Research coming from the University of Alberta, in Canada, is pointing to a possible breakthrough in treating Multiple Sclerosis. They are saying that increasing these steroids in the brain of multiple sclerosis patients may reverse or possibly cure multiple sclerosis.

Please take note that this is very early research still! However, one positive note is that, unlike so many other treatments for multiple sclerosis, this one would likely be taken orally instead of as an injection! No more needles is this one pans out!

University of Alberta researchers crack possible multiple sclerosis …

University of Alberta researchers crack possible multiple sclerosis breakthrough. By QMI Agency. Posted 15 minutes ago. Increasing steroids in the brains of multiple sclerosis patients may regress and possibly even cure the disease, …

Publish Date: 09/29/2011 0:00

http://www.leducrep.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3315805

I know that there are a lot of possible treatments / cures for multiple sclerosis these days but, so far, none of them has really panned out as a real cure. Hopefully, with more research and time, this will change and those of us suffering from multiple sclerosis will finally get some permanent relief from it and all the symptoms that go with it!

Multiple Sclerosis Linked to 3 Genes in Studies; More Likely

Multiple Sclerosis has been linked to 3 different Genes in Studies and more discoveries are likely. This is significant because this is the first time that scientists have been able to establish a firm link to the genes involved in the process of MS. It’s even more significant because 3 different studies were released today announcing the same finding and they were each discovered by different means and yet they all arrived at the same result.

The researchers are also reporting that they have found at least 12 more genes that may be linked to the disorder. It seems like one of the main culprits is a gene called IL7R.

Until three years ago, according to the article, most of the researchers were actually competitors. Fortunately, now they are working together thanks to a collaborative research grant that was awarded by the MS Society. That was motivation to allow them to work together instead of against each other.

What does this mean to us? Well, now that they’ve identified at least SOME of the genes involved, hopefully that will bring all of us closer to an cure, or at least a more effective treatment, for this dreaded disease of ours!

- Vince

According to the American Academy of Neurology, this so-called benign MS may not be so benign after all.  It was discovered that many of the people who are told that they have benign MS, because they have few disabling symptoms after 10 years, might not really be benign.  A study was published in Neurology, which is the scientific journal published by the American Academy of Neurology.  This study says that benign MS might not be!

A study involving 169 people was conducted.  These people had what was considered benign MS after 10 years.  The study found that after a 20 year period, the disease had progressed substantially in 21 percent of those “benign” cases.  Substantially means that those 21 percent had progressed to the extent that they needed assistance from a cane in order to walk.  Even though most of them had been diagnosed with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis, after 20 years, approximately 20 percent of those people now had advanced to the secondary progressive form of MS.  In that type, the disease shows a steady progression instead of the more typical relapsing remitting type, where there are flare-ups, known as exacerbations, that remit and often allow full recovery.

Unfortunately, in this study, they were unable to identify any particular signs that made one person more likely to move to the secondary progressive stage.  There was nothing related to gender, symptoms or age that was indicative of the disease progressing or remaining benign.

Hopefully, more studies will be able to ultimately, more accurately, predict the course of a person’s specific type of MS.  For now, the disease remains as elusive as ever with those of us who suffer from multiple sclerosis still hoping for that “silver bullet” that will cure it.

GENEVA, Switzerland, January 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Merck Serono (virt-x: SEO and NYSE: SRA) announced today that patient enrollment has been completed in the CLARITY (CLAdRIbine Tablets Treating MS OrallY) study, a Phase III pivotal clinical trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of Merck Serono’s proprietary oral formulation of [tag]cladribine[/tag] for the treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS).

“The completion of patient enrollment into the CLARITY pivotal trial is a major milestone in the development program of [tag]oral cladribine[/tag],” said Franck Latrille, Merck Serono’s Head of Product Development. “It brings us one step closer to our objective of offering patients the first oral therapy for first line treatment of multiple sclerosis, with the convenience of short courses of therapy given intermittently.”

The CLARITY study is a two-year (96 weeks), randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, international trial. It enrolled more than 1,300 patients and will provide data on key endpoints including clinical relapses, disability progression and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Study participants have been enrolled in one of the three arms of the study to receive one of two different dose regimens of oral cladribine or matching placebo tablets. In the study, oral cladribine is given in two or four treatment cycles in the first year, with each cycle consisting of daily administration for five consecutive days, which means study patients take oral cladribine therapy for only 10 or 20 days during the year. In the second year, two treatment cycles are administered.

