MSRC Latest MS News

Hopes high for imminent reopening of Horley's Brambles MS centre

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 04:10:00 EDT

Hopes are high for the imminent reopening of Horley's acclaimed Brambles Respite Care Centre for people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

Staff are said to be “on standby” for the reopening of the centre in Suffolk Close, which is being transferred from the management of the MS Society to MS Respite and Care Services Limited.

It had been hoped The Brambles would re-open to MS sufferers and their carers and families at the beginning of the year.

But though the centre, widely regarded as one of the best of its kind in the country, is still shut, the MS Society has said the transfer, saving The Brambles from closure, is still going ahead and expected to be completed soon.

Once contracts have been exchanged, the building could re-open in a matter of days.... [Read More]

Cloned brain cells could help MS, Parkinsons, depression patients

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 02:55:00 EDT

From the birthplace of Dolly the sheep comes another advancement in cloning, as scientists at Scotland’s University of Edinburgh have reportedly created brain tissue from patients suffering from mental illnesses.

According to NewsCore reports, researchers at the university’s Centre for Regenerative Medicine (CRM) have developed a method of taking a patient’s skin sample, turning it into stem cells, and then directing them to grow into brain cells. They then study those man-made brain cells hoping to learn more about patients suffering from ailments such as bipolar depression and schizophrenia.

“A patient’s neurons can tell us a great deal about the psychological conditions that affect them, but you cannot stick a needle in someone’s brain and take out its cells,” CRM Director Charles ffrench-Constant told Robin McKie of The Guardian on Saturday.... [Read More]

Skin transformed into brain cells

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 02:16:00 EDT

Skin cells have been converted directly into cells which develop into the main components of the brain, by researchers studying mice in California.

The experiment, reported in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, skipped the middle "stem cell" stage in the process.

The researchers said they were "thrilled" at the potential medical uses.

Far more tests are needed before the technique could be used on human skin.... [Read More]

UAE's Multiple Sclerosis patients to benefit from national taskforce

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 06:06:00 EDT

The first-ever national taskforce to tackle multiple sclerosis (MS) in the UAE has been created by the Emirates Neurology Society (EMINS), it was announced at a press conference today, in the hopes of improving quality of life for MS sufferers across the country.

Acting under the umbrella of the Emirates Medical Association(EMA), EMINS today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Swiss pharmaceutical company, Novartis, to commit to a national MS campaign in the country throughout 2012, starting with the first taskforce meeting in Dubai on 27 January.

"Healthcare in the UAE is excellent, and that is a position which we in the professional medical community intend to maintain long into the future. Promoting improved disease awareness ± in this case, through this newlyformed MS national taskforce ± is a critical step toward ensuring that all UAE residents continue to receive truly world-class medical care," said Dr. Ali Shakar, President of the Emirates Medical Association.... [Read More]

Research teams report on 18 months of progress from initial studies on CCSVI and MS

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 04:50:00 EDT

Reports from seven multi-disciplinary teams investigating CCSVI (chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency) in MS indicate that they are making good progress toward providing essential data and critical analysis as these two-year projects move toward their completion.

The studies were launched on July 1, 2010, with a more than $2.4 million commitment from the MS Society of Canada and the National MS Society (USA). The ongoing work by the seven teams will help inform the design of an early-phase clinical trial that is expected to launch in late spring 2012 with funding from the MS Society of Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

The research teams have recruited and scanned a broad spectrum of people with MS and others to build understanding of who may be affected by CCSVI. In addition they are refining CCSVI imaging methods for accuracy and consistency to reliably validate the occurrence of CCSVI and understand its implications in the MS disease process. All of the seven teams are working under approvals from the required Institutional Review Boards in the U.S. or the Research Ethics Board in Canada, a first step established by regulatory authorities to protect human subjects involved in research projects.... [Read More]

Muscling in on MS

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:53:00 EDT

Muscle endurance tests can detect abnormalities in the early stages of multiple sclerosis, Tel Aviv University researchers say

Multiple sclerosis (MS), a neurodegenerative disease, causes periodic attacks of neurologic symptoms such as limb weakness and mobility defects. And while MS patients' walking abilities and muscle strength are examined on a regular basis, doctors have yet to determine when the lower limb muscles begin to deteriorate. That's important because with earlier identification of mobility problems, doctors would be able to implement early intervention programs that could make all the difference for those with MS.... [Read More]

New standard for vitamin D testing to ensure accurate test results

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 04:03:00 EDT

At a time of increasing concern about low vitamin D levels in the world's population and increased use of blood tests for the vitamin, scientists are reporting development of a much-needed reference material to assure that measurements of vitamin D levels are accurate. The report appears in ACS' journal Analytical Chemistry.

Karen Phinney and colleagues explain that medical research suggests vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency may be even more common than previously thought and a risk factor for more than just bone diseases. An estimated 50-75 percent of people in the U.S. may not have enough vitamin D in their bodies.... [Read More]

ASCEND study to evaluate the effectiveness of Tysabri in secondary progressive MS

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 09:51:00 EDT

Biogen Idec today announced a global Phase 3b study, ASCEND, that is being conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of Tysabri as a treatment for secondary-progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS). According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, approximately half of all people initially diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) - the most common form of multiple sclerosis (MS) - will transition to SPMS within 19 years.

Patients with RRMS typically experience unpredictable relapses; the time between relapses is characterised by full or partial recovery and a lack of disease progression. SPMS is characterized by a steady progression of nerve damage, symptoms and disability, but the exact reasons for the progression are unknown. The potential for greater disease burden in SPMS typically includes decreased mobility, impaired activities of daily living, loss of independence and reduced quality of life.... [Read More]

Experts review vitamin D advice

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 07:24:00 EDT

The chief medical officer for England, Dame Sally Davies, is to contact medical staff about concerns young children and some adults are not getting enough vitamin D.

Government guidelines recommend some groups, including the under-fives, should take a daily supplement.

However, recent research found that many parents and health professionals were unaware of the advice.

There has been an increase in childhood rickets over the past 15 years.... [Read More]

EC approval for Rebif use extension for early Multiple Sclerosis

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:07:00 EDT

Merck KGaA said the European Commission or EC has approved extension of the indication of Rebif, a treatment for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis or MS. This EC approval, based on REFLEX study results, is for the use of Rebif 44 micrograms three times weekly in patients who have experienced a single demyelinating event, an early sign of the disease, and who are at high risk of converting to MS.... [Read More]

Scientists provide new understanding of chronic pain

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 03:09:00 EDT

Millions of people worldwide suffer from a type of chronic pain called neuropathic pain, which is triggered by nerve damage. Precisely how this pain persists has been a mystery, and current treatments are largely ineffective.

But a team led by scientists from The Scripps Research Institute, using a new approach known as metabolomics, has now discovered a major clue: dimethylsphingosine (DMS), a small-molecule byproduct of cellular membranes in the nervous system.

In their new study, the scientists found that DMS is produced at abnormally high levels in the spinal cords of rats with neuropathic pain and appears to cause pain when injected. The findings suggest inhibiting this molecule may be a fruitful target for drug development.... [Read More]

GW Pharma hopes for FDA approval for MS cannabis drug Sativex

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 03:41:00 EDT

A quarter-century after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first prescription drugs based on the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, additional medicines derived from or inspired by the cannabis plant itself could soon be making their way to pharmacy shelves, according to drug companies, small biotech firms and university scientists.

A British company, GW Pharma, is in advanced clinical trials for the world's first pharmaceutical developed from raw marijuana instead of synthetic equivalents — a mouth spray it hopes to market in the U.S. as a treatment for cancer pain. And it hopes to see FDA approval by the end of 2013.

Sativex contains marijuana's two best known components — delta 9-THC and cannabidiol — and already has been approved in Canada, New Zealand and eight European countries for a different usage, relieving muscle spasms associated with multiple sclerosis.... [Read More]

EU says MS drug Gilenya needs heart monitoring

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 03:25:00 EDT

The European Medicines Agency advised doctors to continuously monitor patients for six hours after giving them a first dose of Novartis AG's multiple sclerosis drug Gilenya, casting a shadow over the potential blockbuster product.

The move came as the organisation started a review into the safety of the medicine, following reports of heart problems in patients and the death of one person in the United States within 24 hours of starting treatment.

