Prolactin and Multiple Sclerosis
New study finds that the release of prolactin strengthens neuron insulation, which could one day help reduce the effects of multiple sclerosis By Nikhil Swaminathan. Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post...
The Corpus Callosum - http://scienceblogs.com/corpuscallosum/

New Research Offers Hope for Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis
A team of researchers from the U of C’s Faculty of Medicine reports that a study conducted on mice found that the hormone prolactin encourages the spontaneous production of myelin, the fatty substance that coats nerve cells and plays a ...
Digg / Health / digg - http://digg.com/health

Pregnancy clue to multiple sclerosis treatment | Science News ...
Now a team reports that the mystery of why multiple sclerosis tends to go ... two weeks following the damage as virgin mice and that introducing prolactin ...

Pregnancy Hormone May Ease Multiple Sclerosis - MSN Health ...
Increase in prolactin may explain why women with MS fare better while pregnant ... Multiple sclerosis (MS) affects about 2.5 million people worldwide. ...

Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada

We have just launched a “subscribe” function on our very popular Ask the Expert website. Ask the Expert is an MS Society of Canada maintained website that invites individuals to send in questions that they have about all aspects of MS. These questions are answered by top health professionals and researchers in the MS field. If you are interested in receiving e-mails notifying you when new questions have been posted to this website please select the following link to register www.msanswers.ca/Subscribe.aspx?L=2 Pregnancy hormone key to repairing nerve cell damage New program provides scholarships to Canadian youth directly affected by MS. Accepting applications until April 15. Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada appoints new national president New Publication! A Guide to Employment and Income Support contains comprehensive information and guidance on a wide range of income and employment issues relevant to living with MS. Also contains a separate publication especially for employers of persons with MS. Find out about key MS Society recommendations for the upcoming federal government budget and how you can help. Caregiving issue of MS in focus is now available to download. MS in focus is a biannual magazine developed by the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation (MSIF). This issue provides important practical information for caregivers of people with MS, healthcare professionals and people with MS. Please note: This publication is currently available in English only.

http://www.mssociety.ca/en/default.htm

Im sorry that I haven't been around lately. I have been spending
alot of time with my new boyfriend(who has MS) and just doing things
with him. But, on a sadder note, last night he had an attack. His
whole left side is numb. He is in the hospital right now. Usually
when this happens, he is in the hospital for 10 days and then he
comes home. He had me call the ambulance last night around
midnight. They got here and I followed the ambulance in my car. I
was with him the whole time. I was at the hospital from 12:30 this
morning until 7:15 am and then I went home, showered and got my 8
month old son(because Jason, my boyfriend) was asking me to bring him
up to see him. I got back at the hospital at 10:15 this morning and
didn't leave until 6:45 tonight. So, today I have spent 15 hrs at the
hospital. I am not complaining one bit, I just feel so helpless like
I am not doing enough for him. Is there anything I can do for him
other than be with him at the hospital every chance I get?? This is
his first attack since we have been together. Its really hard on me
watching him try to do things with only 1 hand and I keep offering to
help him, but most of the time he says, I can do it, so I let him. I
keep telling him that if he needs my help with something to please
tell me because I am more than willing to do anything he needs my
help with. The nurse told me this afternoon that they were gonna
take him down for a MRI tonight, but I talked to him an hour ago and
they still haven't done it yet. His family-especially his mom and
his aunt(who he is very close to) are very thankful and keep telling
me that they are so thankful and happy that he finally has found
someone who loves him for who he is and isn't turning their back on
him. I keep telling them that I feel like I am not doing enough and
they keep telling me that I am by just being with him at the hospital
and that just shows how much I care and love him. Jason keeps
telling me thank you for being there with him and that I am doing
more than enough to help him through this by just being with him at
the hospital. I just love the man sooooooo much that I feel like
just being there isnt enough. So really I just want to know is there
anything else that I can do for him other than being with him at the
hospital and telling him that I am there for him and I am willing to
help him do whatever it is that he needs help with?

Thanks for listening to me, I am gonna try and get some rest and go
back to him in the morning.

