The Forest Whispers My Name III » News

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Show Exciting Potential For Multiple Sclerosis Treatment

pmb — Tue, 11 May 2010 11:40:14 +0000

A groundbreaking trial to test bone marrow stem cell therapy with a small group of patients with multiple sclerosis has been shown to have possible benefits for the treatment of the disease.

Bone marrow stem cells have been shown in several experimental studies to have beneficial effects in disease models of MS. The research team, led by Neil Scolding, Burden Professor of Clinical Neurosciences for the University of Bristol and North Bristol NHS Trust, have now completed a small trial in patients with MS to begin translating these findings from the laboratory to the clinic.

The Bristol team report on this pioneering trial in an article published online in Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics. The paper, Safety and feasibility of autologous bone marrow cellular therapy in relapsing-progressive multiple sclerosis was performed at the Institute of Clinical Neurosciences, Frenchay Hospital, Bristol and the Bristol Haematology and Oncology Centre.

The study explored the safety and feasibility of cell therapy in patients with MS. Participants had a general anaesthetic during which bone marrow was harvested. The marrow cells were filtered and prepared so that they could be injected into the patient’s vein later the same day.

The procedure was well tolerated and the participants were followed up for a year. No serious adverse effects were encountered. The results of clinical scores were consistent with stable disease. The results of neurophysiological tests raised the possibility of benefit.

Professor Neil Scolding said: “We are encouraged by the results of this early study. The safety data are reassuring and the suggestion of benefit tantalising. A larger study is required to assess the effectiveness of bone marrow cellular therapy in treating MS. We are hopeful that recruitment to this phase 2/3 study may begin towards the end of this year.

“Research into the underlying mechanisms is ongoing and vital, in order to build on these results. We believe that stem cells mobilised from the marrow to the blood are responsible, and that they help improve disease in several ways, including neuroprotection and immune modulation.”

The aim of the trial was to find out what effects, good or bad, bone marrow stem cells has on patients with MS, and their disability.

Bone marrow is known to contain stem cells capable of replacing cells in many types of tissues and organs – and so is of great interest to those working to develop new treatments for many diseases, including those affecting the nervous system.

The study has been funded by the Adrian Wright Bequest, The Patrick Berthoud Charitable Trust, the Silverman Family Foundation, The Myelin Project, the Captain SK Trust and The Burden Trust.

Source: University of Bristol

Current Mood: smile

Researchers Agree On Future Of MS Stem Cell Research

pmb — Sun, 09 May 2010 00:57:11 +0000

Nature Reviews Neurology published an international consensus on the future of stem cell transplantation research for people with MS, paving the way for more coordinated global research efforts and potentially better, and quicker, patient access to stem cell clinical trials.

The guidelines, which have been written and approved by some of the most well respected international MS researchers, as well as MS Societies from around the world, spell out hope for the future of MS stem cell research and debunk myths about overseas stem cell clinics claiming to cure the condition.

Professor Gianvito Martino from the San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Milan, Italy, and Professor Robin Franklin from the University of Cambridge, UK, are lead authors for the guidelines, which:

- outline the promise stem cell transplantation has shown in early stage clinical trials and ways they could be used to treat MS in the future

- describe the different types of stem cells that might be used to treat different types of MS

- detail methods of delivering these stem cell therapies into patients

- highlight best practice in conducting clinical trials to evaluate the safety and efficacy of stem cell therapies in MS

A stem cell public information booklet “Stem Cell Therapies in MS” produced in partnership by MS Societies from the UK, USA, Italy, France and Australia and the MS International Federation summarises the guidelines for people affected by MS.

Researchers have agreed that stem cells are likely to have a significant role to play in the treatment of MS, but also warn that expectations should be realistic.

Professor Gianvito Martino said: “At this stage it is unreasonable to claim that stem cells are a magic cure for MS. It is, however, likely that they will one day play an important role in treating the condition.”

Professor Robin Franklin added: “It is only by working together will we get the answer as to whether stem cell transplants hold promise in the treatment of MS. The guidelines will help the research community get to that answer more quickly than we would by working in isolation.”

