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Profile of the Month


	Summaries of news, views and achievements from people with MS around the world.

Fabiana Perez – Uruguay
Country: Uruguay
Age: 33
Profession: Assistant Professor in Imunohistochemistry, Cytology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences
Year of diagnosis: 2003
Type of MS: Relapse remitting

"Everything leaves its imprint and makes us who we are today"

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Research News


	Summaries of all the latest research findings on MS selected by a team based at the Institute of Neurology, London.

Maternal transmission of multiple sclerosis in a dutch population

The authors looked at the parental relationships of people with MS from a large Dutch database, collecting information back to the 18th century. They found that the maternal influence was stronger than paternal one in the transmission of the disease. This could be due to complex interactions between genetic patterns and environmental factors occurring in utero during the pregnancy.

authors: Hoppenbrouwers IA, Liu F, Aulchenko YS, Ebers GC, Oostra BA, van Duijn CM, Hintzen RQ.

source: Arch Neurol. 2008 Mar;65(3):345-8.

Structural Insight into the Function of Myelin Basic Protein as a Ligand for Integrin {alpha}M{beta}2

This study focused on the complex pathogenetic mechanisms underlying the development of MS. The authors described the contribution of specific molecules in determining recognition of myelin by immune cells in affected people.

authors: Stapulionis R, Pinto Oliveira CL, Gjelstrup MC, Pedersen JS, Hokland ME, Hoffmann SV, Poulsen K, Jacobsen C, Vorup-Jensen T.

source: J Immunol. 2008 Mar 15;180(6):3946-56.

Autoantibody profiling in multiple sclerosis reveals novel antigenic candidates.

The authors studied antibodies found in the cerebrospinal fluid of people with MS They identified proteins that could be among the targets of the autoimmune response. These findings could potentially contribute to earlier diagnosis and more effective prediction of the course of the disease.

authors: Somers V, Govarts C, Somers K, Hupperts R, Medaer R, Stinissen P.

source: J Immunol. 2008 Mar 15;180(6):3957-63.

Gender-specific influence of the chromosome 16 chemokine gene cluster on the susceptibility to Multiple Sclerosis.

This study focused on the relationship between the presence of a specific genetic pattern and the development of MS. The authors found that people with this pattern had a reduced risk of developing MS and that this protective effect was particularly strong in males.

authors: Galimberti D, Scalabrini D, Fenoglio C, De Riz M, Comi C, Venturelli E, Cortini F, Piola M, Leone M, Dianzani U, D'Alfonso S, Monaco F, Bresolin N, Scarpini E.

source: J Neurol Sci. 2008 Apr 15;267(1-2):86-90.

Coagulation status and biochemical and inflammatory markers in multiple sclerosis

The authors studied different molecules involved in the coagulation process and other biomarkers in people with MS. They found that some of these were altered in patients. These findings could improve our insights into the pathogenesis of the disease.

authors: Aksungar FB, Topkaya AE, Yildiz Z, Sahin S, Turk U.

source: J Clin Neurosci. 2008 Apr;15(4):393-7. Epub 2008 Feb 6

MS News


	Summaries of MS news from websites around the world.

MSIF CEO interview available on MSweb

MSIF CEO Peer Baneke has been interviewed by the Dutch site MSweb. The website is sponsored by Stichting MS Research. The interview is in Dutch; the site also has some pages available in English for readers, including book reviews and information on Dutch research into MS.

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