Recent MS Research
July 11, 2005 (nzherald.co.nz)
Human trial plans for second NZ drug
Auckland company Neuren Pharmaceuticals is preparing for stage III human clinical trials of its brain trauma drug NNZ-2566 which could be used to treat multiple sclerosis...
May 27, 2005 (The Globe and Mail)
Could stem cells rebuild myelin?
Researchers are investigating how hormones and proteins can trigger the body's stem cells into producing myelin...
April 30, 2005 (CNN)
Canada OKs cannabis oral spray
A cannabis-based painkiller for people with MS is expected to be in Canadian pharmacies this summer...
January 27, 2005 (University of Tasmania)
Contact with younger siblings in early life reduces risk of MS
Adults who had more contact with younger brothers or sisters during their first six years of life have a reduced risk of MS, a Menzies Research Institute study has found...
January 25, 2005 (Mayo Clinic)
Why do women develop MS almost twice as often as men?
How much of the protein known as ‘interferon gamma’ you produce appears to be a key variable in understanding who gets MS, and especially why women develop MS more often than men...
September 6, 2004 (nzherald.co.nz)
Stem cell progress in MS treatment
Breakthrough treatments for MS may be just five years away, an Australian leader in stem cell research says...
July 15, 2004 (nzherald.co.nz)
Auckland research gives hope
Scientists at the University of Auckland have developed a treatment which may eventually rescue people with MS from what is often an inexorable slide towards a wheelchair...
January 13, 2004 (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
MS risk linked to Vitamin D
A huge study testing a long-held theory about the cause of multiple sclerosis has found that women who took a vitamin D supplement cut their risk of developing the disorder by 40 per cent...
January 9, 2004 (theage.com.au)
Patch vaccine may be MS risk
An adhesive patch hailed as a revolutionary method of mass vaccination may increase a child's risk of type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis, Australian researchers have found...
December 21, 2003 (Canadian Press)
Beta-interferon linked to liver problems
Health Canada is warning health-care professionals of the risks of using beta-interferon therapy for the treatment of multiple sclerosis...
December 16, 2003 (University of Texas news release)
Drug appears to treat some spasticity in MS
A drug proven effective in controlling epileptic seizures also appears to treat one form of spasticity in multiple sclerosis patients, report researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Centre at Dallas...
December 16, 2003 (Science Daily)
Gene differences may alter susceptibility to MS
A tiny difference in a gene may signal that a person is twice as susceptible to MS as normal. It could also foretell of a more rapidly progressing form of the disease...
November 27, 2003 (Doctor's Guide)
Independent publications confirm neutralising antibodies matter in MS
Three recent independent publications provide compelling evidence that immunogenicity is an emerging and important consideration for neurologists in selecting immunomodulator therapy for the treatment of MS...
October 12, 2003
Sally Shaw's research project
April 17, 2003 (nzherald.co.nz)
Scientists use stem cells to cure MS in mice
April 8, 2003 (nzherald.co.nz)
Injured brain adapts and fights back
March, 2003 (Internal Medicine Journal)
MS more prevalent in northern NZ than previously reported
March 2002 (Medsafe Prescriber Update - Ministry of Health)
No association between hepatitis B vaccine and MS
Jan 18 2002 (National MS Society - USA)
Research suggests that factors in long-standing brain lesions may inhibit myelin repair
May 8 2001 (nzherald.co.nz)
Unhappy scientist quitting gene cow project
May 7 2001 (nzherald.co.nz)
Editorial: Reprieve for cows bearing MS hope
May 4 2001 (nzherald.co.nz)
Brain tissue source of 'master' cells
May 3 2001 (nzherald.co.nz)
Brakes put on controversial genetic experiment
Feb 19 2001 (nzherald.co.nz)
Research into causes of auto-immune diseases
Feb 1 2001
Research summary from the MS Society of New York
August 17, 2000 (nzherald.co.nz)
Gluckman - hero of science
August 5, 2000 (nzherald.co.nz)
Drugs project will stay in Auckland
July 26, 2000 (nzherald.co.nz)
Protesters highlight GE issues
July 21, 2000 (nzherald.co.nz)
Gene trial in cattle approved
June 12, 2000 (nzherald.co.nz)
Four diseases may contribute to MS
November 25, 1999 (nzherald.co.nz)
Cloud over dairy cattle research
November 1, 1999
New findings may alter treatment
November 1, 1999
A clue in axons
November 1, 1999
Cari Loder's therapy tested
August 24, 1999
Human gene in cow's milk
Drug appears to treat some spasticity in MS
December 16, 2003 (University of Texas news release)
DALLAS - A drug proven effective in controlling epileptic seizures also appears to treat one form of spasticity in multiple sclerosis patients, report researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Centre at Dallas.