The guidelines are the result of an international stem cell consensus meeting held in London in May 2009 organised by the MS Society in the UK and USA, and supported by MS Society of Italy, France, Australia and the MS International Federation.

Dr Jayne Spink, Director of Policy and Research at the MS Society in the UK, said: “The MS Societies around the world are in a unique position to facilitate co-ordination and collaboration regarding international stem cell research. This should help the research to progress more quickly.”

She added: “We have coordinated the production of these guidelines along with the public information booklet to provide accurate information that should help counteract the confusion caused by unscrupulous stem cell clinics falsely marketing MS cures.”

Source
Multiple Sclerosis Society of Great Britain

Current Mood: bouncy

Go (1) , Tysabri, go. (1) Go die in a fire.

pmb — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 23:34:53 +0000

NEW YORK -(Dow Jones)- Biogen Idec Inc. (BIIB) disclosed four more cases of a rare brain infection in multiple sclerosis patients on Tysabri, which it sells with Elan Corp. (ELN), bringing the total number of cases to 35.

Tysabri is considered a highly effective therapy for MS, (so, just imagine if it wasn’t.. duh) and its growth is important to the future of both Elan and Biogen. But its sales have been slower than originally hoped amid concerns about the risk of PML that led to its 18- month market withdrawal beginning in 2005.

“The overall rate is about the same,” said Biogen spokeswoman Naomi Aoki. “It remains consistent with what is outlined in our label.” – this is the label that says “can cause death”, right? I see.

The last update came from the FDA, which cited 31 cases as of Jan. 21, in a recent safety update noting that MS patients using the drug had increased risk of getting PML as the number of infusions of the medicine increase.

Despite the risk, the agency said the benefits of the medicine continue to outweigh the risks. Which is absolutely true, If the patients are suicidal.

The most recent update translates to about 1.56 cases per 1,000 patients on the drug for between two and three years.

By contrast, the incidence is about 0.54 case per 1,000 patients in those using it for one to two years, and it is almost non-existent in patients using it for less than a year.

The number of cases is important because if the infection rate climbs too high, sales of the drug may drop.

Tysabri’s withdrawal from the market occurred after three patients developed PML. The infection re-emerged in mid-2008, and Biogen provided regular updates about the cases until mid-2009. The company is now providing monthly updates.

But i now know how Tysabri “helps” MS – people DON’T die from the MS, they die from the “cure”.

Eat your heart out, Darwin. Evolution? HAH.

Current Mood: Annoyed

New Research Confirms The Benefits Of Medical Marijuana

pmb — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 13:24:09 +0000

The first U.S. clinical trials in more than two decades on the medical benefits of marijuana confirm pot is effective in reducing muscle spasms associated with multiple sclerosis and pain caused by certain neurological injuries or illnesses, according to a report issued Wednesday.

Igor Grant, a psychiatrist who directs the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research at the University of California, San Diego, said five studies funded by the state involved volunteers who were randomly given real marijuana or placebos to determine if the herb provided relief not seen from traditional medicines.

“There is good evidence now that cannabinoids may be either an adjunct or a first-line treatment,” Grant said at a news conference where he presented the findings.

The California Legislature established the research center in 2000 to examine whether the therapeutic claims of medical marijuana advocates could withstand scientific scrutiny. In 1996, state voters became the first in the nation to pass a law approving pot use for medical purposes.

Thirteen other states have followed suit, but California is the only one so far to sponsor medical marijuana research. After 10 years and nearly $9 million, the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research is preparing to wrap up its work next year.

Along with the studies on muscle spasms and pain associated with spinal cord injuries and AIDS, the center also has funded research on how marijuana effects sleep and driving, limb pain due to diabetes, and whether inhaling vaporized cannabis is as effective as smoking it.

A laboratory study supported by the center examined if pot could be helpful in treating migraine headaches and facial pain. In that study, rats given a cannabis-like drug exhibited reduced activity of nerve cells that transmit pain.