Former FDA chief pays big for cozy dealings
Lester Crawford fined $89,377 and given three yeard probation for owning stock in companies FDA regulated.
02/27/07 10:17 PM, EST
A federal judge fined former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Lester Crawford $89,377 Tuesday and sentenced him to three years probation for charges stemming from his ownership of stock in companies the agency regulated.
FULL STORY

The Half-Trillion Dollar Solution
Want to end the Iraq war? Place a hard and fixed limit on the president's war appropriations.
By Bruce Ackerman and David Wu
02.27.07 - American Prospect

The real debate on Iraq begins with Congress's consideration of the military budget. The president has requested almost three quarters of a trillion dollars to fund the military through September 30, 2008. More than $150 billion is earmarked for Iraq.
We have already spent $350 billion there, so the president's proposal pushes our Iraqi costs close to the half trillion mark. At the same time, he is demanding a $100 billion cut in health care funding, falling most heavily on poor children, while he maintains his $200 billion annual tax cut, channeled mostly to millionaires.
It is Congress's job to restore fiscal balance first, by placing an overall limit on Iraq war expenditures. Congress should limit this president to spending half a trillion dollars on the Iraq war -- and no more.
While he may not like the limit (we don't either, but for the opposite reason), the president would have no choice but to sign this ceiling to get short-term funding for his war.
In taking this step, Congress wouldn't be initiating a grand constitutional battle over the war powers of the president. It would be exerting its constitutional power of the purse and playing its traditional role as a check on another branch of government, rebalancing runaway programs that threaten to overwhelm our fiscal health and national priorities.
Limiting all future expenditures in Iraq to $150 billion, tops, can in no way harm our troops in the field. It responsibly carries out the will of the American people: that the president, with professional military advice, should be unwinding this war and planning a prudent departure for friendlier nearby countries or home.
"Fanaticism," George Santayana famously observed, "consists of redoubling your effort when you have forgotten your aim." There is nothing which sobers the mind more than a fixed budget.
Even the administration concedes that Congress has the constitutional power to cut off funds. The challenge is to use this power creatively -- both protecting the troops and requiring the president to end his war on his watch.
The key point is to establish the principle that President Bush is responsible for leading America out of the impasse he created. A budget cap will also create a framework encouraging Congress to focus on the big picture, rather than engage in constant criticism of particular strategic decisions.
We have fixed our ceiling at a level which assures that all troops will leave Iraq by inauguration day of 2009. But our proposal provides a framework for a debate over a more rapid redeployment: if Congress wanted a quicker termination, it need only impose a rider to the next appropriations bill that specified some smaller number (say, $450 billion) as the appropriate budgetary ceiling for our tragic misadventure.
This seems a more profitable focus than a series of debates over the next round of strategic maneuvering that will follow the president's surge. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates is already assuring us that if the surge doesn't work, he is pondering the next Plan B. But Plan B is really Plan Q, or maybe Z. It is time to call this endless series of rationalizations to an end.
Our "half-trillion dollar solution" is a choice of the lesser evil. There are no good options left. The American people should know that things can get worse -- that, whether we leave today or after a decade of urban ground combat, we may have to go back if Iraq ever becomes a true threat to the world or immolates itself in genocide.
But for now, we should end this war with a minimum of domestic name-calling, a maximum of motive and opportunity for the many peoples of Iraq to solve their own problems without genocide, and a focus on finishing the job in Afghanistan (the last known mailing address for Osama bin Laden). Moreover, our proposal for a fixed budget would initiate the hard task of rebuilding America's foreign policy on its traditional bipartisan basis.
By forcing President Bush to clean up the mess he has created, we would permit the next president and Congress to avoid yet another round of recrimination, and confront together the very real challenges ahead.
Bruce Ackerman is a professor of law and political science at Yale. David Wu is the U.S. representative for Oregon's 1st Congressional District.
http://www.prospect.org/web/printfriendly-view.ww?id=12516



__,_._,___

Rowling hits out at NHS ban on costly MS treatment for Scots

LYNDSAY MOSS HEALTH CORRESPONDENT (lmoss@scotsman.com)

JK ROWLING yesterday condemned a decision to deny multiple sclerosis patients in Scotland access to a drug on the grounds of cost.

