http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/1205/289778.html


RSS Feeds From ABC 7 UPDATED - Thursday December 29, 2005 7:06pm
IPOD Enabled Story Watch the abc7 e-Video eVideo: ABC 7 Medical:
Multiple Sclerosis

-WJLA Script-
Anchor:
IT'S NOT A CURE, BUT THERE IS NEW HOPE FOR PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS. IT'S A NEW VACCINE, AND ALTHOUGH IT'S STILL IN
CLINICAL TRAILS DOCTORS SAY PATIENTS ARE SEEING SOME EXCITING RESULTS AS
MEDICAL REPORTER KATHY FOWLER REPORTS.

Kathy Fowler on set:
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SHORT CIRCUITS THE WIRING IN THE BRAIN, CAUSING LOSS
OF FEELING, VISION PROBLEMS, FATIGUE AND WEAKNESS. BUT A NEW VACCINE
SEEMS TO BE HELPING.

Story Script:
SUE CARLSON WORKS UP TO 12 HOURS A DAY HELPING OTHERS FEEL BETTER.

Sue Carlson: "Theres' nothing I can't do."

BUT FOUR YEARS AGO, SUE COULD BARELY MUSTER ENOUGH ENERGY TO WORK A HALF
DAY. MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS WEAKENED THE ENTIRE RIGHT SIDE OF HER BODY. Sue
Carlson: "I had to move a body part predominantly with my left side and
prop it on pillows or towels or blankets in order to do the work I
needed to do"

AFTER 6 MONTHS ON AN EXPERIMENTAL VACINE CALLED NEUROVAX, HER STRENGTH
CAME BACK.

Carlson: "And it just kept getting better, and better and better."

NEUROVAX INCREASES THE NUMBER OF DISEASE-FIGHTING-WHITE BLOOD CELLS IN
THE IMMUNE SYSTEM. IT WORKED FOR ALL 40 PATIENTS WHO RECEIVED IT.

UNLIKE STANDARD TREATMENTS, WHICH HAVE TO BE GIVEN DAILY OR WEEKLY, THE
VACCINE ONLY HAS TO BE GIVEN ONCE A MONTH, AND IT DOESN'T CAUSE FLU-LIKE
SIDE EFFECTS.

Dr. Dennis Bourdette Neurologist: "What patients want are treatmetns
that are not only effective, but also aren't impacting their quality of
life because of side effects.

RESEARCHERS SAY THE RESULTS ARE ENCOURAGING BUT LARGER STUDIES ARE
NEEDED BEFORE IT CAN BE APPROVED.

Dr. Arthur Vandenbark, Neurologist: "We still have to have a large
enough trial that goes on for a minimum of 2 years where we see a
difference between the vaccinated patients and the control group, or the
placebo group"

AFTER A YEAR WITHOUT AN INJECTION, SUE IS WAITING FOR A NEW TRIAL TO
BEGIN, HOPING THAT ANOTHER DOSE OF THE VACCINE WILL GIVE HER EVEN MORE
STRENGTH.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS VACCINE LOG ONTO:
http://www.ohsu.edu/ms/contact.html