The increased convenience resulting from the oral intermittent administration of oral cladribine has the potential to address an important unmet medical need in patients with MS.

Oral cladribine was designated a Fast Track product by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in September 2006. Under Fast Track designation, [tag]oral cladribine[/tag] is eligible for Priority Review and the FDA may consider portions of the marketing application for review before the New Drug Application (NDA) is completed.

About Oral Cladribine

Merck Serono’s proprietary oral formulation of cladribine is currently being evaluated in Phase III as a treatment for patients with relapsing forms of [tag]multiple sclerosis (MS)[/tag]. Cladribine is a small molecule that interferes with the behavior and the proliferation of certain white blood cells, particularly lymphocytes, which are involved in the pathological process of MS. Through its differentiated mechanism of action, oral cladribine may offer a safe and effective new option to patients with MS.

About Merck Serono and multiple sclerosis

Merck Serono is a leader in multiple sclerosis (MS) with Rebif(R) (interferon beta-1a), a disease-modifying drug used to treat relapsing forms of MS, which is registered in more than 80 countries worldwide. In addition to Rebif(R), the Company also offers a second therapy within its US portfolio of MS therapies: Novantrone(R) (mitoxantrone for injection concentrate) for worsening forms of MS. Full prescribing information for these products can be obtained by contacting the Company or visiting its website. Additional therapeutic options are currently under development at Merck Serono, including oral cladribine, currently in Phase III and potentially the first oral therapy for MS, as well as several products in early stage development including: osteopontin, an MMP-12 inhibitor, a JNK inhibitor and interferon beta:Fc. Merck Serono also is taking a leading role in developing an understanding of the role of genetics in MS, with a whole genome scan currently underway.

About multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, inflammatory condition of the nervous system and is the most common, non-traumatic, neurological disease in young adults. The World Health Organization estimates that up to 2.5 million people suffer from MS worldwide. While symptoms can vary, the most common symptoms of MS include blurred vision, numbness or tingling in the limbs and problems with strength and coordination. The relapsing forms of MS are the most common.

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease, that attacks the central nervous system, and can often be disabling to the victim.

2. How bad will my multiple sclerosis get and how fast will it progress?

The speed of progression, symptoms and the severity of the disease cannot be predicted since the disease is so variable from one person to the next.

3. How many people suffer from multiple sclerosis in the United States?

Approximately 350 Million people, in the United States alone, have multiple sclerosis.

4. How frequently is multiple diagnosed in the United States?

On average, about 200 new cases of multiple sclerosis are diagnosed, each week, in the United States.

5. What are some of the symptoms of multiple sclerosis?

Symptoms are widely variable but include things like extreme fatigue, impaired vision, slurred speech, bad balance and coordination, bladder and bowel problems, trouble walking, muscle weakness and coordination issues, cognitive difficulties, depression, tremors and, in some cases, even partial or complete paralysis.

6. Is multiple sclerosis fatal? Will I die from multiple sclerosis?

Multiple sclerosis is NOT a fatal disease. The average life expectancy for a person with MS is approximately 90% – 95% of the normal life span.

7. Will I need a wheelchair because of my multiple sclerosis? What about a cane or a walker?

Roughly 75% of people with multiple sclerosis never require a wheelchair. Approximately one third of the people with MS will eventually require some sort of walking aid though, such as a cane or a walker.

8. Can a family member get multiple sclerosis from me? Is multiple sclerosis contagious?

MS is not contagious and you cannot get MS from being around a person who has MS.

9. If I have multiple sclerosis, will my children also have multiple sclerosis? Is multiple sclerosis inherited?

MS is not inherited but if a family member has multiple sclerosis, your odds of getting it do increase.

10. How do you cure multiple sclerosis? Is there a cure for multiple sclerosis?

There is currently no cure for multiple sclerosis. Much research and study is underway to attempt to isolate a cure but that could still be many years off.

11. What drugs are used to treat multiple sclerosis?

The drugs that are aproved for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, as of this writing, are Avonex, Betaseron, Copaxone, Rebif, Tysabri and Novantrone. These drugs are all aimed at slowing the progression of the disease. They do not treat the symptoms of the disease. Symptoms are treated with various drugs as needed to treat specific problems.

So, [tag]what causes ms[/tag]? It’s not actually known, yet, [tag]what causes multiple sclerosis[/tag]. Much research has been done, and is continuing to be done, in an attempt to answer this question.