The Harry Potter author, whose mother suffered MS, broke her silence on the Scottish Medicines Consortium's refusal to recommend Tysabri ahead of a debate on the drug by MSPs tomorrow.

Rowling said cost should not dictate the use of a drug which could help tackle a serious illness such as MS.

In December, the SMC said the economic case for Tysabri - which costs £15,000 a year per patient - had not been demonstrated.

The announcement prompted dismay among patients and MS campaigners.

The drug is used to treat patients who suffer an aggressive form of MS which leads to disabling relapses. The patients will have failed to respond to other treatments.

Yesterday, Rowling, patron of the MS Society Scotland, added her voice to the calls for the SMC to reconsider its position.

"I know from personal experience that MS can have a devastating effect on everyone who comes into contact with it. My mother suffered terribly with MS and it was so frustrating that there was little or nothing doctors could do to help her.

"If a drug can help tackle MS - particularly the very aggressive type of relapsing MS we are talking about - it should not be ruled out because of cost alone.

"Once again, decisions about treatment are being made by accountants rather than clinicians, and I hope MSPs will speak up on behalf of the thousands of families affected by MS across Scotland," Rowling said.

Tomorrow MSPs will debate the motion "that the parliament deplores the decision by the Scottish Medicines Consortium not to recommend that Tysabri be prescribed to people with multiple sclerosis".

Mark Hazelwood, director of the MS Society Scotland, said Tysabri was an important treatment option for MS patients.

"People affected by MS in Scotland should have the same access to treatments as their counterparts in Ireland, Germany, the US and elsewhere," he said.

"More that 10,000 people are now taking this drug worldwide, but we are barely out of the starting blocks."

Dr Belinda Weller, a neurologist at the Western General in Edinburgh, said she had been disappointed by the SMC's decision not to recommend Tysabri.

It means doctors who want to use the drug for individual patients must apply to the health board for funding approval in each case.

Dr Weller said she had won approval to use Tysabri for one of her patients in Lothian, but doctors elsewhere in Scotland had been unsuccessful.

"There are gains to be made in improving quality of life in MS patients by using this drug which can help keep them in better health," Dr Weller said. "It is important that we have the option to use it."

SNP MSP Tricia Marwick, an MS campaigner, said she had been "astonished" by the SMC's decision.

"Scotland has the highest incidence of MS in the world.

"If you have this level of illness you have the opportunity to become a centre of excellence in the treatment of MS," she said.

"But with Tysabri we are lagging behind other countries."

The Scottish Executive said the SMC was independent of ministers and, while it provided advice, doctors had to make judgments for each patient.

• SCOTLAND has the highest rate of multiple sclerosis anywhere in the world.

More than 10,000 people have the illness - about one in 500 people.

But the reasons for the higher rate in Scotland remain unknown.

MS is the result of damage to myelin - a protective sheath surrounding the nerve fibres of the central nervous system. When this is damaged, it interferes with messages between the brain and other parts of the body.

Symptoms can include fatigue, mild to severe pain, balance and sight problems and muscle stiffness.

It is thought that about 1,000 patients in Scotland with aggressive MS could benefit from Tysabri.

Related topics

• JK Rowling & Harry Potter
  http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=3
• Health of the NHS
  http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=57

This article: http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=312102007

Last updated: 28-Feb-07 00:10 GMT

http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=312102007

Rowling hits out at NHS ban on costly MS treatment for Scots
Scotsman - Edinburgh,Scotland,UK
The Harry Potter author, whose mother suffered MS, broke her silence on the Scottish Medicines Consortium's refusal to recommend Tysabri ahead of a debate ...
See all stories on this topic

Research News

	Summaries of all the latest research findings on MS selected by a team based at the Institute of Neurology, London.

