Author Topic: MS Society Webcast on progressive MS research March 4  (Read 179 times)

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Offline agate

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MS Society Webcast on progressive MS research March 4
« on: February 20, 2015, 01:34:58 pm »
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Live Webcast: Finding Answers for Progressive MS

March 4, 2015

On Wednesday, March 4, join a panel of experts for a live nationwide webcast on “Finding Answers for Progressive MS.”

Wednesday, March 4, 2015
2 – 3 p.m. Eastern (1 – 2 p.m. CT, Noon – 1 p.m. MT, 11 a.m. – Noon PT)

To register for the live webcast, please click here.

Topics include:

Updates on Progressive MS research

Advancements in Progressive MS treatment, symptom management and rehabilitation

Progress made by the Progressive MS Alliance

Moderator: Kate Milliken, founder, Milligrace Productions. Kate has been living with MS since 2006.

Panelists include:

Dr. Alan Thompson, University College London Faculty of Brain Sciences, UK

Dr. Bruce Bebo, Executive Vice President, Research, National Multiple Sclerosis Society

Dr. Robert J. Fox, Staff Neurologist, Mellen Center for MS; Vice-Chair for Research, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic

Dr. Riley Bove, Associate Neurologist, Brigham and Women's Hospital; Instructor in Neurology, Harvard Medical School

_____________________
 For people who cannot participate in real-time, we will post the recorded version with transcript for viewing shortly after the event.
MS Speaks--online for 17 years

SPMS, diagnosed 1980. Avonex 2001-2004. Copaxone 2007-2010. Glatopa (glatiramer acetate 40mg 3 times/week) since 12/16/20.

Offline agate

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The Webcast can be seen here.

I watched it. For the most part the panelists were saying what is already known--that not much is available to help people with progressive forms of MS but the researchers are working hard at finding some solutions.

One point was made rather emphatically--that it is now known that the inflammation seen in early MS is profoundly different from the degeneration seen in progressive MS. Therefore prescribing RRMS therapies for people with progressive MS, as has been done for a while now, hasn't been helpful.

Some matters were cleared up for me by listening to this Webcast:

Stem cells are unspecialized cells that are a sort of internal repair system. They can turn into more specialized cells, and one type of stem cell can be derived from  your own skin. A study done with mice at the University of Rochester resulted in "beautiful-looking myelin" in unmyelinated mice by transplanting these stem cells into the mice.

However, there are roadblocks to translating this process for humans, the panelists made clear. But the goal is to prevent myelin destruction and replace damaged myelin.

The shiverer mouse has been turning up in research studies for many years, and now at last I have a vague idea why it has its name. An unmyelinated mouse is called a shiverer mouse because it shivers all the time.

Question for anyone who might be reading: Does having little or no myelin make an organism particularly sensitive to temperature? Is that why the mouse shivers?

Dr. Fox is interested in oligodendrocytes (cells that put myelin on the nerves) and what might be blocking them in MS.  He stated that the oligodendrocytes are still present in MS but they're not doing their job. He is working on the drug ibudilast with the goal of possibly unblocking this important oligodendrocyte activity.

MS Speaks--online for 17 years

SPMS, diagnosed 1980. Avonex 2001-2004. Copaxone 2007-2010. Glatopa (glatiramer acetate 40mg 3 times/week) since 12/16/20.