Latest Multiple Sclerosis News

As MSRC reported in April - Caffeine could protect against multiple sclerosis

feeds@yuku.com (squiffy2) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 08:50:58 GMT

As we at MSRC reported in April, and updated now by the rest of the media.........

Caffeine, equivalent to six to eight cups of coffee consumed by a human in a day, could possibly help protect people against multiple sclerosis
(MS); a study on mice has shown.

Researchers at Cornell University showed that giving mice the equivalent of six to eight cups of coffee a day protected them against experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), the animal model of...

Positive effects of a physical activity program for multiple sclerosis patients with fatigue

feeds@yuku.com (squiffy2) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:13:27 GMT

According to recent research published in the journal Neurorehabilitation, "Fatigue is a common and disabling symptom of multiple sclerosis (MS)....

Mitochondrial defects in acute multiple sclerosis lesions

feeds@yuku.com (squiffy2) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 08:53:40 GMT

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease, which leads to focal plaques of demyelination and tissue injury in the CNS.

The structural and immunopathological patterns of demyelination suggest that different immune mechanisms may be involved in tissue damage.

In a subtype of lesions, which are mainly found in patients with acute fulminant multiple sclerosis with Balo's type concentric sclerosis and in a subset of early relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis,...

Possibility of distinct types of disease in Multiple sclerosis patients with same symptoms

feeds@yuku.com (squiffy2) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 07:11:58 GMT
Results raise prospects for tailoring treatments for patients with MS.
Animal studies by University of Michigan scientists suggest that people who experience the same clinical symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) may have different forms of the disease that require different kinds of treatment.

...

Tysabri for Multiple Sclerosis subsidised in Australia from July

feeds@yuku.com (squiffy2) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 07:34:29 GMT

An expensive drug that slows the progression of multiple sclerosis is one of several blockbuster medications to be subsidised for Australians from Tuesday.

About 2,300 people are expected to start using Tysabri to treat their condition in the first year of its listing on the Pharmaceutical Benefits...

Adult stem cells reprogrammed in the brain, hopes for diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis

feeds@yuku.com (squiffy2) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 07:04:16 GMT
In recent years, stem cell researchers have become very adept at manipulating the fate of adult stem cells cultured in the lab. Now, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies achieved the same feat with adult neural stem cells still in place in the brain.
They successfully coaxed mouse brain stem cells...

Multiple Sclerosis patients to get personal NHS budgets

feeds@yuku.com (squiffy2) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 06:41:12 GMT
Patients with conditions like multiple sclerosis and motor neurone disease will have their own NHS budgets to buy the care they think is best for them.
The personalised NHS budgets will be piloted by 5,000 patients from early next year, under the NHS Next Stage Review.

It is unlikely the patients will be handed the cash, rather the funds will be managed on their behalf and no patients will be forced to take part.

There will also be safeguards so patients do not worry that...

NHS Review to be published

feeds@yuku.com (LauraMSRC) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:39:20 GMT

NHS review to be published

Updated 10.45 Mon Jun 30 2008

A review of the National Health Service will suggest ways to speed up the approval of drugs and end the postcode lottery of medicine provision.

The review by the health minister and surgeon Lord Darzi has been described as a "bold vision" by Gordon Brown, who admitted it would need serious commitment from the Government to realise.

Multiple Sclerosis patients may be at higher risk for Restless Legs Syndrome

feeds@yuku.com (squiffy2) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 07:38:44 GMT

People with multiple sclerosis are at a greater risk than the general population for developing restless legs syndrome (RLS), a new Italian study suggests.

"This is important, because RLS is one of the symptoms that can seriously affect an MS patient's

ATL/TV1102 reduces disease activity in multiple sclerosis patients

feeds@yuku.com (squiffy2) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 07:04:55 GMT
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and Antisense Therapeutics Ltd. announced that anti-sense drug, ATL/TV1102, significantly reduced disease activity in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

The companies noted that their Phase IIa study met its primary endpoint showing a significant reduction by...

Cannabis may help ease nerve pain

feeds@yuku.com (squiffy2) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:29:43 GMT
Smoking marijuana can cut pain intensity in patients with nerve pain, a new study by University of California Davis has revealed.
In the study involving thirty-eight patients, researchers examined whether marijuana produces analgesia for patients with neuropathic pain. The subjects were given either high-dose (7 per cent), low-dose...

