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Stem cell trials may spell the end for MS
by Miriam Stoppard, Daily Mirror 30/08/2011
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A very important study into the use of stem cells is about to begin in several countries, including the UK.
It will examine using them to treat multiple sclerosis but could have implications for many other conditions, including Parkinson’s, motor neurone disease, type 1 diabetes, heart problems and rheumatoid arthritis.
In fact, this study, which will run over the next three to five years, could be the blueprint for the wider use of stem cells.
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Scientists are hoping to show that stem cell replacement of diseased tissues can slow, stop or even reverse damage caused by the underlying disease.
There are two reasons why I attach so much importance to this project.
Firstly, this is the first time that researchers from around the world have come together to test stem cell therapies in such a large-scale trial, which would be impossible to run in just one location.
It is essential that researchers work together if they are going to make progress and improve stem cell treatment.
The second reason is that the effectiveness of stem cells will be subject to rigorous testing in patients, which will break new ground.
Two main types of stem cells have been tried. In the early days embryonic cells were used, but these were controversial because of where they came from – namely aborted or miscarried embryos.
Later we learned that we have stem cells in our bodies and this adult type can be used as effectively without controversy.
Stem cells hold so much promise. While they are primitive, if given a little nudge, they can turn into any and all of the tissues in the body that might get injured or become diseased.
In this new study the cells will be harvested from the patient’s bone marrow and then grown in a laboratory before being injected directly into the bloodstream.
The theory is that these stem cells will target the damaged protective covering around nerves, called myelin, which becomes scarred in MS sufferers.
This isn’t the first time stem cells have been used with the condition. In 2009, researchers in the US found they could improve symptoms of MS by using cells from fat.
The encouraging part of this research was the symptoms continued to improve almost a year after the stem cells were injected, giving us the hope of a long-lasting effect.
Read more: http://www.mirror.co.uk/advice/miriam/2011/08/30/stem-cell-trials-may-spell-the-end-for-ms-115875-23381723/#ixzz1WWVlRGe1
Go Camping for 95p! Vouchers collectable in the Daily and Sunday Mirror until 11th August . Click here for more information
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
CCSVI in MS Toronto
CCSVI in MS Toronto
"Lawsuits revealed that studies that suggested the drugs were safe and effective were often not written by the scientists listed as the authors. Instead, they were ghostwritten by writers working for the drug companies that make the medications. The scientists listed as authors were offered payment in return for attaching their names." - CTV
"Lawsuits revealed that studies that suggested the drugs were safe and effective were often not written by the scientists listed as the authors. Instead, they were ghostwritten by writers working for the drug companies that make the medications. The scientists listed as authors were offered payment in return for attaching their names." - CTV
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Pain Management
Pain Management Blog « The Patient Experience
www.patient-experience.com
There are a number of different ways of managing pain:-a)Medications. These can vary from aspirin and paracetamol through NSAIDs to various different opioid products.b)Physical approaches. These can include spinal cord stimulation,TENS machines,acupuncture or even low level laser therapy.c)Physiolog
www.patient-experience.com
There are a number of different ways of managing pain:-a)Medications. These can vary from aspirin and paracetamol through NSAIDs to various different opioid products.b)Physical approaches. These can include spinal cord stimulation,TENS machines,acupuncture or even low level laser therapy.c)Physiolog
Thursday, July 14, 2011
More Hope
When mice with moderate multiple sclerosis were given very low dosages of dextromethorphan, a drug found in cough medicine, the loss of myelin and the development of paralysis during acute attacks was significantly reduced. (Credit: iStockphoto)
UC DAVIS (US) — A drug commonly found in over-the-counter cough medicine may pave the way for a new and inexpensive therapy for multiple sclerosis.
23Share
In animal testing, the drug dextromethorphan significantly reduced the loss of the fatty sheath (or myelin) surrounding nerve fibers in the central nervous system and also minimized development of paralysis during multiple sclerosis attacks.
The study is published online in the journal Neurobiology of Disease.
