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My Stenosis: I had corrective stent procedure Oct 2009 at Stanford. Alert 12/9/09 - CCSVI Procedures on hold:
Media Coverage
Research / Clinical Evidence / What is CCSVI?
Patient Evidence, Experiences & Support
What The MS Societies & Doctors Are Saying
Where You Can Get the Diagnostic Scans First contact your MS doctor, and ask when they will begin CCSVI scans.
Diagnostic Scans, & Corrective Procedures (stent/angioplasty) have been performed at:
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Table of contents About the author Acknowledgements Contact New era for MS therapy? Paolo Zamboni, University of Ferrara, Italy, presented the rationale and preliminary results of an endovascular treatment for multiple sclerosis on the third day of the CX Symposium.
Prof. Zamboni (University of Ferrara, Italy) showing further venous anomalies in MS patients
Prof Paolo Zambonis revolutionary discovery of exspiratory flow-reversals affecting the inner cerebral veins, matching, in their intensity, the degree of the clinical incapacitations of multiple sclerosis
Periventricular venous flow dynamics effected through breathing
(normally but inspiratory) outflow enhancements in blue; exspiratory flow inversions in red
Mpg showing normal subject
Mpg showing multiple sclerosis; massive exspiratory flow inversions, alternating with phases of turbulent venous return
Critical questions and helpful comments on this website, to be addressed to dr.franz.schelling@aon.at, are highly appreciated!
In view of the given facts we must ask ourselves whether the MS patient's shameless exploitation for an as senseless as profitable drug experimentation, grounded in an illogical MS "definition" and "identification", does not form an ethical issue.
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Fish oil supplements 'beat psychotic mental illness' | |||
Taking a daily fish oil capsule can stave off mental illness in those at highest risk, trial findings suggest. A three-month course of the supplement appeared to be as effective as drugs, cutting the rate of psychotic illness like schizophrenia by a quarter. The researchers believe it is the omega-3 in fish oil - already hailed for promoting healthy hearts - that has beneficial effects in the brain. A "natural" remedy would be welcomed, Archives of General Psychiatry says. "The finding that treatment with a natural substance may prevent, or at least delay, the onset of psychotic disorder gives hope that there may be alternatives to antipsychotic drugs," the study authors said.
Antipsychotic drugs are potent and can have serious side effects, which puts some people off taking them. Fish oil supplements, on the other hand, are generally well tolerated and easy to take, say the scientists. The international team from Austria, Australia and Switzerland tested the treatment in 81 people deemed to be at particularly high risk of developing psychosis. Natural choice Their high risk was down to a strong family history of schizophrenia, or similar disorders, or them already showing mild symptoms of these conditions themselves. For the test, half of the individuals took fish oil supplements (1.2 grams of omega-3 fatty acids) for 12 weeks, while the other half took only a dummy pill. Neither group knew which treatment they were receiving. Dr Paul Amminger and his team followed the groups for a year to see how many, if any, went on to develop illness. Two in the fish oil group developed a psychotic disorder compared to 11 in the placebo group. Based on the results, the investigators estimate that one high-risk adult could be protected from developing psychosis for every four treated over a year. They believe the omega-3 fatty acids found in the supplements may alter brain signalling in the brain with beneficial effects. Alison Cobb, of the mental health charity Mind, said: "If young people can be treated successfully with fish oils, this is hugely preferable to treating them with antipsychotics, which come with a range of problems from weight gain to sexual dysfunction, whereas omega-3s are actually beneficial to their general state of health. "These are promising results and more research is needed to show if omega-3s could be an alternative to antipsychotics in the long term." | |||
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In order for Michelle to live, her immune system had to die. At Johns Hopkins, she says she received the High Dose Cyclophosphamide, an older and stronger form of chemotherapy. Thirteen liters, over a course of four days, killed all of her white blood cells. She says,” I like to think of them as assassins. So, they had these instructions that were not correct, that said the brain and the spine was the enemy. So, we killed all of those cells.” Her new immune system took about three weeks to grow. Adam Kaplin M.D, PhD, at Johns Hopkins explains, “It’s a resetting of the whole immune system and these people really genuinely have a new immune system.” That immune system has no memory of MS and no longer attacks the brain and spinal chord.
