UT Southwestern Researchers Find Antidepressants Need New Nerve Cells To Be Effective
- NIH scientists find a novel mechanism that controls the ...
What they discovered was that mice without furin in these cells developed systemic autoimmune disease. This means that the immune systems of the mice ...
Tysabri
Elan reports narrower losses
Athlone Advertiser - Westmeath,Ireland
This comes following news earlier this week that two European patients who recently developed a dangerous brain infection after taking Tysabri are now ...
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FDA Advises Healthcare Providers on Tysabri Risk
FDA news (subscription) - Falls Church,VA,USA
Prescribing information for Tysabri (natalizumab) will be revised to include information telling prescribers and patients that cases of PML have occurred in ...
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She's on the run to help find a cure for MS
Miami Herald Fri, 29 Aug 2008 1:58 PM PDT
Eileen Friedman, 46 Plantation MS diagnosis: I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2000 after a head-on accident that totalled my car. I probably had MS 12 years prior because the symptoms came and went like a toothache. The pain in my head was intense, but I thought it was related to the accident. My brother has MS, so I went to see his neurologist.
UT Southwestern Researchers Find Antidepressants Need New Nerve Cells To Be Effective
Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have discovered in mice that the brain must create new nerve cells for either exercise or antidepressants to reduce depression-like behavior.In addition, the researchers found that antidepressants and exercise use the same biochemical pathway to exert their effects.
Bioengineered Drugs Heal, but at a Big Cost
RedOrbit - Dallas,TX,USA
Since the drug was approved for use in 1998, other bioengineered drugs for rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, cancer and other diseases have come to ...
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New PML Cases Reported With Tysabri Monotherapy
By Shirley(MDhealthChannel.com)
August 26, 2008 — Two new cases of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) have been reported in European multiple sclerosis patients receiving natalizumab (Tysabri, Biogen Idec, Inc), the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ...
- http://ms-news-channel-3.blogspot.com/
Distinguishing A Bad Mood From Depression In Teenagers, From The Harvard Mental Health Letter
The teenage years are a time of emotional highs and lows. So how do you distinguish normal teenage mood swings and rebellion from actual depression? The September 2008 issue of the Harvard Mental Health Letter highlights some ways to tell.
Even Without Dementia, Mental Skills Decline Years Before Death
A new study shows that older people's mental skills start declining years before death, even if they don't have dementia. The study is published in the August 27, 2008, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Demonstration Of Subliminal Learning In The Human Brain
Although the idea that instrumental learning can occur subconsciously has been around for nearly a century, it had not been unequivocally demonstrated. Now, a new study published by Cell Press in the August 28 issue of the journal Neuron used sophisticated perceptual masking, computational modeling, and neuroimaging to show that instrumental learning can occur in the human brain without conscious processing of contextual cues.
The Addicted Brain May Be Protected By Cocaine-Induced Brain Plasticity
A new study has unraveled some of the mysteries of the cocaine-addicted brain and may pave the way for the design of more effective treatments for drug addiction. The research, published by Cell Press in the August 28 issue of the journal Neuron, identifies specific brain mechanisms that underlie addiction-related structural changes in the brain and provides surprising insight into how these changes may actually defend the brain during excessive drug use.
Research
Dr. Yong
Professor in the Departments of Oncology & Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary, AB
View BIO
Q :
I heard that more than just myelin is destroyed in the brain by MS and that the brain actually shrinks. Is that true and is any research taking place to try and stop it?
A :
Yes, the brain actually shrinks in MS. This is due to continuing degeneration (neuro-degeneration) of constituents within the brain as the disease progresses. These constituents include not only myelin and the oligodendrocytes that make myelin in the first place, but also nerve cells (neurons) and their fibers. The shrinkage of the brain, referred to as “brain atrophy”, can be detected by MRI scans of the brain when conducted over periods of years. At autopsy, the loss of brain tissue can be quite obvious to the naked eye.
Neuro-degeneration and brain atrophy are the major factors that account for the progress of disability in patients with MS that deteriorate neurologically. It is thus critical to prevent neuro-degeneration and brain atrophy in MS. Scientists worldwide are actively researching on the reasons for neuro-degeneration and they are beginning to understand some of the molecules that cause this. As a result, a number of medications are being tested in animal models of MS in attempts to prevent the loss of brain tissue. There are indeed many “neuro-protective agents” that seem promising in laboratory studies. Providing for neuro-protection is in fact one of the most active areas of research in MS currently.
There is evidence that the two major types of immunomodulators used in MS, glatiramer acetate (Copaxone) and interferon-betas (Avonex, Rebif and Betaseron), not only affect the immune system but that they also can confer some degree of neuro-protection. The mechanisms by which these immunomodulators provide for neuro-protection seem different, with glatiramer acetate’s action being more direct within the brain tissue, while that of the interferon-betas may be considered more indirect by preventing the entry of molecules that go into the brain to destroy that structure. Many neurologists therefore advocate the use of these immunomodulators in relapsing-remitting MS and to encourage patients to stay on their medications.
We currently have no clear evidence that the loss of brain tissue in progressive MS can be reduced. However, research is quite active in this area.
Overall, we now recognize that neuro-degeneration is very significant in MS, leading to the loss of brain tissue. Research to stop this is very active and several potential neuro- protective medications are in the pipeline.
8/31/2008 4:19:40 AM
More answers from Dr. V. Wee Yong
More answers in the category: Research
For more information related to this topic, please click Research Page
DISCLAIMER: Please be aware that this information does not necessarily represent the opinion of the MS Society of Canada, and is not intended as medical advice. For specific advice and opinion, always consult a physician.
© 2008 Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada | www.mssociety.ca
http://www.msanswers.ca/QuestionView.aspx?L=2&QID=35
Repair Stem Cell Institute Says Stanford University's Stem Cell Study Confirms The Futility Of Embryonics In Human Therapy
The Repair Stem Cell Institute LLC (RSCI; http://www.RepairStemCells.org) reported that Stanford University School of Medicine's recent discovery there may be limitations to the effectiveness of human therapies derived from embryonic stem cells (ESC) because the cells injected in mice stimulated the kind of immune rejection seen with transplanted organs clearly delivers a blow to proponents of embryonic stem cell research who continue to ballyhoo the promise of ESC when in effect, as the Stanford study showed, the transplanted stem cells were dead within about seven to 10 days.
Potent Promise: Back to the Womb: Reverting adult cells to an ...
Science News - USA
Doctors would then transplant these converted cells into the afflicted organ to treat the illness, whether it’s multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, ...
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Riders lend support
Leader Post - Don Mills,ON,Canada
... is trying to raise $30000 for stem cell treatments in Costa Rica, said this was just the boost he needed to keep on fighting multiple sclerosis. ...
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Early Arthritis Symptoms | Which Joint Hurts? | What Is Arthritis? | Types of Arthritis | Arthritis Diagnosis
Arthritis is not a single condition. Arthritis comprises over 100 different diseases and conditions -- the most common are osteoarthritis, gout, rheumatoid arthritis, and fibromyalgia. Common symptoms include pain, aching, stiffness, and swelling in or around the joints. Some forms of arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, can affect multiple organs and cause widespread symptoms.
Signs and Symptoms of Arthritis
There are over 100 different types of arthritis. While symptoms can vary, there are certain signs and symptoms that point to the disease. Read more...
Signs and Symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory type of arthritis. Recognizing the symptoms leads to an accurate diagnosis and proper treatment. Read more...
Signs and Symptoms of Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type of arthritis. Recognizing the symptoms leads to an accurate diagnosis and proper treatment. Read more...
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