“This finding provides an exciting opportunity to better understand the disease and to pursue a new treatment strategy with a drug that is widely available, inexpensive, and known to be safe,” says Wenbin Deng, assistant professor of cell biology and human anatomy at University of California, Davis.
Currently there are few effective treatment options for multiple sclerosis, which affects about 400,000 people in the United States and most often first appears in young-to-middle-aged women.
The condition, that has no cure, is caused by cells of the immune system attacking myelin, the fatty sheath surrounding nerve fibers in the central nervous system that speeds the transmission of nerve impulses.
Symptoms vary widely and often involve periods of motor problems, including paralysis of a limb or poor coordination, which unpredictably may either go away or become permanent. As the disease progresses, it causes increasing disability. Many treatments are poorly tolerated and produce a wide range of side effects.
For the new study, investigators induced mice to have either a moderate or severe type of multiple sclerosis and then treated them with either very low or high dosages of dextromethorphan. Very low dosages given to mice with moderate disease significantly reduced the loss of myelin and the development of paralysis during acute attacks. The high dosages did not offer any benefit.
“Finding that a chemical like dextromethorphan might be useful for treating multiple sclerosis is especially significant because we already know it is safe,” says David E. Pleasure, director of research at the Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine at Shriners Hospitals for Children Northern California in Sacramento and one of the authors of the study. “Normally, a possible new treatment must first undergo years of clinical trials to prove this.”
The researchers began investigating common, over-the-counter cough medicines as treatments for devastating diseases like multiple sclerosis because their molecular structure is similar to morphine. Morphinans—low dose morphine-like agents—have been used “off label” for individuals. While they’re not cures, they potentially can be helpful for selected patients, and appear to have little or no toxicity at low doses.
Dextromethorphan is one of a few morphinan drugs similar in structure to morphine, but without the addictive properties. Deng and Pleasure would like to see clinical trials conducted soon to find out if dextromethorphan is effective in humans with multiple sclerosis. Such a trial would likely involve testing in combination with current standard treatment of the disease.
“Dextromethorphan has a different mode of action than current drugs for multiple sclerosis,” Deng says. “While current treatment targets inflammation and the immune system, dextromethorphan appears to be more directly neuroprotective. Combining the different strategies could offer a real breakthrough in fighting the disease.”
The study was supported in part by grants from the National Institutes of Health, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and Shriners Hospitals for Children.
UC DAVIS (US) — A drug commonly found in over-the-counter cough medicine may pave the way for a new and inexpensive therapy for multiple sclerosis.
23Share
In animal testing, the drug dextromethorphan significantly reduced the loss of the fatty sheath (or myelin) surrounding nerve fibers in the central nervous system and also minimized development of paralysis during multiple sclerosis attacks.
The study is published online in the journal Neurobiology of Disease.
“This finding provides an exciting opportunity to better understand the disease and to pursue a new treatment strategy with a drug that is widely available, inexpensive, and known to be safe,” says Wenbin Deng, assistant professor of cell biology and human anatomy at University of California, Davis.
Currently there are few effective treatment options for multiple sclerosis, which affects about 400,000 people in the United States and most often first appears in young-to-middle-aged women.
The condition, that has no cure, is caused by cells of the immune system attacking myelin, the fatty sheath surrounding nerve fibers in the central nervous system that speeds the transmission of nerve impulses.
Symptoms vary widely and often involve periods of motor problems, including paralysis of a limb or poor coordination, which unpredictably may either go away or become permanent. As the disease progresses, it causes increasing disability. Many treatments are poorly tolerated and produce a wide range of side effects.
For the new study, investigators induced mice to have either a moderate or severe type of multiple sclerosis and then treated them with either very low or high dosages of dextromethorphan. Very low dosages given to mice with moderate disease significantly reduced the loss of myelin and the development of paralysis during acute attacks. The high dosages did not offer any benefit.
“Finding that a chemical like dextromethorphan might be useful for treating multiple sclerosis is especially significant because we already know it is safe,” says David E. Pleasure, director of research at the Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine at Shriners Hospitals for Children Northern California in Sacramento and one of the authors of the study. “Normally, a possible new treatment must first undergo years of clinical trials to prove this.”