White matter plasticity and enhanced remyelination in the maternal CNS

This study investigates whether MS remission during pregnancy could be due to enhanced remyelination, with positive results. The hormone prolactin is identified as a potential therapeutic agent.

authors: Gregg C, Shikar V, Larsen P, Mak G, Chojnacki A, Yong VW, Weiss S.

source: J Neurosci. 2007 Feb 21;27(8):1812-23

read more

Helminths as governors of immune-mediated inflammation

This paper summarises recent studies which have found that parasitic worms may stimulate our immune sytems and protect us against inflammatory conditions.

authors: Elliott DE, Summers RW, Weinstock JV

source: Int J Parasitol. 2006 Dec 28; [Epub ahead of print]

read more

A secondary progressive clinical course is uncommon in neuromyelitis optica

This study in 96 patients with neuromyelitis optica (NMO), a condition involving inflammation in the spinal cord and optic nerves, shows that a secondary progressive course is very rare. The authors suggest that this demonstrates a dissociation between relapses and progression in demyelinating conditions.

authors: Wingerchuk DM, Pittock SJ, Lucchinetti CF, Lennon VA, Weinshenker BG

source: Neurology. 2007 Feb 20;68(8):603-5

read more

Cerebral Cortical Lesions in Multiple Sclerosis Detected by MR Imaging at 8 Tesla

This post-mortem study in one patient demonstrates that high field MR scanning can demonstrate cortical lesions which may not be clearly visible otherwise, even pathologically.

authors: Kangarlu A, Bourekas EC, Ray-Chaudhury A, Rammohan KW

source: AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2007 Feb;28(2):262-6

read more

APOE epsilon4 is associated with impaired verbal learning in patients with MS

This Greek study in 125 MS patients investigated the association of the 4 allelle of the gene APOE, which has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease, with cognitive function. Having the gene was associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment.

authors: Koutsis G, Panas M, Giogkaraki E, Potagas C, Karadima G, Sfagos C, Vassilopoulos D.

source: Neurology. 2007 Feb 20;68(8):546-9

read more

Vaccinex Announces Antibody Development and Commercialization Alliance in Multiple Sclerosis and Oncology
RedNova Tue, 27 Feb 2007 8:06 AM PST
ROCHESTER, N.Y., Feb. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Vaccinex, Inc. announced today that it has entered into a collaboration with Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. to develop and commercialize VX15, a novel human antibody discovered by Vaccinex.

MS Sufferer Treated for 17 Years at English Hospital Told Operation Must Be in Wales RedNova Tue, 27 Feb 2007 5:47 AM PST By Madeleine Brindley A multiple sclerosis sufferer has been told he cannot continue to go to an English hospital where he has been treated for 17 years. Health Commission Wales has told David Thomas that it will not fund a pain-relieving operation at Frenchay Hospital in Bristol.

Neurological disorders a global problem News-Medical-Net Tue, 27 Feb 2007 10:42 AM PST A new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that neurological disorders, ranging from epilepsy to Alzheimer disease, from stroke to headache, affect up to one billion people worldwide. Neurological disorders also include brain injuries, neuroinfections, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson disease.

Neurological disorders affect 1 billion people: WHO Reuters via Yahoo! News Tue, 27 Feb 2007 8:58 AM PST Neurological disorders ranging from migraines to epilepsy and dementia affect up to 1 billion people worldwide and the toll will rise as populations age, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.

Neurological disorders hit 1B: WHO report CBC Tue, 27 Feb 2007 9:28 AM PST Up to one billion people wordwide suffer from neurological disorders ranging from migraines to Alzheimer's disease, the World Health Organization said in a report on Tuesday.

Neurological disorders affect 1 billion people: WHO
Reuters via Yahoo!7 Health Tue, 27 Feb 2007 5:14 AM PST
GENEVA (Reuters) - Neurological disorders ranging from migraines to epilepsy and dementia affect up to one billion people worldwide and the toll will rise as populations age, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Tuesday.

