The Multiple Sclerosis Resource Centre
- Profile views: 68
- Group created: March 2009
- www.bebo.com/themsrc
- Official website:
- http://www.msrc.co.uk
close About Me
- Tagline
- Multiple Sclerosis, MS, MSRC
- Me, Myself, and I
- The Multiple Sclerosis Resource Centre (MSRC) is a proactive and innovative charity, passionately committed to supporting anyone affected by Multiple Sclerosis through access to unbiased information and advice. Our approach is to encourage individuals to make choices that are appropriate to their daily lives, empowering them to maximise their potential.
close Video Blog
close Blog
-
Schoolboy Ryan McLaughlin wins Multiple Sclerosis vitamin D campaign
Pregnant women in Scotland are to be educated about the importance of taking vitamin D supplements thanks to a campaign by a 14-year-old Glasgow schoolboy.
Ryan McLaughlin, whose mother Kirsten has Multiple Sclerosis, took his case to the Scottish Parliament's petitions committee earlier this year.
He believes taking vitamin D can help prevent the condition.
In a written response, the Scottish government said it would put in place an action plan to increase awareness.
It said recent research had found there was an "urgent need" to provide information to all health professionals who work with pregnant women and young children about current guidance on vitamin D.
"There is also a need to educate women about the importance of taking vitamin D supplement when pregnant and the importance of giving their children a vitamin D supplement until the age of four," the response added.
The Scottish government will now agree a co-ordinated programme of action with NHS Health Scotland, and has pledged to keep the McLaughlins informed of developments.
Mrs McLaughlin, a former European Taekwondo champion, was diagnosed with MS two years ago.
Ryan, from Drumchapel, said: "I am so happy to hear that the Scottish government are being so proactive and really getting behind my campaign.
"These actions will make a big difference to the health of generations of Scots, and it will go a long way to giving Scots children some protection against disease caused by vitamin D deficiency and gives parents proper advice.
"I am now looking forward to the summit next year when we'll hopefully be able to tackle the recommended levels but this is such great news."
Fortified milk
Ryan became the face of a YouTube campaign to publicise the use of vitamin D, and led hundreds of supporters down Edinburgh's Royal Mile to Holyrood before he put his proposals to the petitions committee in June.
He told MSPs research into the genetic effect of vitamin D deficiency showed a link to the development of MS. Vitamin D, which the body needs for healthy, strong bones is largely gained through sunlight and food.
The Scottish government has already ruled out free vitamin D supplements for all pregnant and breastfeeding women, and said there were no plans to introduce the supplements in the form of fortified milk or other drinks at school.
Scotland is thought to have the highest rate of MS in the world.
Source: BBC News Scotland © British Broadcasting Corporation 2009 (05/12/09)
0 Comments 34 minutes
-
UK MS Society medical advisors 'unconvinced' by Zamboni's CCSVI theory
Medical advisors to the UK MS Society have raised doubts about a theory put forward by Italian doctor Paulo Zamboni, who this week proposed that a vein disorder is the cause of multiple sclerosis (MS).
In a statement, the experts have found fault with the theory that MS is caused by blockages in veins that drain the brain and suggest that people with MS are unlikely to benefit by any treatments developed to treat what Dr Zamboni called chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI).
This week, results have been published of Dr Paulo Zamboni's work investigating whether CCSVI plays a role in multiple sclerosis (MS). The authors admit, however, that the recent paper published in the Journal of Vascular Surgery, A prospective open-label study of endovascular treatment of chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency, has significant drawbacks.
Last week, early news of Dr Zamboni's novel theory sparked international interest and has led to scientists at the University of Buffalo in New York to test his theory by recruiting for a large study.
Research Communications Officer at the MS Society, Dr Susan Kohlhaas, said: "Several medical advisers to the MS Society have read through the papers published by Dr Zamboni, and have heard him lecture on the subject.
"They are not convinced by the evidence that blockages to draining veins from the brain are specific to people with MS, or that this explains the cause of MS at any stage of the condition."