The researchers began investigating common, over-the-counter cough medicines as treatments for devastating diseases like multiple sclerosis because their molecular structure is similar to morphine. Morphinans—low dose morphine-like agents—have been used “off label” for individuals. While they’re not cures, they potentially can be helpful for selected patients, and appear to have little or no toxicity at low doses.
Dextromethorphan is one of a few morphinan drugs similar in structure to morphine, but without the addictive properties. Deng and Pleasure would like to see clinical trials conducted soon to find out if dextromethorphan is effective in humans with multiple sclerosis. Such a trial would likely involve testing in combination with current standard treatment of the disease.
“Dextromethorphan has a different mode of action than current drugs for multiple sclerosis,” Deng says. “While current treatment targets inflammation and the immune system, dextromethorphan appears to be more directly neuroprotective. Combining the different strategies could offer a real breakthrough in fighting the disease.”
The study was supported in part by grants from the National Institutes of Health, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and Shriners Hospitals for Children.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
The Hubbard Foundation
USA: The Hubbard Foundation - CCSVI Treatment
The Hubbard Foundation has an IRB-approved study to test CCSVI and treat CCSVI. Those with positive results for CCSVI according to the Haacke Protocol with the Hubbard Foundation, are referred for catheter venoography and if positive for balloon venoplasty.
The Interventional Radiologists (IRs) are Justin Gooding MD, Donald Ponec MD, Richard Saxon MD,
The IRs work out of a private vein clinic in Del Mar, San Diego, CA called MIT Del Mar Vein Care. The MIT Del Mar staff prefers to answer all questions pertaining to CCSVI treatment and treatment fees.
To contact MIT Del Mar Vein Care go to: http://delmarveincare.com/contact.htm
The Hubbard Foundation is mainly a research facility. The primary form of contact is via e-mail: hubbardfoundation@gmail.com or Fax: (858)444-3599
To schedule CCSVI testing and treatment visit:
The Hubbard Foundation
10065 Old Grove Rd. Suite 103
San Diego, CA 92131
The Hubbard Foundation has an IRB-approved study to test CCSVI and treat CCSVI. Those with positive results for CCSVI according to the Haacke Protocol with the Hubbard Foundation, are referred for catheter venoography and if positive for balloon venoplasty.
The Interventional Radiologists (IRs) are Justin Gooding MD, Donald Ponec MD, Richard Saxon MD,
The IRs work out of a private vein clinic in Del Mar, San Diego, CA called MIT Del Mar Vein Care. The MIT Del Mar staff prefers to answer all questions pertaining to CCSVI treatment and treatment fees.
To contact MIT Del Mar Vein Care go to: http://delmarveincare.com/contact.htm
The Hubbard Foundation is mainly a research facility. The primary form of contact is via e-mail: hubbardfoundation@gmail.com or Fax: (858)444-3599
To schedule CCSVI testing and treatment visit:
http://hubbardfoundation.org/index.html
The Hubbard Foundation
10065 Old Grove Rd. Suite 103
San Diego, CA 92131
Beet Juice and the brain
Beet Juice Good for Brain
www.webmd.com
Drinking beet juice increases blood flow to the brain in older adults, a finding that suggests that consumption of the liquid in the dark red vegetable holds potential for fighting the progression of dementia, a new study says.
www.webmd.com
Drinking beet juice increases blood flow to the brain in older adults, a finding that suggests that consumption of the liquid in the dark red vegetable holds potential for fighting the progression of dementia, a new study says.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Canadian MS News
CTV.ca News Staff
Date: Wed. Jun. 29 2011 4:27 PM ET
The federal government says it will fund clinical trials into the controversial multiple sclerosis treatment known as the "liberation therapy."
Federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq made the announcement Wednesday afternoon during a news conference on Parliament Hill.
Aglukkaq told reporters the government came to its decision after a scientific working group it convened last summer determined during a meeting on Tuesday that a Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trial should proceed.
