Category Archives: MS Treatment

Parkinson's drug benztropine led to the repair of MS-damaged nerve fibers in mice (Luke Lairson, The Scripps Research Institute) A drug for Parkinson's disease has been found to be an effective treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS) in mice. Benztropine has been found to be highly effective in treating a standard model of MS in mice, both as a stand-alone treatment and in combination with existing MS drugs. Unlike standard MS drugs, which supress the immune system, the newly identified set of compounds boost progenitor cells that can then repair nerve fibres damaged by the disease. MS is an autoimmune disease of the brain and spinal cord that currently affects over two million people worldwide. Its cause is unknown but a lack of vitamin D and certain infections are known to increase risk. Symptoms include limb weakness, numbness, fatigue, vision problems, slurred speech, memory problems and depression. The average life expectancy of someone living with MS is around 10 years less than the average population. Immune cells infiltrate the spinal cord and brain causing inflammation and the loss of an insulating coating called myelin on nerve fibres. As these nerve fibres lose their coating, they lose the ability to transmit signals … Continue reading →

Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter Posted: Wednesday, October 9, 2013, 6:00 AM TUESDAY, Oct. 8 (HealthDay News) -- A theory claiming that multiple sclerosis (MS) is caused by the narrowing of veins in the neck appears to be unfounded, Canadian researchers report. Called "chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency" (CCSVI), Dr. Paolo Zamboni, from the University of Ferrara, in Italy, first proposed the idea in 2009. It soon caught the attention of many MS sufferers in search of a cure. "He thought the main problem in MS could be the veins draining the brain and spinal cord; that these veins were blocked or congested," Dr. Anthony Traboulsee, lead researcher for the new study, said during a Tuesday morning press briefing. The treatment, which Zamboni called the "liberation procedure," was to surgically open these veins, thereby fixing the problem and curing or at least reducing the symptoms of MS, explained Traboulsee, medical director of the MS Clinic at the University of British Columbia Hospital, part of Vancouver Coastal Health. MS affects about 2.3 million people worldwide, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. It causes inflammation and damage to the central nervous system that leads to problems with mobility, balance, sensation and thinking, depending … Continue reading →

Angela Mulholland, CTVNews.ca Published Tuesday, October 8, 2013 6:31PM EDT Last Updated Tuesday, October 8, 2013 11:49PM EDT A study published in the British medical journal The Lancet finds that narrowing of the veins leading from the brain -- a condition called CCSVI -- is just as prevalent in patients with Multiple Sclerosis as in people without the disease. The study, funded by the MS Society of Canada and led by Dr. Anthony Traboulsee of the University of British Columbia, calls into question the controversial theory that MS is caused by or associated with CCSVI, or chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency. Four years ago, Italian doctor Paolo Zamboni proposed that MS was linked to constricted veins in the head and neck. He provided research that showed that opening the veins with tiny balloons a procedure he dubbed the liberation treatment --could improve symptoms in patients and reduce the number of attacks. Since then, hundreds of patients have sought the procedure and dozens of studieshave been presented-- all with conflicting results. The Lancet study used ultrasound to examine the veins of 79 people with MS, as well as a procedure called catheter venography. They also looked at the veins of 55 people … Continue reading →

Health News of Wednesday, 9 October 2013 Source: graphic.com.gh The Minister of Health, Ms Sherry Ayittey, has asked Ghanaians to have confidence in the countrys health system and stop travelling abroad for the treatment of illnesses that can be treated locally. She said the governments programme to refurbish and re-equip the three teaching hospitals to enhance healthcare delivery was on course. Already, she said, some modern facilities had been installed at those hospitals, while some of their departments had been refurbished. The three teaching hospitals are the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) in Accra, the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi and the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH). Taking her turn at the meet-the-press series in Accra yesterday, Ms Ayittey said the hospitals were being equipped with modern diagnostic machines which could detect diseases and all kinds of ailments. The re-equipping of the teaching hospitals, she stated, was essential, since they served as referral hospitals for the northern, central and southern parts of the country. Projects Giving details on some ongoing projects in the hospitals, Ms Ayittey said the Dental Department of KBTH has being refitted with eight new dental treatment units. Excerpt from: Have confidence in healthcare system — Sherry … Continue reading →

Sheryl Ubelacker, The Canadian Press Published Tuesday, October 8, 2013 5:11PM PDT Last Updated Tuesday, October 8, 2013 7:09PM PDT TORONTO -- A long-awaited Canadian study has found that narrowed neck veins are as common in healthy people as those with multiple sclerosis, sounding what's being called the "death knell" of the theory that blocked blood vessels may cause the debilitating neurological disease. The study, published Tuesday in The Lancet, is the latest to question the validity of a controversial theory put forth in 2009 by Dr. Paolo Zamboni that MS is related to narrowed neck veins, which prevent blood from properly draining from the brain. The Italian vascular surgeon named the condition "chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency," or CCSVI. He suggested iron deposits from backed-up blood cause the lesions in the brain that are the hallmarks of MS. The disease causes inflammation that destroys the myelin sheath around nerves, leading to widespread disability. Zamboni said patients treated with a procedure to open up their neck veins -- called balloon venoplasty -- saw a significant reduction in symptoms. News of Zamboni's "liberation therapy," generated through traditional and social media, sent thousands of MS patients from Canada and elsewhere to private clinics … Continue reading →