The Swiss drugmaker said last month it was investigating whether Gilenya, seen by analysts as a potential multibillion-dollar seller, caused the death of the 59-year-old U.S. patient.... [Read More]

FDA updates Tysabri� label to include anti-JC virus antibody status as a PML risk factor and clears safety screen

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 03:11:00 EDT

Biogen Idec and Elan Corporation, plc announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a product label change for Tysabri that will help enable individual benefit risk assessment for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The new label identifies anti-JCV antibody status as a risk factor for developing an infrequent but serious brain infection known as progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML).

This marks the third risk factor identified to help physicians and people with MS have more confidence in their treatment decisions when considering Tysabri, a highly effective treatment for relapsing forms of MS.... [Read More]

EU agency issues guideline on biosimilar MS drugs

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 09:31:00 EDT

European regulators took another step towards opening the market for copies of biotech drugs on Friday by releasing a draft guideline on how companies should test biosimilar medicines containing interferon beta, used to treat multiple sclerosis.

The guideline is open for consultation until the end of May 2012 and is part of a package of new regulations being prepared by the London-based agency.... [Read More]

Oral MS drug Gilenya reviewed by EU after 11 patient deaths

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 09:02:00 EDT

The European Medicines Agency started a review of Novartis AG’s Gilenya pill for multiple sclerosis after 11 deaths among patients who received treatment.

The reports raise concern that the drug, the first oral medicine for the debilitating neurological disease, may harm the heart, the London-based agency said in an e-mailed statement today. Eric Althoff, a spokesman for Novartis in Basel, Switzerland, didn’t immediately return a call and e-mail requesting comment.

Novartis said last month a patient died Nov. 23 after starting treatment with Gilenya. Ten other deaths have been reported among patients who began taking Gilenya, including six unexplained deaths, three heart attacks and one due to disruption of heart rhythm, the agency said today. It isn’t clear what role if any Gilenya had in the deaths, EMA said.... [Read More]

Nurse-led MS services are a 'win-win', MPs told

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 05:30:00 EDT

Neurology experts have praised a nurse-led multiple sclerosis service to an influential MPs committee, and called for stronger clinical leadership in the Department of Health.

The remarks were made yesterday in a session of the Commons’ public accounts committee, which is currently investigating NHS neurology services.

Dr Steve Pollock, lead clinician for neurosciences in East Kent and clinical acute care advisor for the South East Coast strategic health authority, gave evidence to the committee.

Speaking of his experience in East Kent, he said: “We demonstrated that if you had MS nurses… you could reduce admissions, reduce bed days and free up outpatient time. It was a win-win situation.”... [Read More]

Wife blasts �get a job� letter

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 05:17:00 EDT

THE wife of a dying multiple sclerosis sufferer blasted benefits bosses last night after they suggested he get a JOB.

Elizabeth McGowan's hubby Stevie, 51, is registered blind, bed-ridden and has severe dementia.

She and a team of carers have to look after the former painter and decorator 24 hours a day after doctors told him his condition is terminal.

But he was STILL sent a job offering an interview with an employment advisor to talk about his job prospects.... [Read More]

Adeona commences multiple sclerosis drug Trimesta trial

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 04:44:00 EDT

Adeona Pharmaceuticals has begun the Phase II study of its Trimesta drug, used for the treatment of cognitive dysfunction in multiple sclerosis (MS).

Trimesta is an oral estriol designed for treating relapsing-remitting MS and for cognitive dysfunction in MS, both in female patients, and has been approved throughout Europe and Asia to treat post-menopausal symptoms.

The Phase II trial is a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study expected to enroll 64 relapsing-remitting or secondary-progressive female MS patients.... [Read More]

Brain support cells from umbilical cord stem cells

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 04:20:00 EDT

For the first time ever, stem cells from umbilical cords have been converted into other types of cells, which may eventually lead to new treatment options for spinal cord injuries and multiple sclerosis, among other nervous system diseases.

"This is the first time this has been done with non-embryonic stem cells," says James Hickman, a University of Central Florida bioengineer and leader of the research group, whose accomplishment is described in the journal ACS Chemical Neuroscience.

"We're very excited about where this could lead because it overcomes many of the obstacles present with embryonic stem cells." ... [Read More]

Therapeutic potential of carbon monoxide in multiple sclerosis

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 04:08:00 EDT

Abstract
Carbon monoxide (CO) is produced during the catabolism of free haem, catalyzed by haem oxygenase (HO) enzymes, and its physiological roles include vasodilation, neurotransmission, inhibition of platelet aggregation and anti-proliferative effects on smooth muscle.

In vivo preclinical studies have shown that exogenously administered quantities of CO may represent an effective treatment for conditions characterized by a dysregulated immune response.... [Read More]

Greater brain activation after cognitive rehabilitation for MS

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 02:36:00 EDT

Neuroscientists at Kessler Foundation have documented increased cerebral activation in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) following memory retraining using the modified Story Memory Technique (mSMT). This is the first study to demonstrate that behavioral interventions can have a positive effect on brain function in people with cognitive disability caused by MS, an important step in validating the clinical utility of cognitive rehabilitation.

According to Nancy Chiaravalloti, PhD, director of Neuropsychology & Neuroscience Research at Kessler Foundation, "This demonstrates that an effective cognitive rehabilitation protocol can lead to changes in the way the brain is actually processing information." Dr. Chiaravalloti is lead author of the article, which was published online by the Journal of Neurology on January 12.... [Read More]

Autologous mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of secondary progressive MS

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 02:25:00 EDT

Abstract

BACKGROUND: More than half of patients with multiple sclerosis have progressive disease characterised by accumulating disability. The absence of treatments for progressive multiple sclerosis represents a major unmet clinical need. On the basis of evidence that mesenchymal stem cells have a beneficial effect in acute and chronic animal models of multiple sclerosis, we aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of these cells as a potential neuroprotective treatment for secondary progressive multiple sclerosis.... [Read More]

Functional weakness: clues to mechanism from the nature of onset

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:44:00 EDT

Study finds factors that occur commonly with functional weakness.

What do we know already?
Functional weakness is a loss of strength in a part of the body, usually the arms or legs, which is caused by a person’s nervous system not working properly. Unlike other kinds of limb weakness, it is not due to damage to or a disease of the nervous system.

People with functional weakness can experience symptoms which can be disabling and frightening. It can cause difficulty walking as they may drag their feet or legs behind them, or have a feeling of a ‘heaviness’ on one side of their body. They can have trouble holding things, or can experience a feeling that a limb just doesn’t feel normal or ‘part of them’. This is called dissociative disorder. ... [Read More]

NHS 'facing neurology disease time bomb'

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 03:38:00 EDT

The NHS in England is facing a time bomb if it does not get to grips with neurological conditions such as Parkinson's disease, campaigners say.

The Neurological Alliance, which represents 70 groups, said a combination of poor services and rising case numbers was causing problems.

It accused the NHS of having its "head in the sand".

The government said it recognised that more needed to be done for people with neurological conditions.

The alliance's comments come after a report by the National Audit Office criticised the standards of care.... [Read More]

Patients report controversial Multiple Sclerosis treatment improves their lives

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 02:34:00 EDT

Although using angioplasty to treat multiple sclerosis (MS) is highly controversial, sufferers often insist it helps – in some cases dramatically, such as allowing them to walk without a cane.

Patients with less severe MS also reported additional quality of life improvements, such as being able to talk more clearly, after having treatment to open blocked blood vessels in the chest and neck, according to research being presented at the 24th annual International Symposium on Endovascular Therapy (ISET).

A controversial theory holds that MS symptoms may be caused by narrowed veins leading away from the brain, which interrupts blood flow between the brain and heart. This condition, called chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI), is treated with minimally invasive angioplasty to open up those narrowed veins. In the research being presented at ISET, more than 65 percent of patients treated for CCSVI report quality of life improvements three months after treatment.... [Read More]

Concessions offered over disability benefit changes

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 07:06:00 EDT

Ministers are set to make concessions over controversial proposed changes to disability benefits.

The government is backing an amendment to the Welfare Reform Bill halving the time seriously ill or disabled people will have to wait to be eligible for Personal Independence Payments (PIPs).

This would reduce the qualifying period for the benefit from six to three months.

It comes after peers defeated the coalition over other welfare changes.