Spasticity is a key factor in many MS patients' loss of the ability to walk.
A study published in the December issue of Archives of Neurology and currently available online shows that levetiracetam reduced phasic spasticity, which is marked by spasms and painful muscle cramps, in 100 per cent of patients in a small clinical study.
"It's amazing how many MS patients can't walk, can't move, and you treat their spasticity and they're fine," said Dr Kathleen Hawker, assistant professor of neurology at UT Southwestern and lead author of the study.
"What's nice about these drugs is that they also work for nerve pain, which in turn improves the patient's mood, so we can use one drug for three things instead of prescribing pain killers and antidepressants in addition to the spasticity therapies."
Spasticity is often seen in patients with MS and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), as well as after a stroke or spinal-cord injury. It can lead to loss of balance, increased risk of falls, pain, fatigue, and walking difficulties.
Drugs currently used to treat spasticity may cause memory problems, weakness and lethargy in some patients.
"We're trying to look at medicines that can be used for multiple symptoms so we don't get into a lot of drug interactions," Dr Hawker said. "If we can get the same results with a better-tolerated drug, that's great for our patients."
Researchers examined the histories of 11 patients treated with levetiracetam between January 2001 and June 2002 for MS-related spasticity at Southwestern Medical Centre. The patients were treated with levetiracetam for one to four months, with dosages starting at 250 milligrams per day and increasing to 3000mg per day.
Researchers found that leviteracetam decreased phasic spasticity in patients taking the drug alone as well as in those who took it in combination with other therapies for spasticity. Tonic spasticity, which produces stiffness, did not improve. Overall, the clinical investigators found the side effects of levetiracetam to be generally mild, Dr. Hawker said.
Multiple sclerosis is the most common disabling disease of young people, ages 18 to 45, and affects 350,000 people in the United States. Symptoms of the disease are unpredictable, vary by individual, and often come and go. While one patient may experience severe vision problems, another may have abnormal fatigue. Other symptoms include loss of balance and muscle coordination, slurred speech, tremors, stiffness, and bladder problems.
Dr Elliot Frohman, head of UT Southwestern's multiple sclerosis program and associate professor of neurology and ophthalmology, and Dr Michael Racke, associate professor of neurology and in the Centre for Immunology, also participated in the study, which was partially funded by UCB Pharma, Inc.
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Sally Shaw's research project
October 12, 2003
 In May 2002, Sally Shaw visited Auckland and spoke to us about her experiences as a person newly diagnosed with MS.
Sally, a PhD student in clinical psychology at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, is now conducting a survey into people's behaviour within 12 months of being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.
If you would like to participate in the survey, click here. You must be 18 or over and diagnosed with MS to participate.
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Research suggests that factors in long-standing brain lesions may inhibit myelin repair
January 2002
Investigators at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation published findings in The New England Journal of Medicine, January 17, 2002, on recent research into the cells that make and replace myelin in and around long-standing, or chronic, MS brain lesions.
Lesions are areas where myelin, the insulating coating on nerve fibres, has been destroyed and the nerve fibres are damaged.
Dr Ansi Chang and Dr Bruce Trapp and their team found evidence that the brain makes attempts to repair the damaged myelin in MS lesions.
Summary:
- The investigators found evidence that the brain makes major attempts to repair itself, with an abundance of myelin-making cells, or oligodendrocytes, in long-standing brain lesions, regardless of age or type of MS.
- The appearance and condition of the myelin-making cells suggests that they are unable to complete the final steps toward replacing the myelin.
- The investigators speculate that nerve fibers in MS lesions inhibit the attempts at repair by oligodendrocytes cells.
- These cells may present targets for therapies that focus on completing the final steps of myelination to repair the damage caused by MS.
- This and other research into repairing the damage caused by MS are currently underway.
National Multiple Sclerosis Society of USA
New York - 18 January 2002
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Research summary from the MS Society of New York
December 2000
* National MS Society-supported investigators at Mayo Clinic reported success in promoting the regrowth of myelin in mice with an MS-like disease by injecting them with immune-system proteins called "monoclonal antibodies". Additional research is ongoing in advance of possible clinical trials in humans with MS.
* The first large clinical trial of an experimental oral therapy for MS began in the (northern) spring. The "CORAL" trial, conducted by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, is testing an oral form of Copaxone in 1300 people with relapsing-remitting MS over 56 weeks to determine whether it can reduce the rate of MS relapses. Another study involving Copaxone, led by University of Maryland researchers, suggested that over six years of therapy, Copaxone continues to have positive effects against relapsing-remitting MS.
