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2007 MS Global Dinner Party – a message for all hosts

There are only a few more days before the 2007 MS Global Dinner Party takes place on 24 February.

Across the globe I know that many of you are busy with your preparations for meals with family or friends, BBQs, cocktail parties and formal dinners. Each event, no matter how big or small, will increase awareness of MS and every donation will boost local, national and international efforts to support those affected by MS and the search for a cure.

All of us here at MSIF hope that your events are a success, both memorable and enjoyable.

Good luck with your final preparations!

Peer Baneke
MSIF CEO

MSIF's Du Pré Fellowship and Grants – find a host institution

Are you interested in working with the world’s leading researchers in MS?

Would you like to learn new techniques and skills?

Would you like to work on an MS research project in another country?

Do you need assistance in finding a suitable project and institution in which to carry out your work?

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Are we making an impact?

MSIF is currently asking the question, are we making an impact? Are our projects improving the quality of life of people with MS and stimulating international MS research?

We believe we are making a difference, but what do you think? Please tell us by taking part in our 5 minute survey. Your feedback - whether you are a person affected by MS, someone who works or volunteers at an MS society, or you work as an MS health professional or scientist - will help make sure we are doing the best we can for people with MS around the globe.

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MSIF MS Awards - deadline extension

The deadline for nominations for MSIF’s 2007 Evelyn Nicholson Award for International Caregiver and the 2007 James D. Wolfensohn Award for International Person with MS has been extended to 23 March 2007.

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Profile of the Month : January 2008

Chris Baker

Country: New Zealand
Occupation: Writer

"Being diagnosed with MS was almost a relief. At least I had an official, medical reason for feeling the way I did."

English Italiano Espanol Deutsch Francais Russian

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Detection of anti-Nogo receptor autoantibody in the serum of multiple sclerosis and controls

This negative study looked for evidence of autoantibodies in the serum of people with MS as a disease marker, but did not find any.

authors: Onoue H, Satoh JI, Ogawa M, Tabunoki H, Yamamura T.

source: Acta Neurol Scand. 2007 Mar;115(3):153-60.

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Chemokines and chemokine receptors in multiple sclerosis. Potential targets for new therapies

This article reviews studies looking at chemokines, a system of immunological molecules implicated in the inflammatory process underlying the pathogenesis of MS.

authors: Szczucinski A, Losy J.

source: Acta Neurologica Scandinavica 115 (3), 137–146.

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Longitudinal follow-up of "benign" multiple sclerosis at 20 years

This 20-year follow up study of a group of patients defined as benign multiple sclerosis concluded that some of these people actually progressed over the years.

authors: Sayao AL, Devonshire V, Tremlett H.

source: Neurology. 2007 Feb 13;68(7):496-500

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Autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation fails to stop demyelination and neurodegeneration in multiple sclerosis

In this post-mortem study, the authors studied white matter lesions in brains of people with MS who had received autologous stem cell transplantation. This treatment is used in severe MS in an attempt to aggressively suppress the immune response and is different from the emerging neural stem cells therapies. They found that this transplantation did not stop the process of demyelination and neuronal degeneration in these patients.

authors: Metz I, Lucchinetti CF, Openshaw H, Garcia-Merino A, Lassmann H, Freedman MS, Atkins HL, Azzarelli B, Kolar OJ, Bruck W.

source: Brain. 2007 Feb 9

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Diffusion Tensor Tractography-Based Group Mapping of the Pyramidal Tract in Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis Patients

The authors looked at the normal appearing pyramidal tract, which is a motor pathway in the brain, in people with MS. Using a newly developed imaging technique, they confirmed that it is involved in the pathological process of MS.

authors: Lin F, Yu C, Jiang T, Li K, Chan P.

source: AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2007 Feb;28(2):278-282

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Determinants of cerebral atrophy rate at the time of diagnosis of multiple sclerosis

The authors looked for MR characteristics in patients with recently diagnosed MS which could have predictive value of subsequent development of cerebral atrophy. They found them to be the accumulated brain tissue loss and the overall lesion load.

authors: Jasperse B, Minneboo A, de Groot V, Kalkers NF, van Helden PE, Uitdehaag BM, Barkhof F, Polman CH.

source: Arch Neurol. 2007 Feb;64(2):190-4.

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Potential risk of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy with natalizumab therapy: possible interventions

The authors review the feasible interventions, including experimental therapies, for patients with PML, a severe infection of the brain, acquired whilst receiving Natalizumab, a recently introduced drug for MS.

authors: Stuve O, Marra CM, Cravens PD, Singh MP, Hu W, Lovett-Racke A, Monson NL, Phillips JT, Tervaert JW, Nash RA, Hartung HP, Kieseier BC, Racke MM, Frohman EM, Hemmer B.

source: Arch Neurol. 2007;64:169-176.

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Featured Research

MSIF Du Pré Grant – 2006 report

In 2006, four researchers were awarded grants by MSIF which enabled them to travel to work on MS projects in Australia and the United States.

Raoul Oude Engberink from the Image Sciences Institute at the Utrecht University Medical Centre (UMCU) in the Netherlands used his MSIF Du Pré Grant to work with Prof JWM Bulte at the Department of Radiology and Radiological Science at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA.

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