The government was defeated three times in the House of Lords last week over proposed changes to eligibility for employment support allowance (ESA), formerly known as incapacity benefit, although ministers have vowed to press on with the proposals.... [Read More]

Medical device can now help diagnose and monitor disease development in MS patients

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 06:52:00 EDT

EyeBrain, a company developing medical devices for the early diagnosis and monitoring of neurological diseases, announces today that it is launching a new software version of its medical device, the EyeBrain Tracker.

This means it can now contribute to the diagnosis of this pathology by confirming eye motricity impairment, which is a sensitive marker for multiple sclerosis, as well as monitoring patients’ progress and verifying the effect of therapies prescribed by practitioners.

People with multiple sclerosis often suffer from transitory or permanent neuro-ophthalmological problems, with disruptions in eye movements affecting between 60 - 80 per cent of these patients. The most frequently observed peculiarities are alterations in saccades and pursuits (tracking movements), as well as anomalies in patients’ ability to focus and hold a look.... [Read More]

Government must listen to disabled people

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 08:26:00 EDT

On Wednedsay the House of Lords voted – by significant margins – to protect people with cancer, disabled young people and disabled people receiving Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) from some Government welfare cuts [1] .

The Government has unfortunately stated today that it will plough on with the cuts regardless of Peer pressure. Neil Coyle, Disability Rights UK Director of Policy and Campaigns says:

“The Government should listen to their Peers and acknowledge that some welfare cuts hit severely disadvantaged disabled people disproportionately. The Government should pause and reflect on the proposed cuts to support for disabled people. A third of disabled people already live in poverty; Government proposals must not lead to disabled people’s destitution.”... [Read More]

Saskatchewan sending MS patients to U.S. to test new treatment

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 04:12:00 EDT

Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall announced Thursday his government will spend $2.2 million to have 86 multiple sclerosis patients from the province participate in a huge U.S. clinical trial of a controversial treatment.

The two-year study out of Albany Medical Center in New York is about to get the go-ahead from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It's being called the largest trial of its kind into so-called liberation therapy — a treatment not available in Canada.

MS patients in Saskatchewan can apply to participate in the study until Feb. 24. Prospective candidates will be randomly selected from the applications and will be screened for eligibility.... [Read More]

Omega-3 fatty acids could prevent and treat nerve damage

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 03:34:00 EDT

Research from Queen Mary, University of London suggests that omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fish oil, have the potential to protect nerves from injury and help them to regenerate.

When nerves are damaged because of an accident or injury, patients experience pain, weakness and muscle paralysis which can leave them disabled, and recovery rates are poor.

The new study, published this week in the Journal of Neuroscience, suggests that omega-3 fatty acids could play a significant role in speeding recovery from nerve injury.... [Read More]

Firategrast for relapsing remitting MS trial reported

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 04:56:00 EDT

Summary

Background
Monoclonal antibody therapy against α4β-integrin is efficacious in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) with some safety concerns. We assessed the safety and efficacy of firategrast, a small oral anti-α4β-integrin molecule, in patients with relapsing remitting MS.... [Read More]

Multiple sclerosis research links brain activity to sharper cognitive decline

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 05:58:00 EDT

When it comes to communication in the brain, more is usually better. But now scientists have linked increased communication in a network of brain regions to more severe mental impairment in patients with early-stage multiple sclerosis (MS).

“Measuring how well this network’s connections are working may provide a way to look beyond the wide-ranging symptoms of MS to help us quantify the disorder’s effects on the brain,” says co-author Maurizio Corbetta, MD, the Norman J. Stupp Professor of Neurology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. “This assessment could be very useful in diagnosing the disease and tracking the effectiveness of new treatments.”

Scientists at Washington University and the University Medical Center at Hamburg-Eppendorf and the University of Tübingen, both in Germany, published the results in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.... [Read More]

Clues to causes of nerve cell degeneration provided by spasticity gene finding

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 05:06:00 EDT

The discovery of a gene that causes a form of hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) may provide scientists with an important insight into what causes axons, the stems of our nerve cells, to degenerate in conditions such as multiple sclerosis.

In the Journal of Clinical Investigation, an international team of scientists led by Dr Evan Reid at the University of Cambridge, and Dr Stephan Zuchner from the University of Miami, report that mutations in the gene known as 'reticulon 2' on chromosome 19 cause a form of HSP, a condition characterised by progressive stiffness and contraction (spasticity) of the legs, caused by selective and specific degeneration of axons

The team identified three mutations in the reticulon 2 gene as causing a type of HSP - in one case, this mutation included an entire deletion of the gene. In addition, the researchers showed that reticulon 2 interacts with another gene, spastin. Mutations in this latter gene cause the most common form of hereditary spastic paraplegia.... [Read More]

MS clinic's practices stir alarm

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 03:56:00 EDT

Tens of thousands of dollars have flowed from multiple sclerosis patients to a Winnipeg-based company that is coming under fire for "pressuring'' patients to fly to India for the headline-grabbing "liberation" procedure.

CCSVI Clinic, which operates out of an office in Fort Garry, has now come to the attention of Health Minister Theresa Oswald, who said she would forward concerns to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba.

Until early December, CCSVI Clinic, which calls itself a non-profit group of physicians and researchers, had been acting as the Winnipeg referral agency for Mobile Life Screening, a Fargo, N.D., ultrasound clinic.

As part of that referral service, at least 100 patients were tested for chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) -- blocked veins in the head and neck, controversially linked to MS.... [Read More]

Three novel Multiple Sclerosis susceptibility loci identified

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 03:25:00 EDT

Three novel multiple sclerosis (MS) genetic susceptibility loci have been identified, according to a meta-analysis published in the December issue of the Annals of Neurology.

Nikolaos A. Patsopoulos, M.D., Ph.D., from the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, and colleagues investigated MS susceptibility and explored the functional consequences of novel susceptibility loci.

They performed a one-stage meta-analysis of seven genome-wide association studies involving 2,529,394 unique single nucleotide polymorphisms obtained from 5,545 patients with MS and 12,153 controls. Quantitative trait analysis in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 228 individuals with demyelinating disease were used to explore RNA expression data.... [Read More]

Study finds age-related effects in MS may be reversible

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 03:35:00 EDT

Scientists at Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard University, and the University of Cambridge have found that the age-related impairment of the body’s ability to replace protective myelin sheaths, which normally surround nerve fibers and allow them to send signals properly, may be reversible, offering new hope that therapeutic strategies aimed at restoring efficient regeneration can be effective in the central nervous system throughout life.

In a proof-of-principle study published in the journal Cell Stem Cell, the researchers report that defects in the regeneration of the myelin sheaths surrounding nerves, which are lost in diseases such as multiple sclerosis may be at least partially corrected following exposure of an old animal to the circulatory system of a young animal. Myelin is a fatty substance that protects nerves and aids in the quick transmission of signals between nerve cells.... [Read More]

Diabetic mice provide a surprising breakthrough for MS research

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 11:23:00 EDT

In humans, active periods of the debilitating disease Multiple Sclerosis (MS) can last for mere minutes or extend to weeks at a time. They're caused by lesions in the brain that develop, partly heal, and then recur.

Research into a cure has been difficult, because to date scientists have not been able to replicate these brain recurring symptoms in laboratory mice. That's frustrating because these lab animals, known as animal "models," are the primary tool for research into the mechanisms and potential treatments for MS.

But now, by using a mouse model for diabetes instead, Dr. Dan Frenkel of Tel Aviv University's Department of Neurobiology, working alongside Prof. Yaniv Assaf and Ph.D. student Hilit Levy, may provide a surprising breakthrough for research into a cure for MS.... [Read More]

Assisted suicide opponent: 'Every breath is precious'

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 11:01:00 EDT

Kathryn Higham gets angry when she hears claims that assisted suicide is the only way to achieve a "dignified" death.

"My aunt had motor neurone disease and handled it with dignity and when her end came it was not with horror or pain but with peace," said the 43-year-old mother of one from Bolton.

Mrs Higham, who has multiple sclerosis, said she was incensed by a new report from The Commission on Assisted Dying, the body set up by campaigners for legalised assisted suicide.... [Read More]

Carers 'disproportionately hit' by government cuts

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 08:41:00 EDT

Carers will be disproportionately hit by government benefit cuts over the coming years, research published today shows.

Tax and benefit changes from 2010-15 will result in a real terms drop of 6% in net income for households where a person claims carer's allowance, compared with a 4% fall for other households, found an analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies, commissioned by the Family and Parenting Institute.

