MSNews Updates On Hold

art — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 14:36:53 -0400

New MSNews postings will be on hold for a while. If you would like to be emailed when it is up and running again, you can sign up for our mailing list (make sure to provide your email) if you haven't already. We'll send out an announcement when MSNews is back.

In the meantime, you can search the archives for past news or check out the sites listed in the box on the lower right of this page titled Other Sites For MS News.

Major new step towards treating MS

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 21:40:46 -0400

This article discusses the study results released yesterday by doctors at Cambridge University of the drug, alemtuzumab.

In the 3-year trial, patients who were given the new drug were 74% less likely to relapse and had a 71% lower risk of being disabled within three years. But most remarkably, those on the new treatment showed fewer signs of disability at the end of the trial than they began with.

The drug is a synthetic antibody that was developed at Cambridge 30 years ago as a treatment (called Campath) for leukaemia. While it is now licensed as a treatment for chronic leukaemia, scientists suspected it might also benefit MS patients because it dampens down the immune system.

Also interesting findings showing that patients who take beta interferon have slowly shrinking brains while patients who have alemtuzumab have enlarging brains as the lost tissue is restored. Somehow the drug is promoting brain repair.

Cognitive training may improve mood as well as cognition

hollie — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 11:47:53 -0400

A short-term study of home-based cognitive training in people with MS found that not only did the training seem to improve the participants' memory and attention, but it also had positive effects on their mood. So if you're concerned about your mental function, your mood, or both, you might ask your neurologist or neuropsychologist for cognitive training recommendations. There are a number of computer-based training programs available now that you can use from home at your convenience.

Stem Cell Breakthrough: Mass-Production Of 'Embryonic' Stem Cells From A Human Hair

Sat, 18 Oct 2008 11:36:29 -0400

The first reports of the successful reprogramming of adult human cells back into so-called induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, which by all appearances looked and acted like embryonic stem cells, created a media stir. But the process was woefully inefficient: Only one out of 10,000 cells could be persuaded to turn back the clock.

Now, a team of researchers led by Juan Carlos Izpisúa Belmonte at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, succeeded in boosting the reprogramming efficiency more than 100-fold, while cutting the time it takes in half. In fact, they repeatedly generated iPS cells from the tiny number of keratinocytes attached to a single hair plucked from a human scalp.

"Having a very efficient and practical way of generating patient-specific stem cells, which unlike human embryonic stem cells, wouldn't be rejected by the patient's immune system after transplantation brings us a step closer to the clinical application of stem cell therapy," says Belmonte, PhD., a professor in the Gene Expression Laboratory and director of the Center of Regenerative Medicine in Barcelona, Spain.

Overview of remyelination in the central nervous system

hollie — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 15:43:28 -0400

The November 2008 issue of Nature Reviews Neuroscience has a thorough overview (free reg required) of remyelination in the adult central nervous system that may be worthwhile reading for anyone interested in the current status of this field. The overview is written by Robin Franklin and Charles ffrench-Constant and includes the following topics:

What is remyelination?

When does remyelination occur?

Why is remyelination important?

How does remyelination occur?

Why does remyelination fail?

How can remyelination be enhanced?

Translating biology into medicine

Factors potentially contributing to incomplete remyelination in MS are discussed, as well as possible means for improving myelin restoration.

Cognitive impairment in "benign" MS

hollie — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 11:01:55 -0400

"Benign" MS is characterized by having a low EDSS score and a long disease duration. However, the EDSS scale is heavily based on the ability to walk, so someone with "benign" MS may actually be impaired in other areas. A research team decided to better understand the impact of cognitive impairment in MS subjects with benign MS (BMS). They gave cognitive tests to 62 BMS subjects and conducted MRI scans on this cohort as well as 36 secondary progressive MS (SPMS) subjects. 19% of the BMS subjects met their definition of being cognitively impaired. Analysis of the MRI scans from the non-cognitively impaired subjects revealed lower lesion volumes, greater brain volume, and less gray matter damage than the SPMS subjects. However, no significant difference was found in any MRI metric between the cognitively-impaired BMS subjects and the SPMS subjects.

This means that not only are many "benign" MS subjects deficient in an important function (cognitive processing), but these people have similar levels of brain tissue damage compared with people in advanced stages of the disease. People with MS with lower EDSS scores (and their doctors) should therefore pay close attention to cognitive abilities since these might be more reflective than motor skills of the severity of their disease.

Study in Boston seeking subjects

Marion — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 10:56:44 -0400

A friend forwarded this - I don't know any details, but it looks like a product-user survey:

Bernett Research is looking for males and females between the ages of 18-49 who have been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis within the past 2 years. This may not apply to you, but we appreciate any help that you can provide in our search. Please forward this email to friends and family members who may be interested.

One-on-one interviews will take place on October 27 -28, 2008, for just one hour. Compensation is $125 plus we will pay for your parking.

Call 617-746-2632.

Thank you,
Bernett Research
World Trade Center East
2 Seaport Lane
Boston, MA 02210
617-746-2632
www.bernett.com/register

$1K genome getting closer -- maybe next spring?

hollie — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:54:23 -0400

Genomics technology companies have been scrambling to reach the goal of the $1,000 genome and it looks like one of them may reach it as early as next spring. California-based Complete Genomics released details of their approach and progress towards low-cost genome sequencing. Their technology is based on forming a person's DNA into little clumps called DNA nanoballs. These nanoballs are stuck to spots on a microarray where they can be read, base-pair by base-pair, to reveal that person's genetic sequence. The efficiency of this approach (millions of nanoballs being sequenced simultaneously) results in the low cost.

Complete Genomics plans to provide sequencing as a service rather than selling instruments. Their target customers are large academic genetic studies but also include pharmaceutical companies. They plan to charge $5K per genome to start with. (The "$1K genome" label that the industry uses refers to the cost of materials only -- so $5K is needed to cover instruments, labor and overhead.) Still, $5K for an entire genome is quite marvelous. As recently as 2002, sequencing costs were around 0.5 cents/base pair, which meant sequencing an entire genome would have cost $30 million!

You only need half that brain anyway...

art — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:32:46 -0400

Of course brain atrophy is never a good thing, but when you read a story like this, you just can't worry as much about losing a few percent. This little girl had half her brain removed, and she's coping.

Increasing IFN dose may reduce disease activity in non-responders

hollie — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:07:52 -0400

"If at first you don't succeed, raise, raise the dose," seems to be the conclusion of this study of improving response to interferon-beta in people with MS. In the OPTimization of Interferon for MS (OPTIMS) study, 216 MS subjects began treatment with 250 micrograms IFN-1b every other day and were followed for six months to see who responded and who didn't. Those who had relapses or MRI activity during this time were then randomized to either stay on the 250 ug dose or move to an increased dose of 375 ug. After six more months, MRIs were evaluated, and those in the higher dose group were significantly more likely to have had no further MRI activity than those in the regular dose group. There were more drop-outs in the higher-dose group but this was not statistically significant.

In contrast, a similar study found no benefit from doubling the dose of Copaxone (see our ECTRIMS notes for more info and search for "dose-comparison" to find it easily).