What is known is that most researchers are convinced that multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease. White blood cells in the body are intended to fight infection or disease. In people with multiple sclerosis, those same cells, that are supposed to protect the body from disease, actually attack the body’s own cells. This causes irritation and inflammation in the central nervous system and this damages the protective coating of the nerves and may eventually damage the nerve as well.

There are numerous different [tag]possible causes of multiple sclerosis[/tag] being researched. These include Vitamin D deficiency, viral infections, climate, genetic factors and others. Unfortunately, none of these have been confirmed yet. There has also been no cure discovered for multiple sclerosis either.

Researchers are actively working to solve the riddle of [tag]what causes ms[/tag] and, hopefully, in the near future they will be able to answer that question.

Multiple sclerosis is widely believed to be an autoimmune disease, and it impacts the central nervous system, which includes the spinal cord, optic nerves and brain. It is, according to the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America, “the most common neurological disorder diagnosed in young adults”. This disease damages the central nervous system by attacking the insulating material, called myelin, that protects the nerves. When this material is damaged, the white matter surrounding the nerve fibers becomes hardened and those hardened areas are called plaques. These plaques are basically scar tissue that forms and they can slow the nerve impulses to the body. This, in turn, leads to nervous system incoordination.

Let me help you visualize this. The brain is like a very powerful computer that controls your entire body. To communicate with the body, the brain uses the equivalent of wires, which are the nerves in your body. When you want to move your toes, a message is sent from the brain to the toes telling them to move. This signal travels from the brain, down the nerves, in the spinal cord, and signals the toes to move. This is normally a very efficient communication system because the nerves are very well insulated. This insulation is the myelin, which is a fat and protein mix. This myelin is a coating on the nerves, much like the rubber insulation on a wire, and allows the electrical impulses to flow effectively.

For some reason, the myelin is attacked in people with MS and leaves hardened areas that look scarred. Another name for that scar is a sclerosis, thus the name Multiple Sclerosis, which literally means multiple scars.

The symptoms of multiple sclerosis are those that would indicate a damaged or irritated central nervous system. The symptoms are very similar to other neurological disorders such as stroke, trauma, tumors and migraines. Since the symptoms are so similar to these other disorders, it requires a certain level of expertise and knowledge to properly identify multiple sclerosis. For those who are knowledgeable, though, it is not really all that difficult to diagnose.

Some of the symptoms of MS are things like numbness, blurred vision, double vision, tingling, weakness, fatigue, clumsiness, pain, cognitive issues, dizziness, stiffness and muscle spasms. These symptoms come and go and are not predictable or consistent. One day, a person may have great difficulty walking and a few days later be walking fine again.

Sometimes these attacks, known as ms exacerbations, leave permanent damage. Sometimes the condition improves leaving only some damage and sometimes there are no obvious signs of damage at all, and a complete recovery is seen. This unpredictability is one of the worst parts of the disease for the victim.

There is currently no cure for multiple sclerosis. There are, however, several medications approved for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. These treatments include the drugs Avonex, Betaseron, Rebif, Copaxone, Tysabri and Novantrone. Some of these are taken by self-injection and others are administered intravenously at the doctor’s office. There are also clinical trials underway in hopes of developing an approved drug in pill form to be taken orally but there is no definitive proof, yet, of the effectiveness.

So, what is multiple sclerosis? It’s a neurological disorder that can be severely disabling. What is multiple sclerosis? It’s an autoimmune disease that effects the central nervous system. What is multiple sclerosis? It’s a degenerative disease that affects over 350,000 people in the United States alone.

Multiple sclerosis is all these things. It’s still being researched, there is no cure and the cause is unknown. It is still, mostly, a medical mystery with no cure.

Those of us who suffer from multiple sclerosis have great hope that a cure will come soon. Continuing research is needed to achieve this goal and both donations and increased government funding into research can help accomplish this.