The difference reflects the extent to which government benefit cuts are hitting disabled people cared for by loved-ones at home.... [Read More]

Latent virus sparks inflammation in MS

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 02:39:00 EDT

Epstein-Barr virus may play a role in multiple sclerosis (MS) by activating innate immune responses, researchers found.

Examination of postmortem brain tissue turned up RNA segments of the virus specifically in areas of active MS lesions overexpressing an inflammatory cytokine involved in innate immunity, according to a study by Ute C. Meier, DPhil, of Queen Mary University of London, and colleagues.

That cytokine, interferon-alpha, was overexpressed in active areas of white matter MS lesions but not in inactive lesions, normal-appearing white matter, or normal brain tissue from controls, the group reported online in Neurology.... [Read More]

Copaxone appears to repair nerve tissue in MS patients

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 02:25:00 EDT

Copaxone repairs nerve tissue in multiple sclerosis patients, said Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. in reporting the results of a 12-month MRI study on the evolution of multiple sclerosis lesions. The study was published in the January issue of "Frontiers in Bioscience".

“These data indicate that treatment with Copaxone resulted in a measureable amount of tissue repair in study patients,” said the lead research Dr. Robert Zivadinov, Director of the Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center at the University at Buffalo. “The observed increases in magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) point to a potential for remyelination.
Overall, these findings contribute to the vast body of research that supports the long-term efficacy and safety of the therapy."... [Read More]

Some MS patients exhibit an abnormal flow distribution of the internal jugular veins

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 02:13:00 EDT

Abstract
Purpose
To evaluate extracranial venous structural and flow characteristics in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Materials and Methods
Two hundred subjects with MS from two sites (n = 100 each) were evaluated with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging at 3 T. Contrast-enhanced time-resolved MR angiography and time-of-flight MR venography were used to assess vascular anatomy. Two-dimensional phase-contrast MR imaging was used to quantify blood flow. The MS population was divided into two groups: those with evident internal jugular vein (IJV) stenoses (stenotic group) and those without (nonstenotic group).... [Read More]

Blue badge parking measures introduced to combat fraud

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 04:09:00 EDT

Measures to crack down on drivers who abuse the disabled parking system will come into force in England and Scotland from 1 January.

There are an estimated 2.5 million blue badges in circulation, allowing drivers to park on yellow lines as well as avoid parking and congestion charges.

But blue badge fraud is estimated to cost the UK £46m a year.

New badges will have added security features and the method to determine people's eligibility is being improved.

It is hoped the redesign will make blue badges harder to forge or alter.

Transport Minister Norman Baker said: "Motorists who pretend to be disabled to get some free parking are frankly disgraceful".

"They prevent real blue badge holders from using parking bays designed for those genuinely in need and they cheat the vast majority of road users who play fair when they park their cars."....[Read More]

Brainsway announces interim results in Multiple Sclerosis clinical trial

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 03:44:00 EDT

Brainsway Ltd. announced that it had received interim results with respect to 26 patients from a double-blinded clinical trial being conducted at the Charite Hospital in Berlin and at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf in Hamburg to assess the safety and efficacy of the Company's Deep TMS device for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.

The trial subjects were divided into three groups: a sham-stimulation control group, a treatment group that received high-frequency (18 Hz) left prefrontal stimulation, and an additional treatment group that received low-frequency (5 Hz) motor cortex stimulation. Each subject received a series of treatments three times per week over a period of six weeks. The effects of the treatment were evaluated over the course of the subsequent six-week period.... [Read More]

Researchers link multiple sclerosis to different area of brain

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 07:11:00 EDT

Radiology researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) have found evidence that multiple sclerosis affects an area of the brain that controls cognitive, sensory and motor functioning apart from the disabling damage caused by the disease's visible lesions.

The thalamus of the brain was selected as the benchmark for the study conducted by faculty at the UTHealth Medical School. Lead researchers include Khader M. Hasan, Ph.D., associate professor, and Ponnada A. Narayana, Ph.D., professor and director of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in the Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Imaging; and Jerry S. Wolinsky, M.D., the Bartels Family and Opal C. Rankin Professor in the Department of Neurology.

Results of the research were published in a recent edition of The Journal of Neuroscience.... [Read More]

Multiple Sclerosis not disease of immune system?

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 06:18:00 EDT

An article to be published Friday (Dec. 23) in the December 2011 issue of The Quarterly Review of Biology argues that multiple sclerosis, long viewed as primarily an autoimmune disease, is not actually a disease of the immune system.

Dr. Angelique Corthals, a forensic anthropologist and professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, suggests instead that MS is caused by faulty lipid metabolism, in many ways more similar to coronary atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) than to other autoimmune diseases.

Framing MS as a metabolic disorder helps to explain many puzzling aspects of the disease, particularly why it strikes women more than men and why cases are on the rise worldwide, Corthals says. She believes this new framework could help guide researchers toward new treatments and ultimately a cure for the disease.... [Read More]

Bristol MS charity launches rickshaw ride to fund pioneering trials

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 06:44:00 EDT

A Bristol-based charity has launched a fundraising challenge to fund a £1 million stem cell trial which will benefit Multiple Sclerosis (MS) sufferers worldwide.

Fundraisers at Bristol and Avon Multiple Sclerosis Centre (BrAMS), based at Frenchay Hospital, plan to complete a rickshaw ride from Clifton Suspension Bridge to Tower Bridge in London.

The Bridge to Bridge Rickshaw Challenge will begin on 25 May 2012, in line with World MS Day, with the team hoping to finish on 28 May.... [Read More]

Death of MS patient prompts FDA Gilenya review

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 03:59:00 EDT

The death of a multiple sclerosis patient shortly after a first dose of fingolimod (Gilenya) is under review by the FDA, the agency said.

No specific cause of death has been determined in the case, which occurred on Nov. 23, and the FDA emphasized that it had not ascertained that the drug was related to the fatal outcome.

Fingolimod's prescribing information includes a warning about bradycardia and/or atrioventricular conduction block in the first hours after starting the drug. Clinicians are advised to monitor patients for six hours following the first dose.

In the fatal case, the patient was also taking the beta-blocker metoprolol and the calcium channel antagonist amlodipine. These drugs are associated with increased risk for bradycardia and heart blocks, the FDA noted.... [Read More]

Sativex� approved in Sweden for the treatment of spasticity due to Multiple Sclerosis

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 02:44:00 EDT

GW Pharmaceuticals plc today announced that the Medical Products Agency in Sweden has granted regulatory approval for Sativex® (Delta-9-Tetrahydro-cannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD)) oromucosal spray as a treatment of moderate to severe spasticity due to MS in patients who have not responded adequately to other anti-spasticity medicationi. Sativex® is a first in class endocannabinoid system modulator and is currently available in the UK, Germany, Spain and Denmark.

Evidence generated from clinical trials shows that Sativex® has a positive impact on spasticity in multiple sclerosis, while alleviating associated symptoms including pain, bladder or sleep disturbance. By relieving the symptoms of MS, Sativex® can improve patients' quality of life and allow them greater independence in performing their daily activities.... [Read More]

Scientists unveil first MS stem cell model

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 10:28:00 EDT

Australian researchers have developed the world's first stem cell model of multiple sclerosis, opening up new ways to study the disease and test treatments.

The deputy director of Monash University's immunology and stem cell laboratory, Claude Bernard, said he and his colleagues had used skin cells from MS sufferers to create induced pluripotent stem cells that have the capacity to become brain cells targeted by the disease.

This effectively creates a ''disease in a dish'' that can be replicated and studied by researchers who have previously had only blood cells, autopsy tissue and cerebrospinal fluid to work on. The cells also mean scientists can avoid using human embryos, overcoming ethical concerns.... [Read More]

Wolfson Foundation awards �20million to UCL for experimental neurology centre

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 03:31:00 EDT

A new centre dedicated to the understanding and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases will be established at UCL following the award of a £20million grant from the Wolfson Foundation, it was announced today.

The grant is the largest single award ever made by the Foundation and one of the largest philanthropic donations in UCL's history. It is made as a result of the Wolfson Neurology Initiative, designed as a legacy to Lord Wolfson of Marylebone, who died in 2010.