* Researchers at Cleveland Clinic and elsewhere showed that treatment with Avonex had beneficial effects on a number of cognitive functions among people with relapsing MS.
* A small study testing the ability of oral modafinil (Provigil) to fight fatigue, a common and potentially disabling symptom of MS, showed promising results in MS. Modafinil is currently FDA-approved for the treatment of narcolepsy.
* Two separate clinical trials testing two forms of interferon beta-1a (Avonex and Rebif) suggested that both drugs delayed development of clinically definite MS, when compared with placebo, in individuals with first signs of demyelinating disease who are at risk for developing clinically definite MS.
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New findings may alter treatment
Clinician Reviews 8(4):34,37, 1998.0
Clinicians Publishing Group and Williams & Wilkins
Summarised in MSSA Newsletter, November 1999
November 1999
Recent findings may affect how MS is treated in the future. Specifically, they raise the possibility that patients should begin treatment very early in the disease process.
Traditionally, treatment and research approaches have focussed on preventing immune-mediated damage to myelin and promoting remyelination.
The findings from the research suggest that treatment for MS may become more aggressive.
- Early treatment with anti-inflammatory medications may become the norm.
- Treatment may also include non-invasive monitoring of changes to the axons in MS patients.
- Future MS research may concentrate on developing neuroprotective therapies for patients with MS.
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A clue in axons
Trapp BD, Peterson J, Ransohoff RM et al.
Axonal Transection in the Lesions of MS
New England Journal of Medicine 1998; 338:278-285.
Summarised in MSSA Newsletter, November 1999
November 1999
Electrical impulses that travel along axons, the electrical "wires" that extend from nerve cells, are critical to the ability of the brain and spinal cord to function normally.
Scientists have recognised for a long time that in MS white blood cells destroy the insulating material, called myelin that covers the axons. Recent research has revealed that these same white blood cells can destroy the axons themselves.
This information has two important implications:
- The recognition that axons can be destroyed early in the course of MS underscores the importance of early treatment.
- To reverse damage that has already occurred in MS, we need to develop treatments that promote not just remyelination, but also axonal regeneration.
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Cari Loder's therapy tested
MS Matters, No. 26, July/August 1999
Summarised in MSSA Newsletter, November 1999
November 1999
People who took part in the trial of Cari Loder's Triple Therapy have been told there was no difference in disability at 24 weeks between those given active treatment and those on placebo.
In both groups there was a slight improvement in the first two weeks.
More detailed analysis suggests that the active treatment might reduce MS symptoms slightly, but that it also causes more side-effects.
Investigators said the study did not support routine use of triple therapy for people with MS. "There may be further analysis to see if any specific group of patients may benefit. In the meantime we cannot recommend this treament," they said.
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Human gene in cow's milk
24 August 99
WELLINGTON - A New Zealand government research agency said on Tuesday it planned to introduce a human protein gene into cattle as part of research into a possible treatment for multiple sclerosis, also known as MS.
AgResearch said it had applied to New Zealand's Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA) for permission to undertake a series of experiments on transgenic cattle.
The authority is responsible for compliance with biosecurity and other environmental safety regulations.
AgResearch said it hoped the introduction of a copied human
myelin basic protein (MBP) gene would lead to the production of
large amounts of the protein in cows' milk.
Scientists believe MS, a chronic disease of the central nervous system, is caused by the patchy degeneration of the myelin sheath that coats nerves in the brain and spinal cord.
Retrieving the MBP from modified milk produced in the
experiments would allow the protein to be used in tests of its
efficacy as a treatment for MS sufferers, AgResearch said.
"In animals showing clinical signs of the disease, recovery can be helped by ingestion of myelin basic protein," AgResearch scientist Dr Phil L'Huillier said in a statement.
"Cattle are a good choice to help produce this protein since they produce large quantities of milk."
If the MBP from genetically modified milk proved useful, it could potentially prove to be a breakthrough, he said.
The modification would be done by introducing a human gene to bovine cells in a laboratory and injecting them into bovine eggs.
Source: Research Page at The World of MS
Follow-up
Summarised in MSSA Newsletter, November 1999
Dr Tom Miller of Auckland University gave us some clarification regarding the genetically modified livestock that raised a lot of publicity recently.
"The essence is that the protein which is going to be provided by the cow is going to be used as a tool," said Dr Miller.
"It would be used an an alternative element so that the immune system will target that protein instead of attacking the myelin.
"It is not a treatment protocol for MS. It is a means to carry out further research. Some material which will derive from that research could provide some assistance in terms of modifying MS."
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