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Have you started planning your Global Dinner Party?

It is less than six weeks until the 2007 Global Dinner Party takes place on 24 February. Groups and individuals from around the world are already underway with their planning to help raise awareness of MS and to raise vital funds for international MS research. Whether its a cocktail party or a curry night, we're here to help you get organised.

If you or your MS society would like to take part, please click here for more information.

To see an example of how previous Global Dinner Party funds have been used to support international research, please click here.

International stem cell summit

MSIF and the US National MS Society, with support from the Canadian MS Society, are hosting a stem cell conference titled "Stem Cells and Multiple Sclerosis: Prospects and Strategies" in San Francisco, USA, from January 16-19.

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Profile of the Month : January 2008

Stuart Schlossman

Country: USA
Age: 48
Year of diagnosis: 1998
Occupation: Retired, formerly in International Sales and Marketing

"I hope that one day there is a cure for all of us living with MS."

English Italiano Espanol Deutsch Francais Russian

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Multiple sclerosis after infectious mononucleosis

In this study of over 25,000 patients, the authors investigated the association between infectious mononucleosis and MS, finding an increased persisting risk of developing MS in people with prior infectious mononucleosis.

authors: Nielsen TR, Rostgaard K, Nielsen NM, Koch-Henriksen N, Haahr S, Sorensen PS, Hjalgrim H.

source: Arch Neurol. 2007 Jan;64(1):72-75.

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More severe disability of North Africans vs Europeans with multiple sclerosis in France

In this study of over 3,000 MS patients, North African patients had a higher proportion of incomplete recovery from their first relapse, a higher number of relapses in the first five years, and a shorter time to reach EDSS 4, compared to Europeans. This was the case whether the patients were born in North Africa or in France. This suggests a more aggressive course in the African patients.

authors: Debouverie M, Lebrun C, Jeannin S, Pittion-Vouyovitch S, Roederer T, Vespignani H.

source: Neurology. 2007 Jan 2;68(1):29-32.

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Isoelectric focusing is superior to immunofixation electrophoresis in diagnosing CNS inflammation

This study on CSF samples in 307 patients compares different techniques for diagnosing inflammation in the central nervous system. One of these methods of measuring markers of inflammation was found to be the best.

authors: Mygland A, Trydal T, Vinje BU, Vedeler C.

source: Acta Neurol Scand. 2007 Feb;115(2):122-5.

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Double inversion recovery brain imaging at 3T: diagnostic value in the detection of multiple sclerosis lesions.

This study on MS patients that had only one attack compared three scanning sequences to detect lesions. The most sensitive technique was double inversion recovery, which differentiates clearly the lesions from the white matter.

authors: Wattjes MP, Lutterbey GG, Gieseke J, Traber F, Klotz L, Schmidt S, Schild HH.

source: AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2007 Jan;28(1):54-9.

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Regulatory T cells maintain long-term tolerance to myelin basic protein by inducing a novel, dynamic state of T cell tolerance

This study clarifies the role of regulatory T cells in the pathogenesis of MS in a mice model.

authors: Cabbage SE, Huseby ES, Sather BD, Brabb T, Liggitt D, Goverman J.

source: J Immunol. 2007 Jan 15;178(2):887-96.

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Lack of correlation between cortical demyelination and white matter pathologic changes in multiple sclerosis

This study, using postmortem MR imaging and histopathological findings, concludes that there is no association between gray matter demyelination and white matter changes in MS.

authors: Bo L, Geurts JJ, van der Valk P, Polman C, Barkhof F.

source: Arch Neurol. 2007 Jan;64(1):76-80.

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Contrasting roles for axonal degeneration in an autoimmune versus viral model of multiple sclerosis: when can axonal injury be beneficial?

This study looked at the contrasting effects of axonal degeneration (deterioration of the nerve fibre) in two different animal models of multiple sclerosis. The authors found that axonal degeneration in some cases could be beneficial for the mice, limiting the spread of a viral infection.

authors: Tsunoda I, Tanaka T, Terry EJ, Fujinami RS.

source: Am J Pathol. 2007 Jan;170(1):214-26.

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Immunomodulator FTY720 Induces Myofibroblast Differentiation via the Lysophospholipid Receptor S1P3 and Smad3 Signaling

This study clarifies the mechanism of action in myofibroblast differentiation of the new immunomodulator FTY720, recently introduced in MS therapy.

authors: Keller CD, Rivera Gil P, Tolle M, van der Giet M, Chun J, Radeke HH, Schafer-Korting M, Kleuser B.

source: Am J Pathol. 2007 Jan;170(1):281-92.

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Other research news

Grants offered by the European Neurological Society

The ENS are offering a number of grants to scientists during 2007, including the ENS Fellowship Stipend, the Young Neurologists Programme, and a travel grant for young scientists who wish to attend the 17th ENS Meeting in Rhodes in June 16-20, 2007.

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New Zealand MS Society newsletter

As well as their Friday Research Roundup, the MS Society of New Zealand now produces a Monday News Roundup.

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