Free 411 (Directory Assistance)


Just a little something for all my friends out there in the world with cell
phones LOL!!!!
Free 411 (Directory Assistance)

Most cell phone companies are charging us $1.00 to $1.75 or more for 411
information calls when they don't have to. Most of us do not carry a
telephone directory in our vehicle, which makes this situation even more of
a problem.

When you need to use the 411 information option, simply dial 1 (800) FREE
411,
or 1 (800) 373-3411 without incurring any charge at all.

This is the kind of information people don't mind receiving, so pass it
on to your family and friends.

This works on your home telephone as well!

Pregnancy hormone reverses MS damage
New Scientist Sun, 25 Feb 2007 5:04 AM PST
The hormone prolactin repaired nerve damage in mice - understanding the mechanism could lead to new treatments for multiple sclerosis in humans

Holistic MS treatments, from the sea to the sun Seattle Times Sun, 25 Feb 2007 0:13 AM PST Q: So many people in the Northwest have multiple sclerosis. I'm on a good treatment, I think, but friends tell me there are holistic options...

Medical Marijuana ID Program Struggling: Steep Costs, Privacy Fears Deter Many Users
RedNova Sat, 24 Feb 2007 3:17 PM PST
By Dana M. Nichols, The Record, Stockton, Calif. Feb. 24--SAN ANDREAS -- California's medical marijuana identification card program is sick.

Study finds pregnancy hormone may offer cure for multiple sclerosis
Earthtimes.org - USA
The scientists, in their experiments with mice, injected prolactin in non-pregnant mice with multiple sclerosis and found that their myelin was repaired. ...
See all stories on this topic

study: hormone associated with pregnancy may reverse MS
E Canada Now - Brantford,Ontario,Canada
Dr. William McIlroy, national medical advisor for the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, explains the significance of this study: “The results of this ...
See all stories on this topic

Pregnancy hormone may ease multiple sclerosis
Poughkeepsie Journal - Poughkeepsie,NY,USA
The researchers also found prolactin mimicked the effects of pregnancy, increasing both myelin production and repair in the mice. ...
See all stories on this topic

Hormonal Surge During Pregnancy Repairs Faulty Brain Signaling
Scientific American - USA
In what could give hope to the 2.5 million sufferers of multiple sclerosis (MS) worldwide, a new study reports that the hormone prolactin, the levels of ...
See all stories on this topic

Health Headlines - February 25
By Mrs_Skeffington(Mrs_Skeffington)
Multiple sclerosis (MS) affects about 2.5 million people worldwide. It occurs when the body's immune system attacks myelin, which insulates nerve cells and plays a critical role in the transmission of messages from cell to cell. ...
NurseTips - http://nursetips.blogspot.com/index.html

Pregnancy hormone may help treat MS
By Rigel Gregg
The symptoms of multiple sclerosis have been noted to ease for women during pregnancy, and scientists believe it's due to the hormone prolactin. In MS the human body attacks the myelin that surrounds nerves, and it's been thought that ...
That's Fit - http://www.thatsfit.com