The grant will be used to establish The Leonard Wolfson Experimental Neurology Centre at UCL. It will be based at the heart of the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (NHNN), the partner hospital of the UCL Institute of Neurology, reflecting the importance of bringing together clinical and scientific excellence in the search for effective treatments for these devastating diseases. The Centre will accelerate the development of treatments and identify future therapeutic targets for neurodegenerative diseases, with the aim of earlier intervention for patients.... [Read More]

MorphoSys initiates phase 1b clinical trial with MOR103 for MS

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 03:20:00 EDT

MorphoSys AG announced today that a phase 1b clinical trial evaluating MOR103, a human monoclonal antibody to GM-CSF (granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor), in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) is now open for enrollment, thereby adding a second indication to the development program.

A phase 1b/2a trial in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis is ongoing and is on track to report data by mid of 2012. Additionally, a phase 1 pharmacokinetic (PK) study in healthy volunteers to evaluate a subcutaneous formulation of MOR103 will commence shortly.... [Read More]

Call for vitamin D supplements to tackle Scots MS rates

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 05:00:00 EDT

Rates of multiple sclerosis are so "dire" in Scotland that essential foods should be fortified with vitamin D, according to an Oxford academic.

Professor of clinical neurology, George Ebers, has published a study showing a strong link between the condition and vitamin D deficiency.

He says the Scottish government could face legal action from people who go on to develop MS in future.

Scotland's chief medical officer said trials of supplements were needed.

Scotland has the highest levels of MS in the world and the lowest levels of vitamin D, due to a lack of sunshine and a diet low in oily fish.

Prof Ebers has published the latest study to show a link between the vitamin and multiple sclerosis, but he says efforts to convince the Scottish government and its top health advisor, Sir Harry Burns, that the whole population needs to take vitamin D have come to nothing.... [Read More]

Oral Teriflunomide in relapsing Multiple Sclerosis study reported

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 03:02:00 EDT

Genzyme, a Sanofi company , today reported top-line results from TENERE, a Phase III clinical trial comparing the effectiveness, safety and tolerability of once-daily oral teriflunomide to interferon beta-1a (Rebif(R)), an approved injectable therapy, in people with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (RMS).

The TENERE trial, which included 324 patients, is the second completed study of five efficacy studies of teriflunomide in MS, making the clinical program one of the largest and broadest of any multiple sclerosis agent under development..... [Read More]

193 PML cases and one more death in Tysabri MS patients

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 06:02:00 EDT

Biogen have released the figures for December for cases of PML and deaths caused by it in Tysabri patients with MS.

As of December 1, 2011, there have been 193 PML cases, of which 112 have been in the European Economic Area (EEA), 71 in the US and 10 in rest of world (ROW).
39 of the 193 patients with PML have died.

In 45 natalizumab-treated MS patients who developed PML and in whom serum samples were available 6-187 months prior to the onset of PML, all 45 patients had anti-JCV antibodies detected.... [Read More]

Neurological emergencies up by a third as patient care worsens, study finds

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 06:43:00 EDT

The number of people suffering from neurological disorders has increased, despite extra spending a report has shown.

According to the National Audit Office (NAO) emergency hospital admissions for conditions such as Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis and motor neurone diseases have risen by around a third.

It also revealed patient care has 'worsened' recommending that the Department of Health needs to implement more effective strategies to remedy the situation.

The quality of care, coordination of health and social services, variability in access to services around the country, and poor budget control have have been cited as key areas of concern.... [Read More]

Using powerful MRI to track iron levels in brain could be new way to monitor progression of MS

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 06:29:00 EDT

Medical researchers at the University of Alberta have discovered a new way to track the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS) in those living with the disease, by using a powerful, triple strength MRI to track increasing levels of iron found in brain tissue.

The researchers discovered that iron levels in MS patients are increasing in grey matter areas of the brain that are responsible for relaying messages. High iron levels in a specific "relay area" were noted in patients who had physical disabilities associated with MS.

Iron is very important for normal function of the brain and the amount of iron is a tightly controlled system by the brain tissue. The discovery suggests there is a problem with the control system. Too much iron can be toxic to brain cells and high levels of iron in the brain have been associated with various neurodegenerative diseases. But to date, no tests have been able to quantify or measure iron in living brain.... [Read More]

Intestine crucial to function of immune cells, research shows

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 05:39:00 EDT

Researchers at the University of Toronto have found an explanation for how the intestinal tract influences a key component of the immune system to prevent infection, offering a potential clue to the cause of autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis.

"The findings shed light on the complex balance between beneficial and harmful bacteria in the gut," said Prof. Jennifer Gommerman, an Associate Professor in the Department of Immunology at U of T, whose findings were published online by the scientific journal, Nature. "There has been a long-standing mystery of how certain cells can differentiate between and attack harmful bacteria in the intestine without damaging beneficial bacteria and other necessary cells. Our research is working to solve it." ... [Read More]

Gilenya� shows positive clinical outcomes in third phase III clinical trial

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 03:42:00 EDT

Novartis announced today new data from the Phase III 2309 study showing patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) treated with Gilenya® (fingolimod) had a statistically significant 48% reduction in annualized relapse rates (ARR) at 24 months compared to placebo. Study 2309 is the third Phase III clinical trial to demonstrate a significant reduction of relapse rates with Gilenya treatment in patients with RRMS.

The two previous Gilenya studies involved a two-year, placebo-controlled trial and a one-year, head-to-head trial against interferon-beta-1a (IM) in which the once-daily oral medicine showed a 54% and a 52% relative reduction in ARR, respectively... [Read More]

Utah firm developing blood tests for multiple sclerosis

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 02:55:00 EDT

A Salt Lake City company has received a boost in its quest to develop diagnostic tests for multiple sclerosis, which could improve the lives of those with the devastating, unpredictable autoimmune disorder that disrupts nerve function.

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society on Wednesday announced a $622,000 pledge, through its nonprofit subsidiary Fast Forward, to Lineagen Inc., a molecular diagnostic company that was spun off from the University of Utah in 2005. The grant will fund ongoing U. research programs at the labs of neurologist John Rose, a leading clinical MS researcher, and his longtime collaborator geneticist Mark Leppert, Lineagen’s chief science adviser and co-founder.... [Read More]

Novartis investigating death possibly linked to oral MS medication Gilenya

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 02:25:00 EDT

One year after Novartis won FDA approval for a new type of drug to treat relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis and delay the progression of physical disabilities, the drugmaker is now investigating a death tied to its pill, which is called Gilenya. The disclosure, which was made by a Wall Street analyst, has the potential to cast a pall over a drug that has been expected to generate blockbuster sales.

Specifically, this is the first death of a patient within 24 hours of taking a first dose. For now, an exact cause of death has not been disclosed, and the drugmaker suggests that it remains unclear whether its pill was the reason.

However, in an investor note, Sanford Bernstein analyst Tim Anderson write that, “to us, it seems likely the company has a reasonable idea of the cause of death given the fact that this occurred about 20 days ago.”... [Read More]

Fooling immune system reverses MS-like symptoms in mice

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 08:05:00 EDT

To fight an autoimmune disease, you've got to outwit a rogue immune system that has turned on itself. By doing just that, symptoms of multiple sclerosis have been reversed in mice.

MS occurs when the fatty myelin sheath that enwraps nerve fibres to improve their electrical conductivity comes under attack from the immune system. Impaired signal transmission can cause muscle weakness, vision problems and paralysis.

To switch off the attack, Marco Prinz at the University of Freiburg, Germany, and colleagues, took mice genetically modified to present symptoms of MS and injected them with RNA that stimulates the production of a protein called interferon-b (IFNb).... [Read More]

Rare gene links vitamin D and multiple sclerosis

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 03:41:00 EDT

A rare genetic variant which causes reduced levels of vitamin D appears to be directly linked to multiple sclerosis, says an Oxford University study.

UK and Canadian scientists identified the mutated gene in 35 parents of a child with MS and, in each case, the child inherited it.

Researchers say this adds weight to suggestions of a link between vitamin D deficiency and MS.

The study is in Annals of Neurology..... [Read More]

Multiple sclerosis often starts in brain�s outer layers

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 04:03:00 EDT

Multiple sclerosis (MS) may progress from the outermost layers of the brain to its deep parts, and isn’t always an “inside-out” process as previously thought, reported a new collaborative study from researchers at the Mayo Clinic and the Cleveland Clinic.