State Sen. Mark Leno, a San Francisco Democrat who chairs a budget subcommittee on health and human services and supports medical marijuana, said he doubted there would be more financial support for the center, given California’s ongoing budget crisis.

The federal government classifies marijuana as an illicit drug with no medical use but produces the only pot legally available for scientific research under a contract with the University of Mississippi.

Grant said obtaining some of the Mississippi crop and meeting the complex security regulations required by the Drug Enforcement Agency and other federal agencies was time-consuming and cumbersome.

Grant, however, had no problem with the quality of the government’s supply. Its consistency was helpful in determining that patients who smoked less-potent marijuana enjoyed the same amount of pain relief but less mental confusion than those who inhaled a more powerful strain, he said.

Such quality control is notably absent from the marijuana that patients with a doctor’s recommendation can legally obtain in California through hundreds of cooperatives and storefront dispensaries, Grant said.

He said more research was needed on how pot works and its side effects.

“Because we don’t know the composition of the strains that are on the street, we don’t know what patients really are getting,” he said. “As a doctor I feel some discomfort when someone says take X or Y pill or herb because we think that might be helpful.”

Since its founding, the center has approved 15 research studies, but five had to be discontinued because there were not enough volunteers willing or able to meet the criteria for participating.

One proposed study on the effectiveness of marijuana in reducing chemotherapy-related nausea was canceled because researchers could not recruit enough cancer patients who weren’t already treating their symptoms effectively with anti-nausea medications.

In the 24-page report submitted Wednesday to the Legislature, Grant said research protocols had been rigorous, with six studies published or accepted for publication in peer-reviewed science journals.

In four studies, participants suffering from multiple sclerosis, AIDS or diabetes, along with healthy volunteers injected with a chili pepper substance to induce pain, were randomly assigned to receive cigarettes filled with marijuana. Half had the active ingredient delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, removed.

Not every patient who smoked the real marijuana reported improvement. But the percentage who did was comparable to those who said they experienced relief from antidepressants and other medications commonly prescribed for neuropathic pain, thestudy said.

So.. where’s my pot?

(AP)

Multiple Sclerosis Patient Finds Hope Through Stem Cell Treatment

pmb — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:51:10 +0000

SEOUL, Korea, /PRNewswire/ — RNL Bio Co., Ltd, a leading biopharmaceutical company specialized in adult stem cell therapeutics announced today that a 46-year-old female, Kang Sook Park’s Multiple Sclerosis improved tremendously after receiving stem cell treatment.

Multiple Sclerosis is a disease in which the nerves of the central nervous system degenerate. MS can cause problems with muscle control and strength, vision, balance, feeling, and thinking. MS is caused by damage to the myelin sheath, the protective covering that surrounds nerve cells. When the myelin sheath is damaged, nerve impulses slow down or stop responding. From the many symptoms of MS, numbness or abnormal sensation in any area is predominant.

For the past 20 years, Park suffered from MS. For stem cell injection, she was admitted into Choyang Hospital of Regenerative Medicine in Yanji, China for three weeks. She received stem cells intravenously as well as intrathecally. The injections were given in five intervals — a total of 1.2 billion cells.

Prior to stem cell treatment, Park suffered from Optic Neuritis — a common symptom of MS. Some of the symptoms of Optic Neuritis include double vision, vision loss, and uncontrollable rapid eye movements. She was not able to recognize any writing due to her vision loss. After six months of receiving stem cell therapy, Park experienced phenomenal changes. Her vision improved drastically — she was able to read. Furthermore, it also became possible for her to move her legs using her own muscular strength.

“My legs felt like hollow logs. They were so numb and stiff. However, after receiving stem cell treatment, I can actually feel my legs. I can also tell the difference in cold and warm temperatures. Stem cell therapy brought incredible changes to my physical condition,” stated Kang Sook Park.

Park also added, “Receiving stem cell turned my life around. I feel like I am reborn. The fact that I am in this condition brings me new joy. I love the fact that I no longer need anyone’s help to get from place to place. I would like to share my experience to others who may have this rare disease. I want to let others know that they can find hope through stem cell treatment, just the way I did.”

