February 2, 2010
Scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, the University Medical Center Gottingen and other institutes have recently witnessed live how aggressive cells from the immune system invade brain tissue and cause considerable damage such as what happens to people suffering from MS.
For so many years, scientists were puzzled just how these immune cells are able to escape the bloodstream and infiltrate the brain, considering that there are specialized blood vessels that act as a barrier between the bloodstream and the nervous system.
The team of researchers has discovered several new behavioral traits of immune cells. The nervous system...
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January 26, 2010
A new little pill is showing promise and hope for a number of people suffering from the autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis. This new pill may just change the lives of people with MS and improve their quality of life while learning to live with the usually debilitating disease.
A major clinical trial of an oral drug called Cladribine shows results that it can effectively reduce relapse and deterioration of MS, according to researchers at Queen Mary, University of London. The oral pill does away with the unpleasant side effects usually associated with current existing therapies for the said disease.
Cladribine holds the...
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January 19, 2010
A recent study has provided a new possible target for treating a wide range of diseases. Researchers from the Medical College of Georgia have identified a new protein that is critical to insulating the wiring system from the brain to the body. It may prove to be an interesting treatment target that may be possible for a number of diseases, from MS to cancer.
Studies involving mice have shown that a newly identified protein known as erbin may play a very significant role in the production of myelin, proteins that insulate the body's nerve wirings. The protein erbin regulates the...
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January 12, 2010
Bee Venom Therapy is one of the alternative treatments now being used for multiple sclerosis. It belongs to an alternative therapy method known as apitherapy, which refers to treatments associated with using not only bee venom and bee stings but also other bee products such as bee pollen, propolis and royal jelly. But in cases of multiple sclerosis, bee venom therapy has been known to offer some possible promise.
Apitherapy is not considered to be a recent form of treatment. Ancient Egyptians have been known to use bee byproducts to treat arthritis and a host of other health conditions. This might...
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January 5, 2010
A recent study suggests that babies who are born in April may have greater chances of suffering from multiple sclerosis later in life. Researchers based in Glasgow University in Scotland and at the city's Southern General Hospital believe that it may stem from the mother's limited exposure to sunlight during pregnancy.
Part of the study involved Glasgow researchers examining and analyzing data of about 1,300 patients with multiple sclerosis that was born west of Scotland between 1922 and 1992. The researchers noted that about 400 patients born in March, April and May eventually developed MS. This accounts to about 22 percent...
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December 29, 2009
Stem cells have provided scientists with a promising area for exploring other means of treating a variety of diseases. Various studies suggest that stem cells may offer some therapeutic effects on certain chronic neurodegenerative diseases like multiple sclerosis. Recent studies show that use of isolated stem cells from the brains of adult mice may provide modest therapeutic effects on people afflicted with MS.
A team if scientists from the Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia have taken it a step further. Guang-Xian Zhang and fellow researchers have found a way to further enhance the therapeutic effects of adult neural stem cells...
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December 22, 2009
US researchers studying patients with chronic diseases found that physical activity may actually help reduce the incidence of depression and fatigue. The findings were made by researchers at the University of Illinois in Champaign and were published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine.
The findings were made when participants were made to increase self-efficacy or the belief that a person can master physical goals and attain a sense of accomplishment through personal application. It simply means the belief in accomplishing a certain goal.
Dr. Edward McAuley, professor of kinesiology and community health at the University of Illinois in Champaign said, "Physically active...
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December 15, 2009
US researchers reports that marijuana may help reduce certain symptoms associated with multiple sclerosis. Shaheen Lakhan and Marie Rowland of the Global Neuroscience Initiative Foundation in Los Angeles have found that marijuana may reduce spasticity or involuntary muscle contractions, a common symptom among MS patients.
The two researchers underwent a systematic review of previous trials to see if certain compounds found in marijuana may actually have an effect on multiple sclerosis. This led to the researchers looking for previous trials that evaluated the effect of two marijuana extracts, delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol or THC and cannabidiol or CBD. In the...
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December 8, 2009
A recent study suggests that a common human bacteria found in the mouth may trigger or increase the severity of MS symptoms. Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that can cause a variety of neurological symptoms which might include muscle weakness, speech and motor difficulties. A substance produced by a common oral bacterium seems to enhance the inflammatory responses of the body which in turn affects those with MS.
A common human oral bacterium known as porphyromas gingivalis produces a type of lipid, phosphorylated dihydroceramides or DHC's. This unique...
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November 24, 2009
Researchers at the University at Buffalo reported that pediatric onset multiple sclerosis is more aggressive and can cause more brain lesions than the type of MS diagnosed in adulthood. But on the other hand, the researchers also found out that MS diagnosed during childhood also seem to develop disabilities at a slower pace than those with adult-onset MS.
The said study, authored by Dr. Eluen A. Yeh, MD and UB assistant professor of neurology, involved four sets of patients. One set was composed of 17 children with an average age of 13.7 years old and who were diagnosed...
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