The traditional understanding is that the disease begins in the white matter that forms the bulk of the brain’s inside, and extends to involve the brain’s superficial layers, the cortex. Study findings support an opposite, outside-in process: from the cerebrospinal fluid-filled subarachnoid space, that cushions the outside of the brain and the cortex, into the white matter. The new findings will guide researchers as they seek to further understand and treat the disease.

The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine in December, 2011.... [Read More]

Cortical demyelination, inflammation found in early MS

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 02:58:00 EDT

Cortical demyelination is common early in the course of multiple sclerosis and is inflammatory in nature, according to an analysis of brain biopsy samples containing cortical tissue.

"These findings do not support a primary (noninflammatory) neurodegenerative process during early-stage multiple sclerosis," Dr. Claudia F. Lucchinetti of the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., and her associates wrote in the Dec. 8 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Most previous studies of cortical lesions have focused on autopsy findings in patients with longstanding multiple sclerosis and "have suggested that neurodegeneration proceeds independently of parenchymal inflammation," the investigators noted.... [Read More]

Multiple Sclerosis: The importance of treatment

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 07:06:00 EDT

When Michael Williamson was 16 years old, he noticed a few odd cramps one day at a cross-country track meet. His coach told him to run them out. A day or so later, he woke up completely paralyzed from the waist down.

After a lot of testing and poking and prodding, Williamson was told he had something called transverse myelitis. "I saw a lot of specialists, but no one mentioned MS," says Williamson, now 27 and the owner of an adventure travel company in Colorado.

He recovered and continued his active, athletic lifestyle. It wasn’t until another episode of paralysis -- this one in college -- that Williamson was finally diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Since then, he’s religiously taken the disease-modifying drugs designed to hold MS at bay, and hasn’t had another attack in nearly 10 years.... [Read More]

Anger at NICE oral MS drug Gilenya decision

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 03:27:00 EDT

Campaigners have condemned a decision that could lead to a ban on the use of the first pill to treat multiple sclerosis.

The National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) ruled the drug was too expensive following a second consultation on its use.

It says it is not minded to make it available on the NHS but a final decision has not been made yet and people can still make their views known.

It is believed the fingolimod, which is taken daily, can cut relapses in the condition, and it has been used successfully in other countries.... [Read More]

Study shows Laquinimod targets immune cells to increase neuroprotection

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 03:05:00 EDT

Laquinimod is an orally available synthetic compound that has been successfully evaluated in phase II/III clinical studies for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).

The mechanism of action of laquinimod has not been fully elucidated, but a study published in the January 2012 issue of The American Journal of Pathology suggests that laquinimod triggers immune cells within the central nervous system to produce and release brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), contributing to the repair or survival of neurons and thus limiting brain damage.

"Our data are indicative of a direct and sustained effect of laquinimod on the up-regulation of bioactive BDNF in patients with RRMS. Additionally, we demonstrate that laquinimod targets monocytes and skews the phagocyte population towards a regulatory phenotype, which in turn mediates immune modulation in vivo," explained Jan Thöne, MD, of the Department of Neurology at St. Josef-Hospital Bochum and Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany.... [Read More]

MS bone marrow stem cell trial to begin

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 05:53:00 EDT

British doctors are to conduct a trial using bone marrow stem cells that they hope could halt or perhaps even reverse the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS).

The Bristol University team wants to recruit 80 people for the research, after a pilot study in six people showed "tantalising" results.

The technique involves harvesting bone marrow from the patient, filtering out the stem cells and then injecting them into the person's veins the same day.

The theory is that the stem cells help repair damage caused to the protective coating of nerve cells, called myelin, which is the cause of MS.... [Read More]

What you eat and drink may affect your MS

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 05:34:00 EDT

If you have multiple sclerosis, will drinking wine make the disease worse? How about smoking? Or eating fish? How do daily choices affect your condition?

Researchers from Belgium and the Netherlands wanted to take an in-depth look at some of the most common daily life choices, and learn how they affected the progression of disease in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).

The results were maybe not what you'd expect: Alcohol, coffee, and fish consumption reduced the risk of relapsing onset MS patients needing to use a cane to walk. Only smoking increased the risk.

The research was conducted by the National MS Center in Belgium, the Flemish MS society and the neurological and statistical department from the University of Brussels. Previous studies have suggested that lifestyle factors have an influence on how MS progresses, or worsens, in a patient.... [Read More]

Cash shortage forces health board to limit MS treatment

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 05:21:00 EDT

Multiple Sclerosis patients are being denied a proven treatment by a cash-strapped health board.

Funding for new patients to undergo functional electrical stimulation (FES) has been suspended by health chiefs at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board as it reviews its efficacy.

The health board is the only one in Wales to take this action, two years after the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) decided FES is effective on both clinical and cost grounds.

The MS Society Cymru is calling on the health board to end the funding freeze and restore access to FES, which can help people with MS to walk.

FES uses an electrical current to stimulate the muscles that lift the foot during walking – a so-called “drop foot” is a common symptom of MS and can lead to falls and broken bones.... [Read More]

Success of immunomodulators in MS shifts discovery focus to neuroprotection

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 10:28:00 EDT

With six immunomodulatory agents in late-stage development for relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis, this area of the therapeutic space has become highly competitive. Could remyelination therapies that provide neuroprotection be the next frontier?

Close on the heels of the approval last year of the first oral disease-modifying drug for multiple sclerosis (MS), Novartis's fingolimod, six more late-stage contenders — including novel oral agents and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) — are next up. As a result, the landscape for immunomodulatory agents is becoming increasingly crowded.

The latest clinical trial results for these relapsing–remitting MS (RRMS) treatment contenders were presented in October at the joint ECTRIMS–ACTRIMS meeting in Amsterdam. A highlight was data for Biogen Idec's BG-12 (dimethyl fumarate), an orally available small molecule (with a relative molecular mass of < 150) that is thought to act in part by modulating the activity of the transcription factors nuclear factor-κB and NRF2, which have important roles in inflammation. Results from the Phase III DEFINE trial of the drug showed that the drug met its primary end point, significantly reducing the proportion of patients who relapsed at 2 years. Top-line data from the CONFIRM trial — which included Teva's injectable immunomodulator glatiramer acetate as an active comparator — were reported days after the meeting and provided similarly positive results.... [Read More]

Barrister with MS challenges Sheffield City Council over rise in care fees

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 06:19:00 EDT

A man with multiple sclerosis has begun a legal challenge against Sheffield Council over a rise in his care fees.

Michael Tooley, who has suffered from the illness since 1997, said his weekly contribution towards his care had increased from £115 to £345.

Mr Tooley, a barrister, said the rise was excessive and discriminatory.... [Read More]

Sonic Hedgehog protein: Breakthrough in pinpointing protective mechanisms in MS

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 04:54:00 EDT

In an article published today in the prestigious journal Science, a team of researchers led by Dr Alexander Prat and postgraduate fellow Jorge Alvarez at the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM) sheds light on how the blood-brain-barrier (BBB) works to prevent the incursion of the immune system into the brain. "Our findings provide a better understanding of the mechanisms used by the brain in mounting a natural defence against immune system aggression, as is the case in Multiple Sclerosis" explains Dr Prat.

There is no known cure for this auto-immune disease of the central nervous system (CNS). One of the characteristics of this debilitating disease is the inability of the BBB to restrict and control the passage of immune cells into the brain. This intrusion of the body's immune system into the brain affects the ability of neurons in the brain and in the spinal cord to communicate efficiently with one another, producing extensive and recurrent central nervous system damage.... [Read More]

Mayo Clinic research improves diagnosis and potential treatment of Neuromyelitis Optica

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 02:59:00 EDT

Mayo Clinic researchers have identified critical steps leading to myelin destruction in neuromyelitis optica (NMO), a debilitating neurological disease that is commonly misdiagnosed as multiple sclerosis (MS). The findings could lead to better care for the thousands of patients around the world with NMO. The paper was published in the journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA.

NMO is an inflammatory autoimmune disease of the central nervous system that damages the optic nerves and spinal cord, causing vision loss, weakness, numbness and, sometimes, arm and leg paralysis and loss of bowel and bladder control. NMO was historically misdiagnosed as a severe variant of MS until 2005 when a team led by Vanda A. Lennon, M.D., Ph.D., a Mayo Clinic research immunologist, identified an antibody unique to NMO, and discovered that its unexpected target was the major water channel of the central nervous system (aquaporin-4). A blood test emerging from this discovery has revolutionized the diagnosis of NMO, allowing its distinction from multiple sclerosis and introducing more appropriate treatments.... [Read More]

Risk factors for CCSVI are similar to those for developing MS

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:02:00 EDT

The first study to investigate risk factors for the vascular condition called CCSVI (chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency) in volunteers without neurological disease has identified what the researchers call a remarkable similarity between this condition and possible or confirmed risk factors for multiple sclerosis (MS).

