Multiple Sclerosis Patients' Own Stem Cells Might Reverse Early Stage MS, plus more MS news

I found some Multiple Sclerosis news in the right sidebar worth noting.

First is a finding that researchers in a small study...

...appear to have reversed the neurological dysfunction of early-stage multiple sclerosis patients by transplanting their own immune stem cells into their bodies and thereby "resetting" their immune systems.

In the procedure, Burt and colleagues treated patients with chemotherapy to destroy their immune system. They then injected the patients with their own immune stem cells, obtained from the patients' blood before the chemotherapy, to create a new immune system. The procedure is called autologous non-myeloablative haematopoietic stem-cell transplantion.

We skate and ride to raise money with Multiple Sclerosis, but not all of us really understand it or relate to it personally. This is a pretty short description that makes it clear how bad it is.

"In MS the immune system is attacking your brain," Burt said. "After the procedure, it doesn't do that anymore."

As a reminder, some of the symptons include...

...visual problems, fatigue, sensory changes, weakness or paralysis of limbs, tremors, lack of coordination, poor balance, bladder or bowel changes and psychological changes.

http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=T&ct=us/0-0&fd=R&url=http://www.scien...

There's a lot more testing (especially a random double-blind study one would think), but this is exciting news to inspire us to help raise money to find treatments and cures, in addition to helping with the daily lives and needs of people with MS.

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Another study of interest involved people who had MRI brain scans for migraines, head trauma (wear your helmet!) and for whatever other reasons, whereupon doctors found evidence of Multiple Sclerosis in spite of the patient not having any sympoms yet. It turns out that a third of those ended up having symptoms within five years. 

Okuda and his colleagues are calling the condition the radiologically isolated syndrome (RIS).

This was a VERY small sample it seems to me, but interesting information. It's interesting to know that a brain MRI can perhaps give an early warning, but one other science editor stressed that you don't have MS until you have symptoms...

"Patients must have symptoms to receive a diagnosis. This study sets the stage for establishing a process for evaluating these patients and following them to help determine the risk of developing MS. Until then, we should not tell them that they have MS or treat them with disease-modifying therapies. For now, it's best to remember the wise advice that we 'treat the patient, not the MRI scan.'"

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081210171857.htm

I feel really happy to hear that there does seem to be good research going on and steady if small progress in our knowledge of Multiple Sclerosis. 

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The last item is a device and this is from a television report, so there's video available. The device, called a Bioness, at least in some cases helps people with MS regain some movement and control over their muscles.

"The first day I had it on, I was all smiles because I was able to lift my foot," the MS patient said.

The wireless device stimulates the muscles for movement, communicating with a sensor she places in her shoe, which detects "how she's walking, how fast she's walking, the terrain," according to the therapist working with the patient in the interview.

This video is worth a look I think. This thing costs less than some of those bikes that pass us at the Tour to Tanglewood!

The Bioness device Beth uses costs $6200, but is sometimes covered by insurance. The company also offers a rental program for patients. Bioness also has a device for hand rehabilitation.

http://cbs4.com/health/bioness.multiple.sclerosis.2.920156.html

How cool would it be to be able to get some of these here to loan out to people with MS? 

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