New Cure Map documents available on genetics and trauma
Submitted by hollie on Wed, 2007-09-05 06:50.
For those who are interested in how genetics and/or trauma might be involved in causing MS, we've recently posted some Cure Map documents on these topics. Our genetics spreadsheet (Excel) is a database containing details about hundreds of association and linkage studies performed in MS. Also available are Phase 1 (PDF) and Phase 2 (PDF) analyses on the topic of physical and psychological trauma and stress. The Phase 1 document discusses trauma and stress as they affect human health in general, and the Phase 2 document analyzes how they might be involved in MS. You can see all of the Cure Map documents here. These last Trauma documents conclude the first draft of Phases 1 and 2!
question
did they only look at physical trauma? or also the mental trauma (stress) part?
Did they include in their research that MS damage might not be started off with an imune reaction, but with the death of myeline cells?
Both physical and mental trauma are covered
Our papers look at both components and discuss what research so far can tell us about their role in MS (which is not much). We are certainly considering the idea that MS starts with damage to myelin. We're interested in finding out what initiates the disease in the first place -- i.e., identifying the genetic variants that increase the risk of MS and the environmental triggers that play a role in setting off the disease mechanisms.
Ah, Hollie has given
Ah, Hollie has given spoilers. I suggest reading them and discovering the exciting conclusion yourself! :-)
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Art Mellor, Accelerated Cure Project for MS, art-msnews -at- acceleratedcure.com
Thanks for all the efforts
Thanks for all the efforts relating to the Cure Map. Do you have any feel for the timelines you are working to i.e. to complete the Cure Map and move to the next stage (whatever that is)? I hope that the research is being used by the MS researchers. But so many are happy focusing on their specific interests(genes, sunshine, viruses etc). Keep up the good work.
The next stage (which we've
The next stage (which we've already started) is to conduct experiments to fill in the "holes" in the research that has been done. Unfortunately, it's mostly holes.
We've launched our MS repository and have begun accepting proposals for research using the samples. Some of those studies are ongoing and some still in the preparations phase.
Be sure to sign up for our mailing lists to be notified as we get results.
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Art Mellor, Accelerated Cure Project for MS, art-msnews -at- acceleratedcure.com