"I have asked CIHR, the Canadian Institute of Health Research, to establish the terms of reference for this clinical trial," Aglukkaq said. "And we are committed to launching an open and transparent call for proposals, and process applications, as quickly as possible."
The liberation treatment was developed by Italian physician Dr. Paolo Zamboni and is based on his theory that narrowed neck veins are behind MS symptoms.
The condition, chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency, or CCSVI, reduces blood flow and allows iron deposits to build up in the brain, Zamboni says.
The treatment he developed uses balloon angioplasty to unblock the veins in the hope of alleviating symptoms.
While Zamboni's research has demonstrated success with the treatment, recent clinical trials have concluded that CCSVI is not a primary cause of MS.
The controversy surrounding both the condition and the treatment has not deterred Canadian MS patients from rallying across the country over the last several months to call on both Ottawa and provincial governments to fund the treatment, which is not available in Canada. Many Canadians have had the procedure at medical clinics overseas.
Aglukkaq said the working group was established last August and tasked with reviewing the latest research and making its recommendation to government. The group met in November and again on Tuesday.
Dr. Alain Beaudet, president of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, said Wednesday that an analysis of all the research done on CCSVI so far suggested "a trend to an association between the greater prevalence of CCSVI in patients with MS than in healthy controls."
Beaudet said more results are needed, particularly from seven current studies, to strengthen the committee's conclusion.
"But, nonetheless, the committee felt that, on the basis of this preliminary evidence and what's published so far, that we should in parallel start already with a Phase 1-2 trial," he said.
During her Wednesday news conference, Aglukkaq hailed MS patients and their families for their struggle with a disease that can lead to symptoms that include difficulty walking, vision problems, fatigue and weakness.
"It has been a moving experience to meet many of you and to hear from so many MS patients and their families who have shown tremendous courage in the face of such difficult illness," she said.
Date: Wed. Jun. 29 2011 4:27 PM ET
The federal government says it will fund clinical trials into the controversial multiple sclerosis treatment known as the "liberation therapy."
Federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq made the announcement Wednesday afternoon during a news conference on Parliament Hill.
Aglukkaq told reporters the government came to its decision after a scientific working group it convened last summer determined during a meeting on Tuesday that a Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trial should proceed.
"I have asked CIHR, the Canadian Institute of Health Research, to establish the terms of reference for this clinical trial," Aglukkaq said. "And we are committed to launching an open and transparent call for proposals, and process applications, as quickly as possible."
The liberation treatment was developed by Italian physician Dr. Paolo Zamboni and is based on his theory that narrowed neck veins are behind MS symptoms.
The condition, chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency, or CCSVI, reduces blood flow and allows iron deposits to build up in the brain, Zamboni says.
The treatment he developed uses balloon angioplasty to unblock the veins in the hope of alleviating symptoms.
While Zamboni's research has demonstrated success with the treatment, recent clinical trials have concluded that CCSVI is not a primary cause of MS.
The controversy surrounding both the condition and the treatment has not deterred Canadian MS patients from rallying across the country over the last several months to call on both Ottawa and provincial governments to fund the treatment, which is not available in Canada. Many Canadians have had the procedure at medical clinics overseas.
Aglukkaq said the working group was established last August and tasked with reviewing the latest research and making its recommendation to government. The group met in November and again on Tuesday.
Dr. Alain Beaudet, president of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, said Wednesday that an analysis of all the research done on CCSVI so far suggested "a trend to an association between the greater prevalence of CCSVI in patients with MS than in healthy controls."
Beaudet said more results are needed, particularly from seven current studies, to strengthen the committee's conclusion.
"But, nonetheless, the committee felt that, on the basis of this preliminary evidence and what's published so far, that we should in parallel start already with a Phase 1-2 trial," he said.
During her Wednesday news conference, Aglukkaq hailed MS patients and their families for their struggle with a disease that can lead to symptoms that include difficulty walking, vision problems, fatigue and weakness.
"It has been a moving experience to meet many of you and to hear from so many MS patients and their families who have shown tremendous courage in the face of such difficult illness," she said.
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