Novartis (NVS) multiple sclerosis (MS) drug Gilenya continues to show its efficacy in treating patients in the long run. Gilenya is the first approved once-daily oral therapy for the treatment of relapsing forms of MS. Novartis presented new data on Gilenya from three pivotal studies TRANSFORMS, FREEDOMS and FREEDOMS extension studies. The data indicates that continued treatment with Gilenya can lead to a reduction in brain volume loss in patients suffering from relapsing forms of MS. It was also observed that a higher proportion of patients treated with Gilenya remained free from disability progression. Novartis presented this new data at the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis in Denmark. In addition, Novartis also released data from an international MS registry and a U.S. health claims data base which showed that Gilenya was more effective in reducing risks of relapses compared to standard therapies. Novartis licensed Gilenya from Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation. We note that Gilenya is approved in the U.S. for relapsing forms of MS. In the EU, Gilenya is approved for adult patients with highly active relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS). We are encouraged by the data on Gilenya, which showed the effectiveness of the drug against standard … Continue reading →

Tecfidera Month Two for Mulitple Sclerosis MS My video journal on my progress with new MS treatment Tecfidera. By: heythereitsmindy … Continue reading →

MEQUON, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Scientists from ENDECE Neural presented preclinical data today showing that the companys lead compound, NDC-1308, addresses one of the root causes of multiple sclerosis (MS) by significantly inducing remyelination in nerves that have been damaged by MS. In an oral presentation at the 29th Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) in Copenhagen, Denmark, the ENDECE Neural researchers also reported a dramatic upregulation of genes in signaling pathways involved in myelin sheath production. NDC-1308 works by inducing differentiation of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) into mature oligodendrocytes, cells that synthesize and maintain the myelin sheath that covers nerves in the brain and spinal cord, the researchers noted. By contrast, the female hormones estradiol and estriol do not exert that effect. Repair of the myelin sheath, called remyelination, has long been an elusive goal in the treatment of multiple sclerosis, explained Steven Nye, Ph.D., Vice President of Discovery at ENDECE Neural. The synthesis of NDC-1308, an estradiol analog, was inspired by observations that pregnant women typically do not experience the symptoms of MS during the third trimester. In our experiments, NDC-1308 induces remyelination in animal models of demyelination, compared to estradiol and estriol … Continue reading →

New four-year data showed that continued Gilenya treatment reduced brain volume loss by one third when compared to delaying Gilenya by two years. MS patients with higher rates of brain volume loss were more likely to experience disease progression. Patients who remained free of disease had consistently lower rates of brain volume loss compared to patients who experienced disease activity. The digital press release with multimedia content can be accessed here: Basel, October 4, 2013 - Novartis announced today new data indicating that continued treatment with Gilenya (fingolimod) led to a reduction in brain volume loss in patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS), and was associated with a higher proportion of patients remaining free of disability progression [1],[2]. These data were presented at the ongoing 29th Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) in Copenhagen, Denmark. Brain volume loss is emerging as one of the best indicators of disability progression over the long-term in MS, and is a topic of much interest within the MS medical community[3]. Increasingly, research focus is on treatments that will reduce the rate of brain volume loss. Gilenya is the only oral treatment for MS that has … Continue reading →

The Hindu Indumati P. Patil (84), writer, publisher and wife of veteran journalist Patil Puttappa, passed away on Wednesday. Indumati P. Patil (84), writer, publisher and wife of veteran journalist Patil Puttappa, passed away here on Wednesday. Ms. Indumati had been unwell for the last few months and was undergoing treatment in the ICU of KIMS Hospital here since last Friday. KIMS director Vasantha Kamath told The Hindu that Ms. Indumati died due to multiple health complications, including cardiac arrest and stroke. Ms. Indumati, who married Mr. Puttappa 65 years ago, was the publisher of the now-defunct Kannada weekly Prapancha and at one point of time was responsible for bringing out a magazine focused on women, Sthree. She had also written eight works in Kannada. Mr. Puttappa has always termed Ms. Indumati as his inspiration for his writing. He had said she was his strength during his early years in journalism. Ms. Indumati was also part of the Kannada movement popularly known as Gokak Chaluvali. Mr. Puttappa was at a function at the Hubli Railway Station to flag off new trains when he received the news of his wifes death. By the time Ms. Indumatis body reached home, a large … Continue reading →