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Young carer receives international award

Sarah Thomas, aged 16, from Shrewsbury, UK, winner of MSIF’s Evelyn Nicholson Award for International Caregiver’ 2010, received her award at a special lunch at Jamie Oliver’s London restaurant ‘Fifteen’.

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Profile of the Month : April 2011

Cristina Osorio

Country: Spain
Type of MS: Relapsing-remitting
Year of Diagnosis: 2001

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Immune regulation of multiple sclerosis by transdermally applied myelin peptides

The authors conducted a one-year placebo-controlled study of 30 people with relapsing-remitting MS who were treated transdermally with a mixture of three myelin peptides or placebo. The effects on the immune response in the skin, lymph nodes and peripheral blood were examined.

The investigators found that myelin peptides applied transdermally to people with MS activated dendritic Langerhans cells in the skin at the site of immunisation and induced a unique population of granular dendritic cells in local lymph nodes. In the periphery, type 1 and interleukin-10-producing regulatory T cells were produced, with suppression of specific autoreactive proliferative responses, and suppression of interferon-γ and transforming growth factor-β production. The results suggest that modulation of the immune system with transdermal immunisation with myelin peptides might be possible.

authors: Juryńczyk M, Walczak A, Jurewicz A, Jesionek-Kupnicka D, Szczepanik M, Selmaj K.

source: Ann Neurol. 2010 Nov;68(5):593-601.

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Functional role of ipsilateral motor areas in multiple sclerosis

This interesting study from Germany examined the role of ipsilateral motor areas during performance of a simple motor task in 26 people with MS in relation to their motor impairment and CNS injury and compared them to healthy controls. Single pulses of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) were used to interfere transiently with neuronal processing in three clinically relevant areas both in contralateral and ipsilateral hemispheres during a simple reaction time task.

Results suggest recruitment of ipsilateral motor areas may be functionally relevant, yet limited adaptive response was seen following chronic brain injury in people with MS.

authors: Zeller D, Dang SY, Stefan K, Biller A, Bartsch A, Saur D, Bendszus M, Rieckmann P, Toyka KV, Classen J.

source: J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2010 Oct 27. [Epub ahead of print]

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No association of abnormal cranial venous drainage with multiple sclerosis: a magnetic resonance venography and flow-quantification study

The MS research group from Amsterdam aimed to investigate the intracranial and extracranial venous anatomy and the intracerebral venous flow profile in 20 people with MS and 20 healthy controls using magnetic resonance venography (MRV). Flow quantification showed no venous backflow in any person with MS or control. Similar rates of anomalies (venous stenosis/occlusions) of the cranial venous outflow anatomy were observed in both people with MS and healthy controls but given the normal intracranial venous flow quantification results, the authors concluded that it was likely that these findings reflect anatomical variants of venous drainage rather than clinically relevant venous outflow obstructions.

authors: Wattjes MP, van Oosten BW, de Graaf WL, Seewann A, Bot JC, van den Berg R, Uitdehaag BM, Polman CH, Barkhof F.

source: J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2010 Oct 27. [Epub ahead of print]

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Disease progression in multiple sclerosis: combining physicians' and patients' perspectives?

The authors explored the effect of combining different clinical outcome measures including Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), Nine-Hole Peg Test (9HPT), Timed 25-Foot Walk (T25FW) and the Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale (MSIS-29) in the evaluation of disease progression in 553 people with MS.

Based on the EDSS alone, 140 subjects progressed. However, almost twice as many (275) showed worsening on at least one of the clinical outcome measures. Worsening on one, but not the other scales was observed in 37 participants. Of all the people with progression, 76 (28%) showed opposing changes (worsening on one measure while improving on another measure), a phenomenon predominantly observed when combining physician-based and patient-derived outcome measures.

authors: Kragt J, Nielsen J, van der Linden F, Polman C, Uitdehaag B.

source: Mult Scler. 2010 Oct 26. [Epub ahead of print]

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Survey highlights gap between patient and healthcare professional perceptions of mobility loss due to multiple sclerosis

source: Biogen Idec

New research into mobility impairment in multiple sclerosis (MS) has revealed a gap between the perceptions of people with MS and their healthcare professionals.

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ECTRIMS Research Fellowship Exchange Programme

source: ECTRIMS

ECTRIMS announces its Research Fellowship Exchange Programme competition for the coming year - deadline 1 December 2010.

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Travel grants available from ARSEP

source: ARSEP

French MS organisation ARSEP, in partnership with Merck Serono, offers travel grants to facilitate exchanges between clinical centres and/or laboratories involved in MS.

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