

Follow RealTalk MS on X, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com.
RealTalk MS Episode 476
Guest: Dana Foote
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Whether it's walking into a room and blanking on why you're there, struggling to pull up a word that's right on the tip of your tongue, or losing track of daily tasks, cognitive fatigue and brain fog can turn simple routines into exhausting hurdles.
What makes cognitive changes particularly challenging is their invisibility. They don't show up on a routine check-in like mobility issues do. Family members might misread them as distraction. Employers might see them as disengagement. And all too often, clinicians don't have immediate, actionable tools to offer beyond standard advice.



This week, we're talking with Dr. Elizabeth Gromisch, a research neuropsychologist at the Mandell Center for Comprehensive Multiple Sclerosis Care and Neuroscience Research at Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut. Dr. Gromisch's work focuses on moving beyond the diagnostic label to give people real, evidence-based compensatory tools.
We're discussing the science of prospective memory—remembering to perform planned actions in the future—and exploring how smart digital tools, strategic daily systems, and patient empowerment can help you take control and maintain your independence.
We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??!

This Week:  New tools and strategies for managing and even improving MS-related cognitive changes  :22
We're less than 3 weeks away from MS Toronto 2026 Patient Community Day! Have you registered yet?  1:23
Dr. Elizabeth Gromisch shares a preview of new digital tools to measure and manage MS-related cogntive changes   2:19
Share this episode  28:39
Download the RealTalk MS app  28:58
Next week  29:42

SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS
Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/475
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: jon@realtalkms.com
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 at www.RealTalkMS.com
REGISTER: ECTRIMS Patient Community Day 2026
https://ectrimspatientcommunity.eu

DOWNLOAD: The New RealTalk MS App
iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/realtalk-ms/id6769516594
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.realtalkms.app&pcampaignid=web_share
JOIN: The RealTalk MS Facebook Group
https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms
REVIEW: Give RealTalk MS a rating and review
http://www.realtalkms.com/review

Follow RealTalk MS on X, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com.
RealTalk MS Episode 475
Guest: Dr. Elizabeth Gromisch
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Most people don't think about home accessibility until mobility changes force the conversation. But what if you decide to take control of the unknown and design your living space for whatever the future might bring?



My guest, Sarah Timmerman, explains how she took total control of her future by designing and building what she calls The House That MS Built—a home engineered from the foundation up to future-proof her independence through smart, universal design and relentless self-advocacy. 
We'll also tell you about a research team that identified 4 biomarkers that, together, can help a neurologist understand whether a stem cell therapy is working for their patient weeks before that patient returns to the clinic.
We're sharing results of a trial that answered the question, "Can diet actually change what's happening at the cellular level inside the brain?" You'll want to hear these results!
And we'll tell you about a research team that has developed a derivative of an HIV medication that restored mobility and vision to mice with the mouse version of MS. 
We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??!

This Week:  The House that MS Built  :22
Have you downloaded the new RealTalk MS app for your iOS or Android device?   1:16
Researchers at Tisch Multiple Sclerosis Research Center of New York identify 4 biomarkers that can help physicians track the response to stem cell therapy in people living with progressive MS   2:01
New research identifies how gut health can lead to nerve cell damage in MS   4:49
Repurposed HIV medication restores lost function in the mouse model of MS  8:48
Sarah Timmerman shares her story and explains how relentless self-advocacy became the foundation for the House that MS Built  12:55
Share this episode  24:09
Next week  24:29

SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS
Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/474
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: jon@realtalkms.com
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 at www.RealTalkMS.com
DOWNLOAD: The RealTalk MS App
iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/realtalk-ms/id6769516594
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.realtalkms.app&pcampaignid=web_share
REGISTER: ECTRIMS Patient Community Day 2026
https://ectrimspatientcommunity.eu

STUDY: Effect of Intrathecal Injection of Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Neural Progenitors on Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers in Progressive Multiple Sclerosis
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13585449
STUDY: High-Fat Diet Promotes T-Cell Mediated Synaptic Dysfunction in Multiple Sclerosis
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12974-026-04049-x
STUDY: The Nucleoside Analog Kamuvudine-9 Shows Protective and Therapeutic Efficacy in a Mouse Model of Multiple Sclerosis
https://science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.aei2870
JOIN: The RealTalk MS Facebook Group
https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms
REVIEW: Give RealTalk MS a rating and review
http://www.realtalkms.com/review

Follow RealTalk MS on X, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com.
RealTalk MS Episode 474
Guest: Sarah Timmerman
Privacy Policy

RealTalk MS is celebrating our ninth anniversary, and we're marking the milestone with a special guest! Dr. Tim Coetzee, President and CEO of the National MS Society, returns to the show for a candid, forward-looking conversation about why today represents one of the most promising moments for advancing MS research and transforming clinical care.



We're taking a hard look at the game-changers on the horizon: what it will take to shorten the diagnostic journey from years down to mere hours, why it's time to retire outdated disease labels in favor of true precision medicine, and the surprising science behind testing GLP-1s for neuroprotection.
From unlocking massive clinical data sets to fighting for research dollars on Capitol Hill, Tim pulls back the curtain on the Society's strategic plan to end MS once and for all. Pop in your earbuds and join us in celebrating nine years of community and conversation!
We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??!

This Week:  Dr. Tim Coetzee briefs us on the National MS Society's strategic priorities and shares his vision of the future of MS care  :18
Download the new RealTalk MS app for your iOS and Android smartphone and tablet  1:56
We gave the RealTalk MS website a glow-up!   2:37
Check your congressional representative's grade in the Congressional Healthcare Access Report Card  3:07
Dr. Tim Coetzee discusses the MS Society's strategic priorities and shares his vision of the future of MS care  3:46
Share this episode  37:04
Next week  37:24

SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS
Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/473
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: jon@realtalkms.com
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 at www.RealTalkMS.com
REGISTER: ECTRIMS Patient Community Day 2026
https://ectrimspatientcommunity.eu

DOWNLOAD: The New RealTalk MS App
iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/realtalk-ms/id6769516594
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.realtalkms.app&pcampaignid=web_share
JOIN: The RealTalk MS Facebook Group
https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms
REVIEW: Give RealTalk MS a rating and review
http://www.realtalkms.com/review

Follow RealTalk MS on X, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com.
RealTalk MS Episode 473
Guest: Dr. Tim Coetzee
Privacy Policy