Dr. Chang Won Kim reported Park’s EMG findings before and after the stem cell treatment. “Patients who have an uncommon disease such as MS rarely show improvement or are completely cured. EMG results showed that Park’s movement increased both in upper and lower limbs. Reduction in latency suggests that demyelination was also improved. It is extremely difficult for MS patients to use their own strength to even make small movements in the arms or legs. These changes in Park were possible through stem cell therapy.”

President and CEO of RNL Bio, Dr. Jeong Chan Ra expressed, “The effective outcomes from stem cell treatment for rare diseases like Multiple Sclerosis can be used in the future. I will do my best to help improve the quality of life for people who are suffering from diseases like MS.”

SOURCE RNL Bio Co., Ltd

Current Mood: bouncy

High unexpressed anger in MS patients linked to nervous system damage, not disease severity

pmb — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 02:37:31 +0000

People with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) feel more than twice as much withheld anger as the general population and this could have an adverse effect on their relationships and health, according to a study published in the December issue of the European Journal of Neurology.

Italian researchers assessed 195 patients with MS, using a range of scales that measure anger, depression and anxiety, and then compared them with the general population.

They were surprised by the results, which showed that while patients experienced almost twice the normal level of withheld anger and exerted low levels of control on their anger, their expressed anger levels were similar to the general population.

This, together with the fact that the elevated withheld anger levels were not related to the severity of the patients’ MS, suggests that these inconsistent changes were caused by nervous system damage, rather than an emotional reaction to the stress of the disease.

“We believe that the higher levels of withheld anger shown by the study subjects is due to demyelination, loss of the substance in the white matter that insulates the nerve endings and helps people receive and interpret messages from the brain” explains lead researcher Dr Ugo Nocentini from the IRCCS S Lucia Foundation in Rome.

“The way we process anger is controlled by complex interconnections between the subcortical and cortical systems, notably the amygdale and basal ganglia and the medial prefrontal cortex. We believe that the demyelination process that causes the root symptoms of MS also disrupts the pathways that control how we deal with withheld anger.”

The patients who took part in the study comprised 150 with relapsing-remitting MS and 45 with progressive MS. More than two-thirds (68 per cent) were women, the average age of the participants was 40 and the average time since diagnosis was 11 years.

Researchers evaluated the participants using the State Trait Anger Expression Inventory, the Chicago Multiscale Depression Inventory and the State Trait Anxiety Inventory.

The researchers then looked at age and sex-matched subjects in the general population and identified the levels of anger experienced by the 25 per cent of people with the highest scores.

They found that MS patients:

* Were more than twice as likely to experience high levels of withheld anger, with 60 per cent of patients recording the same high levels as the top 25 per cent of the general population.

* Exerted a low level of control on their anger, with just 11 per cent of patients reporting the same high levels of control compared to the top 25 per cent of the general population.

* Were about the same as non MS patients when it came to expressed anger, with 30 per cent of patients reporting the same high levels as the top 25 per cent of the general population.

During the study the authors also compared the anger scores against selected demographic and clinical characteristics and found they were independent of age, education, disease duration and course, disability and fatigue severity. The only notable difference was that women reported higher levels of current anxiety.

“Our findings clearly show that anger characteristics in MS patients differ from those observed in the general population and the overall results surprised the research team” concludes Dr Nocentini.

“For example, patients reported low levels of anger control and high levels of withheld anger, yet the scores for expressed anger were similar to those of the general population.

“We would have expected greater consistency between withheld and expressed anger and higher levels of expressed anger as a consequence of low anger control.”

The authors conclude that damage to the fibres in the areas of the brain where anger issues are processed is the most logical explanation. They also say the findings have important implications for clinical practice.

“Anger disrupts interpersonal relationships and this is particularly true for withheld anger, which might go unrecognised by other people” says Dr Nocentini. “Witheld anger has been reported to be associated with physical problems, in particular high blood pressure and vascular disorders, and may have a negative effect on the general health of MS patients.

“Because withheld anger has no, or few, overt manifestations, and is unlikely to be recognised by clinicians or reported by patients, it is important that MS patients are asked if they experience abnormal anger.”