Mysterious Ways: Pregnancy Hormone Could Treat Multiple Sclerosis Research Previous news :: Next news 05:06 PM, February 21st 2007 by Moni Constantinescu Bearing a child seems to have the unlikely effect of sending multiple sclerosis in remission – a new Canadian study might throw some light on this mystery. Researchers at the University of Calgary made a significant discovery: a certain hormone produced during pregnancy rebuilds myelin, the crucial protective coating of the brain. The disintegration of myelin generates MS. The researchers hope that prolactin, a hormone that triggers milk production during pregnancy, could one day be used as treatment for MS patients. The deterioration of myelin (on the brain and spinal cord) causes other neurological conditions besides multiple sclerosis, such as stroke, spinal cord injuries and some dementia, says the Calgary research team. Prolactin could be used to treat these too. The research was done with mice, not humans, and thus should be viewed with caution, the team warns. They found twice as much myelin repair in pregnant female mice with spinal cord injuries compared with non-pregnant females of the same age. They also discovered that giving prolactin to mice that weren't pregnant also repaired the nerve coating. “It blew us out of the water,” said Dr. Samuel Weiss, one of the lead authors. Dr. Weis and Dr. Wee Young published their study in today’s edition of Journal of Neuroscience. “Right now there is nothing else that can stimulate myelin repair.... The potential is very significant.” The research opens up a new approach to treating MS, as current treatments focus on controlling the autoimmune disease, but don't repair damage that has occurred. “These are hopeful times for MS treatment," said co-author Dr. Wee Young, a neuroscientist. “We have a new insight on how to repair lesions that already exist.” MS attacks the coating of insulation around nerves which is myelin, creating lesions that disrupt nervous system messages. This damages everything from eyesight to mobility. Previous research has focused on what role pregnancy plays in stopping the immune system attacks, but the team of Calgary researchers had a different approach: they discovered pregnancy was also associated with the production of new nerve coating. The Calgary team will extend the research in an attempt to determine the existence of possible negative aspects associated with the hormone and whether it can be administered with existing MS medications that target the immune system. Studies to determine if prolactin has the same impact on humans as on mice could come within a couple of years, sped along by the fact the hormone is already being tested, with no significant side effects emerging yet, as a therapy for helping women who have trouble producing milk for newborn babies, Dr. Weiss said. http://www.playfuls.com/news_004868_Mysterious_Ways_Pregnancy_Hormone_Could_Treat_Multiple_Sclerosis_.html

Pregnancy Hormone May Help Treat MS
WebMD Fri, 23 Feb 2007 2:19 PM PST
Hormone, Called Prolactin, Might Spur Repair of Nerve Damage in Multiple Sclerosis

Pregnancy Hormone May Help Treat MS WebMD Fri, 23 Feb 2007 2:55 PM PST Prolactin, a pregnancy hormone, may repair nerve damage and might help treat multiple sclerosis (MS), Canadian researchers report.

All in the mind
Guardian Unlimited Fri, 23 Feb 2007 3:50 PM PST
A semi-anaesthetised 56-year-old man lies on the operating table, murmuring half-responses to the blue-gowned group that surrounds him. Consultant neurosurgeon Neil Kitchen stands over him, flanked by the anaesthetist, two registrars and theatre staff.

Elan Fourth-Quarter Losses Narrow as Tysabri Sales Grow
CNBC - Englewood Cliffs,NJ,USA
Tysabri, Elan's key product developed in conjunction with US drug maker Biogen Idec, was withdrawn from US sale shortly after its launch in February 2005 ...
See all stories on this topic

Tysabri forecast to drive Elan's return to profitability
Pharma Times (subscription) - London,UK
Ireland's Elan Corp has posted a reduction in losses for the fourth quarter and says that its mutiple sclerosis drug multiple sclerosis treatment Tysabri ...
See all stories on this topic

Elan CFO: Tysabri could post revenue over $300 mln in 2007
MarketWatch - USA
PLC's (ELN) chief financial officer said Tuesday that, based on the current patient take-up, its multiple sclerosis drug Tysabri could make more than $300 ...
See all stories on this topic

Elan quarterly loss narrows, sees return to profit
MarketWatch - USA
However, Elan also said that 2007 revenues excluding Tysabri should exceed $500 million, with research and development and SG&A expenses to be in the range ...
See all stories on this topic

I have Health Watch, which is basically the same thing as Life line. I wear
the pendant on my neck constantly. It's waterproof, so you can wear it in
the shower (they way that's where a lot of their people have falls, which
makes sensse). Since I live alone, I find it very reassuring. I get a
reduced rate because I was referred by the county Social Services
department, though they don't pay for it. My mother does. I think it is
reassuring for her, too. She used to panic if I didn't return her phone
messages immediately and even showed up at my door once or twice, though she
is over an hour away. It drives me nuts sometimes that no matter how
exhausted I am I have to pick up the phone when she calls or return her
messages right away so that she doesn't panic. I don't think it would annoy
me as much if I hadn't spent my entire life taking care of her needs and
often not even recognizing that I needed things, too, but it is what it is.
Severe illness doesn't make family issues go away. It brings them into
sharper focus.