Michelle says she noticed a difference within days of receiving her last chemo treatment. “The sixth day I could tell. There was clarity to my mind that hadn’t been there in about ten years. It was brilliantly clear, almost sensory overload. It’s like living in a black and white world and then all of the sudden there are all of these colors and noise.” By December 22nd, her white blood cell count was up, and her immune system strong enough to go home to her family in
As weeks pass, there have been other life changing improvements. Michelle says sensation has returned. “Losing the ability to feel things is just so devastating. About two weeks after I got back, my husband rubbed my back, just to say goodnight, and I was like hold on, I can feel that!” Michelle says she can now feel hot and cold and no longer has to ask her youngest daughter to check her bathwater with a finger before getting in. She is knitting to help her hands rehabilitate, has taught her little girl to ride a bike, and takes pleasure in the everyday mundane tasks of life. “I’m driving, filling up the gas tank, making dinner. Things that everybody takes for granted, I can do now.”
Michelle’s reversal of symptoms is not uncommon with the High Dose Cyclophosphamide treatment, ninety percent of those who have had it have no evidence of the disease, and forty percent have show improvement in function. Dr. Kaplin says “If you can turn off the inflammation, really stop the immune system from its constant picking at the brain and spinal chord, then there is a healing process.”
But it’s a process that may no be available to others. Large scale clinical trials cost millions and right now, study of the treatment is unfunded. Pharmaceutical companies are not interested in funding it because the patents on the medications being used has already lapsed and there is no money to be made. The National MS Society says it has not been approached to fund the trials needed for FDA approval. Johns Hopkins says it did submit a grant request several years ago but was denied. It hopes to put forth another request in the coming year. A spokesperson says because of the economy donations are down, and it’s uncertain there would be the money needed to fund the Johns Hopkins study. Meanwhile, there is a grass roots effort to bring this treatment to those with MS. You can find out more, and contribute by going to www.cureforms.org
Biogen Starts Human Trial For Drug That Could Repair MS Damage1-27-10 10:46 AM EST
NEW YORK -(Dow Jones)- Biogen Idec Inc. (BIIB) has begin human testing of an experimental drug, dubbed BIIB033, that it hopes will take the revolutionary step of repairing some of the damage done by multiple sclerosis.
Although it is a major step to begin testing in humans, drug development is always risky and it will take years to measure the drug's effectiveness and potential side effects.
Multiple sclerosis, or MS, is a chronic, inflammatory condition that occurs when the body attacks its own myelin, the protective insulation surrounding the nerve fibers, or axons, in the central nervous system. The debilitating disease affects an estimated 400,000 people in the U.S., according to the National MS Society, but current treatments only aim to slow the disease's progression and cannot help repair damage.
Research that focuses on ways to help the body regenerate myelin is growing and scientists around the world are taking several different approaches. Damage to myelin can distort or block messages carried by axons and result in a wide variety of MS symptoms such as vision problems, limb numbness and paralysis.
BIIB033 is an antibody designed to turn off Lingo-1, a molecule that the company believes prevents myelin production in adults after axons are well covered. Blocking Lingo-1 may encourage myelin regeneration, something that occurs in healthy adults, after damage from MS occurs.
The antibody has been shown to be effective in mouse models that are accepted as being useful for mimicking the properties of MS.
The small Phase I study will include 64 healthy volunteer adults in the Netherlands, with the main goal of assessing safety and tolerability, and is expected to be completed in 2011.
The placebo-controlled study will give patients a single dose of the drug and different groups will get different amounts, a standard practice in such early trials that helps determine the optimal dose for later investigation.
The secondary goals of the trial relate to how the body processes the drug and there is no measure of its effectiveness, which is not surprising in such an early study that doesn't actually include MS patients.
MS is an attractive area of drug makers as its often requires lifelong treatment, and MS drugs brought in more than $8.7 billion in 2009 revenue worldwide, according to projections from Bernstein Research.
Biogen is mostly focused on selling MS treatments, including Avonex and Tysabri, which are expected to bring sales of more than $3 billion for 2009.
If young people can be treated successfully with fish oils, this is hugely preferable to treating them with antipsychotics 