The University at Buffalo study investigated associations between CCSVI and demographic, clinical and environmental risk factors in a large control group of volunteers who did not have known central nervous system disease.

"Our results suggest that risk factors for CCSVI in this group of volunteers are remarkably similar to those of possible or confirmed importance to MS, but we do not yet understand the whole story," says Robert Zivadinov, MD, PhD, FAAN, professor of neurology at the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and senior author on the study.... [Read More]

Stem cell promise for multiple sclerosis

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 04:15:00 EDT

New research has found a way to replenish the fatty layer or myelin sheath around nerve cells1 — a finding that could yield a cure for neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis.

Researchers have now understood how the right mix of biological growth factors coaxes human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) to form oligodendrocytes, a type of nerve cells that form the myelin sheath.

"We have been able to identify the proteins that are expressed during the differentiation of ESCs into oligodendrocyte progenitor cells, which in turn grow into oligodenrocytes," says Akhilesh Pandey, one of the researchers from the Institute of Bioinformatics, Bangalore and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, US. "We have also identified several proteins that aid the formation of myelin," he adds.... [Read More]

Oral MS drug Gilenya fails to win NICE backing in draft guidance

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 03:52:00 EDT

The UK's health cost body National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, or NICE, in its revised draft guidance did not recommend Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis' multiple sclerosis pill Gilenya, as it believes the drug would not be cost effective for the National Health Service, or NHS, in comparison with other available treatments. NICE has not yet issued guidance for the NHS.

Gilenya, or fingolimod, is a daily capsule that could reduce relapses in some people who have a particular type of multiple sclerosis.

Even after a proposed discount from Novartis, NICE's independent appraisal committee is not convinced that offering the drug would be a cost effective option for the NHS, when compared with existing treatments such as beta interferons.... [Read More]

New hope for survival of Horley's Brambles MS centre

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 09:44:00 EDT

There is new hope for Horley's acclaimed Brambles Respite Care Centre for people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) this week. The MS Society, which runs the centre in Suffolk Close, widely regarded as one of the best centres of its kind in the country, has announced its temporary closure.

But the society also said it has struck an 11th hour deal which could save it from permanent closure.

Instead, it said, if all goes well with a transfer agreement it is working on, the centre will re-open in the first few days of January.

The Brambles was due to shut its doors for the last time today (Wednesday, November 30), after more than 20 years helping thousands of people with MS and their carers and families.... [Read More]

HLA-DRB1*15:01 and multiple sclerosis: a female association?

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 05:43:00 EDT

Abstract

Background: The association between multiple sclerosis (MS) and the HLA-DRB1*15:01 haplotype has been proven to be strong, but its molecular basis remains unclear. Vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene variants and sex have been proposed to modulate this association.

Objectives: 1) Test the association of MS with *15:01 and VDR variants; 2) check whether VDR variants and/or sex modulate the risk conferred by *15:01; 3) study whether *15:01, VDR variants and/or sex affect HLA II gene expression.... [Read More]

'MS robbed me of my soulmate, now it's taking my daughter'

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 05:18:00 EDT

On the release of her latest album this year, British soul singer Beverley Knight enthused about one track in particular: Mama Used To Say – a cover of the chart hit by Eighties pop sensation Junior Giscombe.

It was a name few had heard in the preceding decades for, at the height of his fame, when he was touring with Michael Jackson, Junior’s long-term partner and ‘soulmate’ Nardia developed Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Tragically, she lost her fight with the degenerative neurological condition in 2008.

The same year their daughter Jenique, now 26, was also diagnosed with the same aggressive form of the disease that affects 100,000 Britons.... [Read More]

Higher patient adherence to disease modifying therapies reduces MS costs

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 03:35:00 EDT

Avi Dor, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Health Policy, GW School of Public Health and Health Services, was a co-author of a study, in collaboration with Teva Pharmaceuticals, that found that higher patient adherence to disease modifying therapies, like glatiramer acetate (GA), an immunomodulator drug currently used to treat multiple sclerosis, reduced inpatient costs, outpatient costs, and other medical expenses in a national sample of multiple sclerosis patients.

This research was published in the December issue of the Journal of Medical Economics.... [Read More]

MS Society of Canada announces $3.8 million to study progressive forms of MS

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 10:15:00 EDT

The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada and the Multiple Sclerosis Scientific Research Foundation announced a $3.8 million grant to investigate the complex interplay between degeneration and inflammation in multiple sclerosis (MS).

The grant will fund a study led by Dr. Peter Stys from the University of Calgary's Hotchkiss Brain Institute, which would investigate damage that occurs in MS prior to inflammation. This research may have special relevance for those with progressive forms of MS.

Collaborative grants funded by the MS Scientific Research Foundation support large, innovative, multi-centre studies that will lead to major advances in the field of multiple sclerosis. Key collaborators of the study include colleagues from the University of Calgary, the University of British Columbia, and Laval University and the VU University in Amsterdam. The MS Scientific Research Foundation receives the majority of its funding from the MS Society of Canada.... [Read More]

Vitamin D benefits: hope or hype?

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 03:27:00 EDT

Vitamin D is good for what ails you. Or at least that's what patients and doctors might conclude if they read only the headlines.

In the past few months, deficiency in the substance has been linked to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, tuberculosis, spinal inflammatory diseases, age-related macular degeneration ... and the list goes on.

On the other hand, taking high doses of vitamin D didn't help patients with multiple sclerosis, MedPage Today reported, and it was of no benefit in reducing left ventricular mass in patients with chronic kidney disease.

But overall, vitamin D gets pretty good press. The trouble is that hard evidence to back up the vitamin's benefits is lacking, according to Clifford Rosen, MD, of the Maine Medical Center Research Institute in Scarborough. "There's no data," Rosen told MedPage Today. "It's all weak association studies."... [Read More]

Elan, Cambridge University launch CNS disease drug discovery facility

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 03:15:00 EDT

Elan will put at least $10 million into a collaboration with the U.K.’s University of Cambridge to establish the Cambridge-Elan Centre for Research Innovation and Drug Discovery. Based at the University’s Department of Chemistry, the new facility will focus on the discovery and development of new compounds that can alter the behavior of proteins associated with neurodegenerative disorders, in particular Alzheimer and Parkinson diseases. The funding from Elan will support the first five years of the initially 10-year initiative.

Establishing the Cambridge-Elan Centre effectively cements an existing working relationship between scientists at the two organizations, and combine Elan’s expertise in Alzheimer research and model systems, with the University’s expertise in studying the molecular basis of protein misfolding and aggregation. Elan says the relationship allows it to address the interconnecting biology and biophysics of protein misfolding in multiple disease areas simultaneously.... [Read More]

Canadian government requests proposals for clinical trial on CCSVI and MS

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 03:17:00 EDT

The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, and Dr. Alain Beaudet, President of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), today announced that CIHR is ready to accept research proposals for the Phase I/II clinical trial on Chronic Cerebrospinal Venous Insufficiency (CCSVI).

"Our Government is committed to helping Canadians with multiple sclerosis," said Minister Aglukkaq. "This next step will help identify a proposed clinical trial which can then undergo ethical review. At every step of this process, patient safety must be first and foremost."

The request for research proposals will be available on CIHR's website on November 30, 2011. This announcement was made today at the Federal, Provincial and Territorial Health Ministers Meeting in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The request for research proposals is a collaborative initiative between the CIHR and the MS Society of Canada. CIHR will also continue to work with the provinces and territories as it moves forward with this initiative.... [Read More]

Neuron transplants can repair brain circuits

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 03:05:00 EDT

A new study by Harvard University neuroscientist Jeffrey Macklis and colleagues suggests it is possible to transplant fetal neurons into a part of the mouse brain that does not normally generate new brain cells, and they will repair abnormal circuits. In this case, the researchers repaired a genetic defect that causes obesity, but that was not the goal of their work which was to establish proof of principle that transplanted neurons can integrate into existing faulty brain circuits and restore them.

