For soft science of the week, we have texting whilst walking. We know this can be bad for your health, particularly when crossing roads. There were many similarities between pwMS and those that didn’t have MS, but there were some differences in gait too and these may involve CNS issues. Pau M, Corona F, Pilloni G, Porta M, Coghe G, Cocco E.Texting while walking differently alters gait...
End of Year Revision
As the year draws to a close, it has been a productive year for papers and ideas. I predict that during 2018, we will get even more clarity on the story. But do you believe the academic minnow or the whale? As we have said many times before, people do not all agree on the driving force of MS. Most people are still in the T cell camp or midway into the T cell camp. Even those in the B cell...
Reduce your price or else seems to be the message
To follow on from NDG story Multiple sclerosis – interferon beta, glatiramer acetate (review TA32) [ID809]: Appraisal consultation: 1 The key dates for this appraisal are:Closing date for comments: 24/01/2018Fourth appraisal committee meeting: 6 March 2018 Extavia (interferon beta 1b) is recommended as an option for treating multiple sclerosis, only if: the person has relapsing–remitting...
Remyelination studies: Publishing the data after pharma has dumped the idea
Positive data for a target for remyelination. I suspect you are hearing about it after clinical development has been stopped. Chen Y, Zhen W, Guo T, Zhao Y, Liu A, Rubio JP, Krull D, Richardson JC, Lu H, Wang R. Histamine Receptor 3 negatively regulates oligodendrocyte differentiation and remyelination.PLoS One. 2017 Dec 18;12(12):e0189380. BACKGROUND: Agents promoting oligodendrocyte...
Guest post: Digesting Science makes it to Scotland
We’ve been trying to get Digesting Science up to Scotland since we started the project. Scotland has one of the highest rates of MS in the world; 11,000 people according to some estimates. MS Specialist Nurse Mhairi Coutts and her team led a Digesting Science event at Revive MS Support – a therapy centre based in Glasgow. Here’s her account of the event: On Saturday 9th December...
Education: What are B cell follicles?
The lymphatic system is part of the circulatory system and a very important part of the immune system, comprising a network of lymphatic vessels that carry a clear fluid called lymph (from Latin (lympha meaning “water”) Want to learn more? The human circulatory system processes an average of 20 litres of blood per day...
NICE and not so nice
Bah, humbug! The cynic in me would say would say that NICE (The National Institute for Health Care & Excellence) timed the release of this consultation document in the UK exactly right. Dare I say, an overused political strategy this year has been to shoe it under the door before anyone is the wiser (I won’t mention any specifics). And again they will be correct in assuming that...
Can Jesus’s Christmas Present stop MS
So a bit of festive research for today Frankincense is an aromatic resin used in incense and perfumes, obtained from trees of the genus Boswellia. If you believe this stuff, it was brought by the Three Kings to Jesus’s birth place, a long time ago. But can it affect MS? Stürner KH, Stellmann JP, Dörr J, Paul F, Friede T, Schammler S...
Happy Christmas
Happy Holidays to all our Readers
Best Wishes from TeamG
Unusual cases may hold key to understanding
Case reports can off insight into MS, B cells at the forefront but does this end of year case report burst the B memory bubble? Rinaldi F, Federle L, Puthenparampil M, Perini P, Grassivaro F, Gallo P.Evidence of B-cell dysregulation in severe CNS inflammation after alemtuzumab therapy. Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm. 2017, 13;5(1):e420. This is another case report about disease activation...