High-Dose Vitamin D Cuts Nursing Home Residents’ Falls (CME/CE)
BOSTON -- Nursing home residents taking 800 IU of vitamin D were less likely to fall and had a 72% decrease in falls compared with those taking a placebo, according to a five-month study.
http://www.medpagetoday.com/PrimaryCare/Geriatrics/dh/5118

Many Americans Don't Trust Leaders
To Reform Health Care, Poll Finds

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL ONLINE
February 21, 2007

Nearly half of Americans don't trust President Bush to reform the nation's health-care system, a new Wall Street Journal Online/Harris health-care poll found.

When asked much they trust the president to come up with good policies for improving and reforming the U.S. health-care system, 49% said "not at all," while 16% said "not much," according to the online survey of 2,482 U.S. adults. By comparison, 18% said they trust Mr. Bush "to some extent" and only 9% trust him "a great deal" on the issue. The survey was conducted Feb. 7-9.

The survey found more confidence in Democrats than Republicans. Fifty percent said they trust Democrats on the issue "a great deal" or "to some extent," up from 45% in a survey conducted last year. In contrast, 28% of people in the latest poll said they trust Republicans "a great deal" or "to some extent," compared with 31% last year.

Among potential presidential contenders, 48% said they trust Democratic Sen. Hillary Clinton on the issue a great deal or to some extent, while 45% said the same about Democratic Sen. Barack Obama, 34% about Republican Sen. John McCain and 19% about Republican Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts.

See full results of the poll:

http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB117198224317513652-zAGW9F0XCxl2GSq6xbtyrVOm8ZE_20080221.html?mod=rss_free

Trevis Gleason of Life with MS struck a chord with us as we read about what it's like to date while living with a chronic condition.

Zacks Bull and Bear of the Day Highlights: Maxim Integrated, BJ’s ...
Business Wire (press release) - San Francisco,CA,USA
We are downgrading our rating on Acorda Therapeutics (Nasdaq: ACOR) form Hold to Sell. Recent positive phase III data on Fampridine-SR drove the stock up ...

Third Point Calls for Board to Sell Acorda Therapeutics, Inc.
Yahoo! News (press release) - USA
On September 25, 2006, the Company announced statistically significant results from the PIII study of Fampridine-SR for walking improvement in multiple ...
See all stories on this topic

Acorda Therapeutics "buy," target price raised
newratings.com - USA
The SPA for the second Phase III trial of Fampridine-SR in MS is coming close to completion, with trial initiation expected in 2Q07 and completion ...
See all stories on this topic

Analyst initiations 2-21-07: Coach & Avaya initiated today
Blogging Stocks - USA
Morgan Joseph started Acorda Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ: ACOR) with a Sell rating and $15 target citing seizure rates for Fampridine-SR and limited efficacy ...

Prolactin Comes to the Aid of MS Sufferers
MedIndia - India
A hormone secreted during pregnancy, necessary
to get the body ready for breast feeding may come
to the aid of those ailing from multiple sclerosis. ...

Pregnancy Hormone May Ease Multiple Sclerosis
CBC News - Canada
The researchers also found that prolactin mimicked
the effects of pregnancy, increasing both myelin
production and repair in the mice. ...

Google Blogs Alert for: prolactin multiple sclerosis mice

MS Hope
By Mab
A study conducted at the University of Calgary has
lead to the discovery of an hormone that could regenerate
myelin, countering the effects of multiple sclerosis.
Starting from the long-established fact that pregnant women
rarely have ...
Cruset of Ideas - http://ideas.mab.ms

Pregnancy provides MS repair clue
By Sister Joyus Whip
A pregnancy hormone may help repair the damage to nerves
caused by multiple sclerosis, Canadian research suggests.
The Journal of Neuroscience study, by the University of
Calgary, may explain why MS tends to go into remission while ...
The Open Piehole - http://akamat.wordpress.com