I do.

Current Mood: Weird

Adult Cell Self-Renewal Without Stem Cells? Yay!

pmb — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:37:45 +0000

Left: Bacteria (in green) “eaten” by dividing macrophages.

Is the indefinite expansion of adult cells possible without recourse to stem cell intermediates? The team led by Michael Sieweke at the Centre d’immunologie de Marseille Luminy has shown that this is the case by achieving the ex vivo regeneration of macrophages, specialized cells in the immune system, over several months.

Published in Science on November 2009, this discovery could be applied to other cell types. This research enables a clearer understanding of the mechanisms underlying cell differentiation, but above all raises many hopes for potential therapeutic applications.

The regenerative medicine of the future will be based on replacing damaged cells and repairing deficient organs, notably through the use of stem cells. Indeed, these cells are able not only to proliferate indefinitely but, in theory, to supply all types of cells to the human body. However, the processes that allow the passage from adult (rather than embryonic) cells to stem cells (“reprogramming”) are complex and full of risk, as are the processes necessary for the “retransformation” of stem cells into adult cells. The question then arises: might it not be more simple to generate the cells required without passing through the stem cell stage?

Scientists at the Centre d’immunologie de Marseille Luminy have studied a specific cell type: the macrophages⁽¹⁾. In most cases, when cells have acquired a specialized function (e.g. brain neurons, muscle cells, macrophages for the immune system, etc.) they cease to proliferate and normally remain “blocked” in this state until they die. Thus macrophages, which are key actors in the immune response, are usually incapable of proliferation. The team of CNRS and INSERM researchers led by Michael Sieweke has nonetheless been able to generate mouse macrophages in vitro thanks to a genetic modification that inactivates the transcription factors⁽²⁾ called MafB and c-Maf. Furthermore, once reinjected into the animal, these modified cells behave normally: they do not form a tumor, and they perfectly perform the tasks expected of an adult macrophage, such as ingesting bacteria and secreting the chemical agents capable of killing them.

This CNRS and INSERM team in Marseilles has thus found how to re-initiate the division of specialized cells. In addition, they discovered that MafB and cMaf inactivation led to the activation of two of the four transcription factors (c-Myc and KLF4) recently identified as being able to convert almost all adult cells in the body into stem cells. Although this study provides a clearer understanding of the mechanisms of cell differentiation, above all it provides hope in the application of this method for the amplification of specialized cells to other cell types. These findings suggest that a passage via stem cells may not be necessary to enable the regeneration of cells and the repair of damaged tissue.

Notes:

(1) Macrophages are large cells that intervene in immune processes by destroying cell debris and microorganisms by means of a process called phagocytosis, an immune defense mechanism that notably allows macrophages to “eat” foreign particles such as bacteria, cell debris, dust particles, etc.

(2) Transcription factors are proteins that regulate the expression of genes by activating or inhibiting them. During embryonic development, cells diversify and specialize into different cell types; this is the process of cell differentiation.

Current Mood: hyper

BrainStorm Stem Cell Therapy Technology Possesses Promising Potential For The Future Treatment Of Multiple Sclerosis

pmb — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:15:09 +0000

BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. (OTCBB:BCLI), a leading developer of adult stem cell technologies and therapeutics, is pleased to announce that the company’s therapeutic approach for treating neurodegenerative diseases, particularly ALS and Parkinson’s disease, was found to have a positive effect in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS).

In a scientific paper published in the Journal of Molecular Neuroscience, Professors Melamed and Offen’s team from Tel Aviv University studied the effectiveness of human bone marrow derived stem cells induced to differentiate and secrete neurotrophic factors (NTF-SC) as compared to the use of non-differentiated stem cells in a mouse MS model.
“This study demonstrated that the transplantation of the NTF-SC, based on our novel differentiation technology, resulted in a delay of disease onset and increased animal survival in the mouse MS model to a greater extent than transplantation of the non-differentiated stem cells.

