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Global Dinner Party 2007 - get involved!

We would like to invite you to host an MS Global Dinner Party on Saturday 24 February 2007. Hold a dinner party, a barbecue, a picnic, a quiz, a games evening or any other event on this date, and join MS supporters worldwide to raise funds nationally and internationally for MS.

The GDP also helps to promote awareness of the disease and supports the work of national MS societies in the global movement to find the cause and a cure for MS. Be a GDP host and join the global MS movement!

For more information about getting involved, please click on this link: MS Global Dinner Party

Royal Hospital Chelsea honour for MSIF Chairman

We are extremely pleased to announce that Sarah Phillips, MSIF’s Chairman and President, has recently been appointed as a Commissioner of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, which is based in London, UK.

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Prof Dr Khalid I Mousa killed in Iraq

Prof Dr Khalid I Mousa, Head of the MS Clinic in Baghdad and the person responsible for developing the MS Society of Iraq, has been killed in Iraq.

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Profile of the Month : January 2008

Mohammad

Country: Thailand
Age: 34
Year of diagnosis: 1998
Occupation: Quality Control Manager

English Spanish Italian German French Russian

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MRI and the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis: expanding the concept of "no better explanation"

This report by an international panel of experts concentrates on diseases that may mimic MS and lists the features on MRI that should cause the doctor to consider an alternative diagnosis.

authors: Charil A, Yousry TA, Rovaris M, Barkhof F, De Stefano N, Fazekas F, Miller DH, Montalban X, Simon JH, Polman C, Filippi M.

source: Lancet Neurol. 2006 Oct;5(10):841-52.

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Optical coherence tomography in multiple sclerosis

This is a review of optical coherence tomography (OCT), a recently developed method of assessing axonal loss which is related to disability in MS. It involves measuring the retinal axonal layer by shining a light into the eye.

authors: Frohman E, Costello F, Zivadinov R, Stuve O, Conger A, Winslow H, Trip A, Frohman T, Balcer L.

source: Lancet Neurol. 2006 Oct;5(10):853-63.

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Cladribine: an investigational immunomodulatory agent for multiple sclerosis

This review looks at cladiribine, a new oral agent
that has been tried in relapsing-remitting and progressive MS. It has been shown to reduce enhancing lesions but the clinical significance of this is unclear and bone marrow suppression was a side effect. The authors conclude that more studies are needed.

authors: Brousil JA, Roberts RJ, Schlein AL.

source: Ann Pharmacother. 2006 Oct;40(10):1814-21. Epub 2006 Sep 19.

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Multiple sclerosis: putting two and two together

Human genes were put into mice and a gene was identified, DR2b, that caused the mouse variant of MS to occur. In addition another gene, DR2a, was shown to make the disease less severe. This helps our understanding of the genetic influences on MS and the next step could be to develop therapies which target the DR2b gene.

authors: Trowsdale J

source: Nat Med. 2006 Oct;12(10):1119-21.

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Infectious causes of multiple sclerosis

The cause of MS is unknown but some infective agents are thought to play a contributory role. This review article discusses two of the possible candidates, Epstein Barr virus and Chlamydia pneumonia, and the evidence for each of them.

authors: Giovannoni G, Cutter GR, Lunemann J, Martin R, Munz C, Sriram S, Steiner I, Hammerschlag MR, Gaydos CA.

source: Lancet Neurol. 2006 Oct;5(10):887-94.

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The neurobiology of multiple sclerosis: genes, inflammation, and neurodegeneration

This review ties together recent developments in our understanding of the pathogenesis of MS focussing on the interaction between genetics, inflammation and neurodegeneration.

authors: Hauser SL, Oksenberg JR.

source: Neuron. 2006 Oct 5;52(1):61-76.

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Concordance in goal setting between patients with multiple sclerosis and their rehabilitation team

This study focuses on the importance of achievable goal setting in rehabilitation and found some differences in the aims of patients and their rehabilitation clinicians.

authors: Bloom LF, Lapierre NM, Wilson KG, Curran D, DeForge DA, Blackmer J.

source: Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2006 Oct;85(10):807-13.

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Grey matter damage predicts the evolution of primary progressive multiple sclerosis at 5 years

This study in patients with primary progressive MS looked at factors which would predict clinical deterioration. Lower disability score at baseline and a diffusion tensor MRI measure of grey matter damage predicted worsening at 5 years.

authors: Rovaris M, Judica E, Gallo A, Benedetti B, Sormani MP, Caputo D, Ghezzi A, Montanari E, Bertolotto A, Mancardi G, Bergamaschi R, Martinelli V, Comi G, Filippi M.

source: Brain. 2006 Oct;129(Pt 10):2628-34. Epub 2006 Aug 18.

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Polyclonal expansion of regulatory T cells interferes with effector cell migration in a model of multiple sclerosis

This study in a rat model of MS found that regulatory T cells were able to prevent the autoimmune attack of the central nervous system by preventing pathogenic T cells crossing the blood brain barrier. This regulation occurred outside the brain in the spleen.

authors: Tischner D, Weishaupt A, van den Brandt J, Muller N, Beyersdorf N, Ip CW, Toyka KV, Hunig T, Gold R, Kerkau T, Reichardt HM.

source: Brain. 2006 Oct;129(Pt 10):2635-47. Epub 2006 Aug 18.

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Health Canada approves Tysabri for treatment of relapsing MS

source: MS Society of Canada

Health Canada has approved Tysabri® (natalizumab) as a therapy for people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

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Dutch authorities ban Rotterdam stem cell treatment

source: UK MS Society

The Dutch health care inspectorate has ordered the PMC clinic in Rotterdam to stop performing stem cell treatments for MS and other conditions.

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