Dr Zamboni's most recently published work examined CCSVI in 65 people and suggested that 50 per cent of people with relapsing remitting MS were relapse-free for 18 months.
Among the control group of MS patients who did not undergo the procedure, Zamboni found that only 27 per cent went 18 months without a relapse. There was no published benefit for people with progressive forms of the condition.
Participants with relapsing remitting MS, however, were allowed to continue receiving their usual form of treatment, so it is inconclusive whether any reduction in relapse rate was due to the CCSVI procedure.
Importantly, the result of the procedure was measured using different MRI scanning machines and at different times, meaning the data is inconsistent and not a useful measure.
Professor Alastair Compston, Head of the Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Cambridge and winner of the 2007 Charcot Award for a lifetime achievement in MS research, is one of the MS Society's six medical advisors.
He said: "The treatment for CCSVI is not available for patients with multiple sclerosis in the United Kingdom because there is no convincing evidence to suggest that it is safe or beneficial to people with MS.
"People with MS are unlikely to benefit from treatments that dilate blood vessels."
Source: MS Society (UK) © 2009 Multiple Sclerosis Society (05/12/09)
0 Comments 1 hour
-
New source discovered for the generation of nerve cells in the brain
The research group of Professor Magdalena Gotz of Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat (LMU) Munich has made a significant advance in understanding regeneration processes in the brain. The researchers discovered progenitor cells which can form new glutamatergic neurons following injury to the cerebral cortex. Particularly in Alzheimer's disease, nerve cell degeneration plays a crucial role.
In the future, new therapeutic options may possibly be derived from steering the generation and/or migration mechanism. These findings have been published in the current issue of the renowned journal Nature Neuroscience.
Until only a few years ago, neurogenesis - the process of nerve cell development - was considered to be impossible in the adult brain. The textbooks asserted that dead nerve cells could not be replaced. Then researchers discovered regions in the forebrain in humans in which new nerve cells can be generated throughout life. These so-called GABAergic cells use gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter of the central nervous system.
A research team of scientists led by Magdalena Götz, director of the Institute of Stem Cell Research at Helmholtz Zentrum München and chair of the Department of Physiological Genomics of LMU, has now taken a closer look at this brain region in the mouse model. Their findings: Even in the forebrain, there are other nerve cells that are regularly generated - the so-called glutamatergic nerve cells, which use glutamate as neurotransmitter. The stem cell researchers could prove this by means of a specific transcription factor: Tbr2 is only present in progenitor cells of glutamatergic nerve cells.
The newly generated nerve cells in the adult organism are located in the olfactory bulb, the region of the brain involved in the sense of smell. Nerve cells that use glutamate as a neurotransmitter are also responsible for memory - storing and retrieving information. In Alzheimer dementia, alterations in the signal transduction pathways of these special cells play a significant role.
Magdalena Götz explained the reason why this finding is so important: "Neural progenitor cells can generate these newly discovered glutamatergic nerve cells for the neighboring cerebral cortex - for example after brain injury." The research group was able to demonstrate this on the mouse model: There the cells migrated into the damaged neighboring cerebrum tissue and generated mature neurons. Accordingly, progenitor cells could then replace degenerate nerve cells.
"Now it will be interesting to find out whether this process also takes place in humans, particularly in Alzheimer's patients," said Magdalena Götz, "and also whether the process can be kept under control to avoid massive cell death." One therapeutic approach would then be to attempt to stimulate the body's own replacement mechanism.