It was shown that the NTF-SC modulate the immune system and protect neuronal cells from toxic insults. The positive results in the mouse MS model indicates that our new technology may serve as a possible approach for the treatment of MS,” commented Professor Daniel Offen, Brainstorm’s chief scientific advisor.
“This study demonstrates that Brainstorm’s approach for differentiating bone marrow stem cells into NTF-SC, may provide an effective strategy not only for the treatment of ALS and Parkinson’s disease but also for the treatment of MS,” said Rami Efrati, CEO of Brainstorm.

“As we approach the start of clinical trials for ALS, the Company and its scientific team will continue to study how our technology can be further utilized in the treatment of MS as well as other neurodegenerative diseases.”The complete study and scientific paper can be read here.

Current Mood: bouncy

Tysabri ‘saves’? Not really.

pmb — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:21:42 +0000

In early October of this year, the pharmaceutical companies which make and market Tysabri were acknowledging 13 cases of the rare and fatal condition progressive multifocal eukoencephalopathy (PML).

Last week it was disclosed that an additional 10 cases of PML were reported (most of them in Europe; in fact, most of the now 24 reported cases are European MS patients). To say that finding information on any of these cases is difficult is an understatement.

The companies have decided to update the warning label for the drug, which will include the information patients are supposed to read every time they go in for infusion.

The new label will warn that the risk of PML appears to increase with the number and duration of treatment. The companies are sticking to the 1:1000 risk (though 1:800 is a number currently circulating) for patients receiving drug for 24-36 months, but the new warning states that, “[t]here is limited experience beyond three years of treatment.”

Finding information has been VERY difficult and, quite frankly I’m a bit offended (though not completely surprised) that most of the information I’ve been able to have a glimpse is from “financial sources.”

I might be in the midst of making drug choices for the future treatment of my multiple sclerosis. Tysabri has never been on my short list… but I wanted to wait and see how the whole PML situation looked after 10,000 people had been on the drug for at least 24 months. We’ve crossed that threshold and, quite frankly, all is now clear.

I understand that my “ability” to wait is not a luxury all people living with MS have right now.

The vast majority of people taking this drug are happy with their results. The vast majority suffer far fewer side-effects than they did with previous therapies. The vast majority of PML cases have been reported in Europe, where the TOUCH program (the American Tysabri risk management program) details are not known to me.

When, however, I read the anguish of a husband who has lost his wife to PML or a brother who sees his sister as a hollow shell of her former self, unable to communicate and renewed fear in people considering this as their MS treatment, I know that it is time have another open conversation about Tysabri for MS.

I’m not trying to be a harbinger of bad tidings here, but the drug we choose (or the choice to be drug-free) is a part of how each of us lives with this disease.

Current Mood: Annoyed & tearful

FDA Confirms 3 New Infections Linked To Tysabri

pmb — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 18:04:24 +0000

The Food and Drug Administration says it confirmed three new cases of a potentially (it’s so easy to say “potential” when “only” 98% of the patients die) lethal brain inflammation linked to the multiple sclerosis drug Tysabri.

There have been 13 reported cases of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, or PML, since mid-2006. The reports are the first confirmed new cases since June. While the disease is rare, the FDA says the risk appears to increase as patients remain on Tysabri (no shit, Sherlock!).

@ Sep 22, 2009 10:10 am - NEW YORK (AP)

Current Mood: Annoyed

The Forest Whispers My Name III » News

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Show Exciting Potential For Multiple Sclerosis Treatment

Researchers Agree On Future Of MS Stem Cell Research

Go (*1) , Tysabri, go. (*1) Go die in a fire.

New Research Confirms The Benefits Of Medical Marijuana

Multiple Sclerosis Patient Finds Hope Through Stem Cell Treatment

High unexpressed anger in MS patients linked to nervous system damage, not disease severity

Adult Cell Self-Renewal Without Stem Cells? Yay!

BrainStorm Stem Cell Therapy Technology Possesses Promising Potential For The Future Treatment Of Multiple Sclerosis

Tysabri ‘saves’? Not really.

FDA Confirms 3 New Infections Linked To Tysabri

Go (1) , Tysabri, go. (1) Go die in a fire.