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Genetics edition of MS in focus now available in Spanish

The Spanish edition of Issue 8 of MS in focus, Genetics and hereditary aspects of MS, is now available for downloading. This edition of our bi-annual magazine features articles from the world's most renowned MS genetic scientists, who provide a complete picture of what we know about MS and genetics and what the future holds in this field.

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New member of staff at MSIF

MSIF is pleased to welcome Zoe Burr, our new International Programme Officer.

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New flyer for MS: The Guide to Treatment and Management

MSIF has produced a flyer about the 6th edition of MS: The Guide to Treatment and Management. The flyer has been included inside each posted copy of the latest edition of MS in focus and will be used to advertise the book at conferences such as ECTRIMS.

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Profile of the Month : January 2008

Satu Salonen

Country: Finland
Age: 55
Year of diagnosis: 1999
Occupation: Former company director, then pensioner and now author

English Spanish Italian German

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Dysferlin is a new marker for leaky brain blood vessels in multiple sclerosis

This study helps our understanding of blood-brain barrier breakdown, one of the pathological steps in creation of an MS lesion. The authors describe a new marker for the leaky endothelial cells involved and observed that it was also expressed in areas where inflammatory cells were not seen.

authors: Hochmeister S, Grundtner R, Bauer J, Engelhardt B, Lyck R, Gordon G, Korosec T, Kutzelnigg A, Berger JJ, Bradl M, Bittner RE, Lassmann H.

source: J Neuropathol Exp Neurol. 2006 Sep;65(9):855-865.

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Statins in the treatment of central nervous system autoimmune disease

This review focuses on statins summarising what is known about their mechanisms of action in mouse models of MS and reports the promising results of the two small clinical trials in people. It concludes that a large randomised controlled trial is needed.

authors: Weber MS, Youssef S, Dunn SE, Prod'homme T, Neuhaus O, Stuve O, Greenwood J, Steinman L, Zamvil SS.

source: J Neuroimmunol. 2006 Sep;178(1-2):140-8. Epub 2006 Jul 24.

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Efficacy of mitoxantrone and intrathecal triamcinolone acetonide treatment in chronic progressive multiple sclerosis patients

This small uncontrolled open label study reported that steroids given by lumbar puncture improved symptoms in people with actively progressing forms of MS with an EDSS of less than 7.5 and intravenous mitoxanthrone stabilised deterioration. Further trials are needed to confirm this.

authors: Hellwig K, Schimrigk S, Lukas C, Hoffmann V, Brune N, Przuntek H, Muller T.

source: Clin Neuropharmacol. 2006 Sep-Oct;29(5):286-91.

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Magnetization transfer MRI metrics predict the accumulation of disability 8 years later in patients with multiple sclerosis

This study found two specialised MRI measures at baseline and one year that predicted level of disability at eight years in people with MS and were correct in two thirds of cases: these were MTR grey matter histogram height and percentage MTR change within lesions.

authors: Agosta F, Rovaris M, Pagani E, Sormani MP, Comi G, Filippi M.

source: Brain. 2006 Sep 2; [Epub ahead of print]

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The usefulness of evaluative outcome measures in patients with multiple sclerosis

This study evaluated the usefulness of various outcome measures in recently diagnosed MS and describes the best two in the domains of physical and social function.

authors: de Groot V, Beckerman H, Uitdehaag BM, de Vet HC, Lankhorst GJ, Polman CH, Bouter LM.

source: Brain. 2006 Sep 6; [Epub ahead of print]

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Innate Immunity in Multiple Sclerosis: Myeloid Dendritic Cells in Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis Are Activated and Drive a Proinflammatory Immune Response

In this study the investigators took blood from people at different stages of MS and looked at the immune profile of the dendritic cells, which are part of the body’s immunological response triggering system. They found differences in the expression of cell surface markers and cytokines in MS compared with controls and, interestingly, differences in secondary progressive MS compared with relapsing remitting MS.

authors: Karni A, Abraham M, Monsonego A, Cai G, Freeman GJ, Hafler D, Khoury SJ, Weiner HL.

source: J Immunol. 2006 Sep 15;177(6):4196-4202.

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Heterogeneity at the HLA-DRB1 locus and risk for multiple sclerosis

This large family genetic study clarifies how a region of genes on chromosome 6 contributes to people’s susceptibility to MS in a complex way, some areas conferring protection and others risk. However there was no genetic effect on age of onset or disease severity.

authors: Barcellos LF, Sawcer S, Ramsay PP, Baranzini SE, Thomson G, Briggs F, Cree BC, Begovich AB, Villoslada P, Montalban X, Uccelli A, Savettieri G, Lincoln RR, Deloa C, Haines JL, Pericak-Vance MA, Compston A, Hauser SL, Oksenberg JR.

source: Hum Mol Genet. 2006 Sep 15;15(18):2813-24. Epub 2006 Aug 11.

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Latest Roundup of research news from NZ MS Society

source: New Zealand MS Society

The latest Roundup of research news from NZ MS Society is now available. It includes articles about the geographical distribution of MS in New Zealand, emotional and behavioural difficulties in children of parents with MS, and the risk factors for falling among people aged 45 to 90 years with MS.

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Better communication needed between physicians and patients with disabilities, says US MS Society grantee

source: US National MS Society

Some 54 million Americans live with some type of disability, including many people with multiple sclerosis. Therefore, virtually all physicians should expect to see people with disabilities in their practices. However, although these physicians are well educated in the underlying causes of disabilities, many receive little training in addressing the practical difficulties experienced by people with disabilities in their daily lives. A perspective by National MS Society grantee Lisa M. Iezzoni, MD (Harvard Medical School, Boston) addresses this issue in The New England Journal of Medicine (2006;355(10):976-979).

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