Further Information
Original Publication: Monika S Brill, Jovica Ninkovic, Eleanor Winpenny, Rebecca D Hodge, Ilknur Ozen, Roderick Yang, Alexandra Lepier, Sergio Gascón, Ferenc Erdelyi, Gabor Szabo, Carlos Parras, Francois Guillemot, Michael Frotscher, Benedikt Berninger, Robert F Hevner, Olivier Raineteau & Magdalena Götz: Nature Neuroscience, Volume 12 No 11 pp1351-1474 (doi:10.1038/nn.2416)
Source: Medical News Today © 2009 MediLexicon International Ltd (03/12/09)
0 Comments 2 days
close Lifestream
| |||
| |||
| |||
close Forum
-
Multiple Sclerosis in Children
by
The Multiple Sclerosis Resource Centre
A major new article on Multiple Sclerosis in Children has been published by the The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario Canada0 Replys 38 weeks
You can read the complete article at MSRC: About MS : Paediatric Multiple Sclerosis - http://www.msrc.co.uk/index.cfm?fuse... -
Genetics studies provide new clues to why people develop MS
by
The Multiple Sclerosis Resource Centre
New studies are deciphering the complex picture of genetic characteristics that make people susceptible to MS, thanks to international collaborations and unique population studies. Each gives important new clues about why people get MS. Additional large-scale studies, the first stages of which are already underway, promise to uncover the great majority of genes that convey risk for MS, which would pave the way for understanding the basic cause of MS and developing more rational therapies.0 Replys 39 weeks
CD58 Gene: When it completed the largest replicated whole genome scan (scan of all the genes in the body) for MS to date, the International MS Genetics Consortium (IMSGC) identified and validated variations in two genes that help regulate the immune system as clearly increasing genetic susceptibility to MS, and preliminarily identified several other genes of newly suspected importance in MS. Philip De Jager, MD, PhD (Brigham & Women's Hospital, Boston) and colleagues in the IMSGC now report on one of these other genes, CD58, which instructs the activation of T cells, major players in the immune attack on the brain and spinal cord in MS. They studied this gene in 1530 additional people with MS, and found further evidence of its association with the disease. They pinpointed a specific marker, or segment of DNA, on the gene that is associated with reduced susceptibility to MS. They also showed that the level of CD58 expression (that is, the amount of CD58 protein that is produced from the CD58 gene) is associated with remissions from MS disease activity. Manipulating CD58 is a strategy used in treat other autoimmune diseases, so this study may open up new therapeutic options for people with MS. (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences U S A 2009 Feb 23)........................
For the full report please go to MSRC: MS Research News : MS and Genetics Research - http://www.msrc.co.uk/index.cfm?fuse...
-
Report reveals the importance of studying Multiple Sclerosis in children
by
The Multiple Sclerosis Resource Centre
An article published in the Spring 2009 edition of Multiple Sclerosis Quarterly Report, a joint publication of United Spinal Association and the North American Research Committee on Multiple Sclerosis (NARCOMS), reveals the importance of understanding the biological onset of Multiple Sclerosis in children as it can also lead to a greater understanding and treatment of MS in adults.0 Replys 39 weeks
The article by Jean Marie B. Ahorro, MD and Brenda L. Banwell, MD of The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Ontario Canada, highlights some of the latest information on paediatric MS, including risk factors, diagnosis, symptoms, and treatment strategies.
Presently, most care models for paediatric MS are based on protocols optimized in adults and pivotal studies of MS therapies are restricted to patients over 18 years of age. Conducting randomized control trials of paediatric MS has also been challenged by the rarity of the disease in children......................
For the full report please go to MSRC: MS Research News : Paediatric Multiple Sclerosis Research - http://www.msrc.co.uk/index.cfm?fuse...
close Photo Stream
close Whiteboard
close Comments
start a conversation
"MSRC is very encouraged by the early results of Dr Paulo Zamboni’s work. There is no doubt that this area warrants a great deal more study. This could represent a completely novel approach to MS research which, if proven to be relevant, could be a “sea change” in the understanding of the mechan...
The Multiple Sclerosis Resource Centre 0 ReplysCharity Of The Year Competition
The Multiple Sclerosis Resource Centre 0 ReplysMSRC has been invited to participate in the Charity of the Year Competition on http://www.optimistworld.com/ which if we are successful could bring in a very welcome cash donation.
To ensure that we move on into the second round of the competition, please g...
MaximuS Bear is MSRC's mascot and now you can own your very own MaximuS! To find out more go to MaximuS's page - http://www.securio.net/msrc/index.cf...
The Multiple Sclerosis Resource Centre 0 ReplysShow your support for MSRC by wearing one of our MaximuS Bear mascot or MSRC lapel badges. To find out more go to the MSRC Lape...