Oral Cannabis Found Ineffective for Acute Pain

feeds@yuku.com (squiffy2) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:44:41 GMT

Oral cannabis does not significantly reduce acute pain, and might actually enhance sensitivity to it, a small crossover study showed.

When heat was applied to a burn artificially induced by ultraviolet light, or the site of an intradermal injection of capsaicin, pain responses were similar for 18 women whether they took oral cannabis or placebo, Birgit Kraft, M.D., of the Medical University of Vienna, and colleagues reported in the July issue of Anesthesiology.

In...

A first stage genome-wide screen for regions shared identical-by-descent in Hutterite families with multiple sclerosis

feeds@yuku.com (squiffy2) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 11:00:31 GMT

The complexity of multiple sclerosis (MS) genetics has made the search for novel genes using traditional sharing methods problematic.

In order to minimize the genetic heterogeneity present in the MS population we have screened the Canadian MS population for individuals belonging to the Hutterite Brethren.

Seven Hutterites with clinically definite MS were ascertained and are related to a common founder by eight generations. Six of the 7 affected individuals and 21 of their...

Ancient Retrovirus May Contribute to Multiple Sclerosis

feeds@yuku.com (squiffy2) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 17:09:02 GMT
Smoldering Infections of Two Common Viruses EBV and HHV-6 Cause Inherited Retrovirus Genes to Activate.
Brigitte Huber, PhD, of the Tufts University School of Medicine, presented evidence at a medical conference that suggested that a reactivated ancient retrovirus embedded in the human genome may be active in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Danish scientists at the same conference suggested that the activation of this retrovirus, dormant in healthy...

One In Three UK GPs Not Confident In Spotting Multiple Sclerosis

feeds@yuku.com (squiffy2) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:42:46 GMT
Research published by the MS Society has revealed that one in three GPs is unsure how to spot the signs of multiple sclerosis (MS).

The report undertaken by Brand Health International questioned GPs across Britain and highlights a lack of confidence in identifying potential MS patients by their symptoms.

The...

Injurious falls among middle aged and older adults with multiple sclerosis

feeds@yuku.com (squiffy2) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 08:58:35 GMT

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of, and risk factors for, receiving medical attention for a recent injurious fall among middle-aged and older adults who have multiple sclerosis (MS)...............

For the full abstract please go to MSRC: MS Research News : Quality Of Life Research

LDN Trial in Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis

feeds@yuku.com (squiffy2) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 12:04:09 GMT

A pilot study of LDN therapy in MS was carried out by the Milan neurological researcher, Dr. Maira Gironi in 2007.

Dr. Gironi's research team has long been a locus for significant research on endorphins in relation to illness, and this study tracked accurate assessments of the patients' beta-endorphin levels in response to their LDN treatment.

This was a 6-month pilot, multicentric, open-label, therapeutic study of 40 patients with

Laquinimod shows great promise in Multiple Sclerosis trial

feeds@yuku.com (squiffy2) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 10:58:12 GMT
Laquinimod, a new type of immumodulatory agent for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, led to a 40% reduction in lesions, according to results of a multicenter, placebo-controlled phase IIb trial.
Patients treated with laquinimod at a dose of 0.6 mg a day averaged 2.6 gadolinium-enhancing lesions on MRI compared with...

Paradoxically aggressive multiple sclerosis in the face of natalizumab therapy

feeds@yuku.com (squiffy2) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 10:32:42 GMT
In the pivotal trials of natalizumab in the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (AFFIRM and SENTINEL), a dramatic reduction in...

Merck Serono and Bionomics Announce Multiple Sclerosis Development and Licensing Agreement

feeds@yuku.com (squiffy2) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:59:59 GMT

Merck Serono announced today that a Development and Licensing Agreement with Bionomics was signed, under which Merck Serono would develop new treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other autoimmune conditions based on compounds from Bionomics Kv1.3 program.

Under the agreement, Bionomics will receive an upfront payment of US$ 2 million and committed research funding. Merck Serono will fund all development activities, including clinical development. Merck Serono intends to...