Pregnancy hormone reverses MS damage
By Signs of the Times(Signs of the Times)
And the results suggest that the hormone - prolactin -
might one day be used to treat people with the disorder.
Multiple sclerosis involves the destruction of the
sheath of fatty tissue called myelin that normally protects
nerve cells. ...
Signs of the Times - http://www.signs-of-the-times.org

Pregnancy Hormone Thought To Be Key To Repairing Nerve Cell Damage ...
By Richard
Now, according to University of Calgary researchers
who have shown that prolactin, a pregnancy-related
hormone is responsible for rebuilding the protective coating
around nerve cells, the mystery of why
multiple sclerosis (MS) tends to ...
Hyscience - http://www.hyscience.com/

Pregnancy hormone may offer hope for MS patients
By Reuters
Researchers at the University of Calgary said a study
involving mice showed that a hormone called prolactin
triggers production of myelin, a fatty substance that
insulates nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.
In multiple sclerosis ...
News/Activism - http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/browse

Sharescope: Elan back on one of its roller-coaster rides again

Thursday February 22nd 2007

ELAN was off one on of its roller-coaster rides again this past few days, with investors piling in to the stock ahead of results which were issued to an expectant market on Tuesday. As things transpired, all of the buying was seemingly well informed, as Elan's fourth-quarter results were better than expected.

Revenues came in at a hefty $161m, which was a very healthy 10pc ahead of forecast. Even better, when all the books are done and the earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation worked out, the adjusted loss came in at €9.2m - well below forecasts for a loss of around $37.4m. The upshot is that the adjusted loss per share was close to 16c, compared to earlier estimates of as much as 25c.

The big thing as far as Elan is concerned remains its wonderdrug, Tysabri. During the fourth quarter, global revenues totalled $30.2m with the bulk of this, $23m, derived from the US and the balance from the EU. As we speak, a total of 6,600 patients are on the drug, but because of enrollment trends with the drug, Davys said it is reducing its Tysabri forecasts to about $430m.

The company has other strings to its bow, and if you exclude Tysabri from the picture, then fourth-quarter EBITDA revenues came in at $14.4m. Of the other products, Maxipime and Azactam were better performers during this quarter - they had been hit by supply problems in the previous quarter.

Elan provided its first guidance for 2007 this week, and this indicates that revenues, excluding Tysabri, should exceed $500m. With group operating costs of $600-650m, analysts believe the adjusted EBITDA loss should be lower than $50m, with the good news that it could even reach into positive territory by the end of the year.

Looking ahead, analyst Jack Gorman at Davys said it may be hard to sustain recent momentum without obvious near-term newsflow. So with no obvious news in the pipeline, the recent 10pc hike in the share price might just unwind in the short term - it certainly started to do just that in the immediate wake of the results posted on Tuesday.

The good news is that Davys remain very positive on the prospects for Elan's Alzheimer's franchise.

The next R&D catalyst for the stock should come along mid-year and analysts believe the stock can be driven forward by this, possibly as high as the Davys valuation of $16.10.

PAT BOYLE

© http://www.unison.ie/

http://www.unison.ie/business/stories.php3?ca=80&si=1780816

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I looked up different ways that we can on our own increase our prolactin levels. It seems that there are alot of things on the web on how to decrease your prolactin to achieve conception to start pregnancy, but not a ton on increasing it. . Prolactin will increase your milk when you are breastfeeding. While I was looking, I found the following article to list the things that can cause an elevation in prolactin. The article is about Galactorrhea, which is too much breast milk. This is caused by too much prolactin, so it gives information about what raises it. Further down the article in the first chart, it lists the things that can cause Galactorrhea by increasing your prolactin levels and the things that can inhibit it. In Table 2 further down (not table 1), it lists medications and herbs that directly can cause your prolactin levels to increase. Kind of interesting.

.......... Don't know how these things pertain to men and women differently.

http://www.aafp.org/afp/20010501/1763.html

I also looked up which foods can increase prolactin levels, too many individual articles to quote. But Beer can increase prolactin levels as well, lol. I've always heard that drinking beer can increase your breast size, lol. Now I know why.

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