The study, published online in the journal Science on 25 November, challenges the idea that you can't repair key parts of the mammalian brain.... [Read More]

Ray of hope for MS care centre

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 11:10:00 EDT

Supporters of the Helen Ley care centre near Leamington have cautiously welcomed the news that it is to be saved by a neighbouring care specialist.

Current owner the MS Society, which is to end its residential respite services at the centre for people with multiple sclerosis, has announced that Leamington-based Castel Froma has signed an initial agreement to take over the running of Helen Ley in January.

The move comes just weeks after a deal with MS Respite and Care Services Ltd to buy both Helen Ley and Brambles, another MS care home in Surrey, fell through, leaving patients, their families and carers in devastation and fear that the centre would close by the end of the year.... [Read More]

Monoclonal antibody daclizumab (Zenapax) cuts MRI lesions in MS

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 04:48:00 EDT

Treatment with the monoclonal antibody daclizumab (Zenapax) resulted in significant decreases in contrast-enhancing lesions on MRI in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), a small, open-label study found.

After 54 weeks of treatment, the number of new contrast-enhancing lesions decreased from a pretreatment median of 2.042 to 0.250, which represented an 87.6% reduction (P<0.001), according to Bibiana Bielekova, MD, of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke in Bethesda, Md., and colleagues.

The total volume of these lesions also fell, from 0.328 mm2 to 0.034 mm2, which was an inhibition of 89.7% (P<0.001), the researchers reported in the November 22 issue of Neurology.... [Read More]

Non-MS spine disease linked to low vitamin D

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 07:28:00 EDT

A retrospective study has found low 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in people who developed recurrent non–multiple sclerosis (MS) spinal cord diseases, including transverse myelitis, neuromyelitis optica, and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders.

In contrast, vitamin D levels were normal in people with monophasic spinal cord disease such as idiopathic transverse myelitis.

"There is a well-recognized link between low vitamin D levels and risk of development of MS," study author Michael Levy, MD, PhD, assistant professor, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and medical director of Inpatient General Neurology, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland, told Medscape Medical News.... [Read More]

My MS consultant told me not to do anything stressful - so I went after Murdoch's phone-hackers

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 05:58:00 EDT

On one wall of Taylor Hampton solicitors' office opposite the Royal Courts of Justice are four framed newspaper front pages about phone-hacking, including the Independent's "Murdoch in Crisis" and the News of the World's cover "Thank You and Goodbye".

They hang like prized moose-heads that Mark Lewis, the lawyer who acts for Milly Dowler's family and more than 80 other hacking victims, has collected over the past six months.

On another wall are two 1950s film posters, of Glenn Ford in Trial and Dirk Bogarde's Libel. If one set of pictures speaks to Lewis's achievement, the other speaks to the Hollywood drama that he sees himself as both director of and actor in. And in best thriller tradition, he unwittingly starred in a film recently made by a private investigator hired by the News of the World to follow him.

But yesterday he was a confident lead player as the camera flashes burst all around him outside the High Court as he arrived to be with his clients Bob and Sally Dowler. They were there to tell the Leveson Inquiry about the devastating consequences of the hacking of their murdered daughter Milly's phone.... [Read More]

MSRCNY receives approval for groundbreaking stem cell trial in MS

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 04:42:00 EDT

Landmark Study Targets Repair and Regeneration for MS Patients

The Multiple Sclerosis Research Center of New York (MSRCNY) and the International Cellular Medicine Society (ICMS) jointly announced today the ICMS Institutional Review Board's (IRB) approval of the first study to use autologous brain-like or neural stem cells for multiple sclerosis.

"We are entering a whole new world of possibilities for our patients" said Dr. Saud A. Sadiq, Neurologist and Director of the MSRCNY. "This initial stem cell treatment strategy opens up new avenues of treatment options focused on repair and regeneration that didn't exist before." Dr. Sadiq added, "We are delighted that the ICMS has approved our study and feel both the MSRCNY and the ICMS share the basic ideology of advancing safe and effective treatment in addressing patient needs."... [Read More]

Scientists grow neurons that integrate into brain

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 04:21:00 EDT

Scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have grown human embryonic stem cells into neurons that appear capable of adapting themselves to the brain's machinery by sending and receiving messages from other cells, raising hopes that medicine may one day use this tool to treat patients with such disorders as Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

Researchers inserted the human cells into the brains of mice where they successfully integrated themselves into the wiring. Then the UW team applied a new technology, using light to stimulate the human cells and watching as they in turn activated mouse brain cells... [Read More]

GW Pharma files new regulatory application to expand Sativex� approvals in Europe

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 02:54:00 EDT

GW Pharmaceuticals plc today announced that it has submitted an application under the European Mutual Recognition Procedure (MRP) to seek to expand the marketing authorization for Sativex® to a number of additional European member states.

The new MRP follows successful completion of a previous MRP earlier this year in which recommendation for approval of Sativex® was obtained from regulatory authorities in Germany, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Austria and the Czech Republic. Prior to this, Sativex® received approval in 2010 in the UK and Spain.

The complete list of countries to which the MRP application is being made is currently being finalised. The list is expected to include approximately ten new countries and will mean that if this MRP process is successful, approaching twenty European countries will have recommended approval of Sativex.... [Read More]

CHMP gives positive opinion for extended indication for Rebif� for patients with early signs Of MS

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 05:12:00 EDT

Merck Serono, a division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, announced today that it received a positive opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), the scientific committee of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), for its variation application to extend the indication of Rebif (interferon beta-1a), its leading treatment for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS).

The positive CHMP opinion is for the use of Rebif 44 micrograms three times weekly in patients who have experienced a single demyelinating event, an early sign of the disease, and who are at high risk of converting to MS... [Read More]

Safety of endovascular treatment of CCSVI: A report of 240 patients with MS

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 04:45:00 EDT

Purpose
To evaluate the safety of outpatient endovascular treatment in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI).

Materials and Methods
A retrospective analysis was performed to assess complications occurring within 30 days of endovascular treatment of CCSVI. The study population comprised 240 patients; 257 procedures were performed over 8 months. The indication for treatment in all patients was symptomatic MS. Of the procedures, 49.0% (126 of 257) were performed in a hospital, and 51.0% (131 of 257) were performed in the office. Primary procedures accounted for 93.0% (239 of 257) of procedures, and repeat interventions accounted for 7% (18 of 257). For patients treated primarily, 87% (208 of 239) had angioplasty, and 11% (26 of 239) had stent placement; 5 patients were not treated. Of patients with restenosis, 50% (9 of 18) had angioplasty, and 50% (9 of 18) had stent placement.... [Read More]

Hospital passport scheme to keep check on neurological patients

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 04:33:00 EDT

A new pilot scheme has been launched which could help thousands of patients with neurological conditions from York, Selby, and the surrounding areas.

The Health Passport scheme was launched at York Hospital, and designed to provide staff on wards with valuable information about patients with neurological conditions including multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, motor neurone disease and epilepsy.

In the passports, which work like a medical bracelet and are carried by the individuals, are details about patient’s conditions, along with notes about how they may be affected at different points in an average day, or how their conditions may change if they have missed medication, or are fatigued.... [Read More]

Charities team up to offer MS respite care

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 03:27:00 EDT

Two charities are working together to provide subsidised respite breaks for people with multiple sclerosis in Chigwell, Southampton, and Southport.

Disability charity Vitalise and the MS Society have joined forces to provide the breaks at Vitalise's three accessible holiday centres, Jubilee Lodge in Chigwell, Netley Waterside House, in Southampton, and Sandpipers, in Southport.

The partnership will unite the two charities' discretionary funds in order to make stays at the holiday centres more affordable for people with MS, and their families and carers, who are in need of financial support.... [Read More]

High dose vitamin D pills 'can double heart condition risk'

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 06:27:00 EDT

Taking high doses of vitamin D could more than double the chance of having a type of serious heart complaint, according to results of a large-scale survey.

Those with "excess" levels of the vitamin in their blood were 2.5 times more likely than those with normal levels to have atrial fibrillation (AF), a type of heart flutter common in old age which can lead to stroke.

More than a million people in Britain are thought to have AF, the vast majority over 70.

The results, presented this week at a meeting of the American Heart Association, are perhaps most concerning for post-menopausal women, who commonly take supplements of the vitamin with calcium to help fend off osteoporosis.... [Read More]