GENEVA, Switzerland, December 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Serono (virt-x: SEO and NYSE: SRA) announced today the initiation of a Phase III clinical trial to evaluate the effect of two dosage regimens of the new formulation of Rebif(R) (interferon beta-1a 44 mcg, three times a week or once a week) on the time to conversion to multiple sclerosis (MS) in people with first clinical symptoms suggestive of the disease. The trial, called the REFLEX study (REbif FLEXible dosing in early MS), will involve 480 patients considered at risk of developing MS because of a recently experienced isolated [tag]demyelinating event[/tag] and of typical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans. “It has been demonstrated that early treatment with interferon-beta can reduce the risk of developing multiple sclerosis. Optimizing the impact of such treatment on development of irreversible neurological damage and ascertainment of long term outcomes is still subject of active experimental and clinical research”, said Professor Ludwig Kappos, from the Department of Neurology, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland, and a member of the Steering Committee of the REFLEX study. “The REFLEX study will determine the respective therapeutic benefit of two different dosage regimens of the new formulation of Rebif(R) for people at risk of developing multiple sclerosis.”

The REFLEX study is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial. Study participants will receive either the new formulation of Rebif(R) 44 mcg three times a week (160 patients), or the new formulation of Rebif(R) 44 mcg once a week (160 patients), or placebo (160 patients) as a subcutaneous injection for a period of 24 months, unless they suffer from a second attack leading to a diagnosis of [tag]clinically definite MS[/tag]. In this case, patients will be offered open label treatment with the new formulation of Rebif(R) 44 mcg three times a week.
The primary endpoint of the study is time to conversion to MS, according to the McDonald criteria. Other endpoints will include assessments of [tag]MRI brain scans[/tag], clinical relapses and disability progression. The REFLEX study will also evaluate the effect of the new formulation of Rebif(R) on cognitive function as measured by the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT)[1]. [tag]Cognitive dysfunction[/tag] can occur early in MS and impact memory, ability to process information and learning. A sub-study will assess retinal nerve fiber thickness (a marker of axonal loss) by means of optical coherence tomography (OCT). This sub-study will be conducted in selected centers, equipped with this leading edge technology. In addition, the REFLEX study will aim at identifying genetic/genomic profiles associated with disease and treatment outcomes.

The new formulation of Rebif(R) has been developed by an innovative approach, using state-of-the-art technologies. It is under regulatory review by the European Medicines Agency, the US Food and Drug Administration and other healthcare authorities, and is not currently approved.

About Rebif(R)

Rebif(R) ([tag]interferon beta-1a[/tag]) is a disease-modifying drug used to treat relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) and is similar to the interferon beta protein produced by the human body. Interferon helps modulate the body’s immune system, fight disease and reduce inflammation. Rebif(R), which was approved in Europe in 1998 and in the US in 2002, is registered in more than 80 countries worldwide. In the United States, Rebif(R) is co-marketed by Serono, Inc. and Pfizer Inc. Rebif(R) has been proven to delay the progression of disability, reduce the frequency of relapses and reduce MRI lesion activity and area[2]. Rebif(R) is not approved for treatment of chronic progressive MS. Rebif(R) is available in a 22 mcg and 44 mcg ready-to-use pre-filled syringe and a titration pack, and can be stored at room temperature for up to 30 days if a refrigerator is not available. Most commonly reported side effects are injection site disorders, flu-like symptoms, elevation of liver enzymes and blood cell abnormalities. Patients, especially those with depression, seizure disorders, or liver problems, should discuss treatment with Rebif(R) with their doctors.

I don’t know about some of you but I am not comfortable with the idea of using Tysabri for MS yet. I think the approval was pushed through and as we know, there have been some complications from the drug. However, I believe that all those cases involved using Tysabri in conjunction with [tag]Avonex[/tag]. Still, I think I’ll just stick with my [tag]Copaxone[/tag] and B-12 for now!

For those who suffer from [tag]Crohn’s Disease[/tag], I hope that this works out well for you. I have a cousin who suffers from it and I know it’s not pleasant to have to deal with.

You guys go on over and read that article at the link that I gave you. I think you’ll find it to be good information. An excerpt of the article is shown below:

By Jeffrey Krasner, The Boston Globe

Dec. 16–[tag]Biogen Idec Inc[/tag]. and [tag]Elan Corp[/tag]. said yesterday that they have applied to the Food and Drug Administration for approval to sell Tysabri, a multiple sclerosis drug, to treat patients with Crohn’s disease.

The drug is already being evaluated as a treatment for Crohn’s by the European Medicines Agency, and both companies had long predicted they would file a Crohn’s application with the FDA by the end of the year. But in November, Biogen Idec chief executive James C. Mullen told the Globe he didn’t expect European regulators to approve the Tysabri request, and might ask the Cambridge company to conduct additional clinical trials.