Archive for August, 2009

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Scientists hail major step forward in battle against MS

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009 | Tags: , , , , , , , ,
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Story by the Herald

Scientists have taken a major step forward in understanding how to reduce the severity of multiple sclerosis, it was claimed yesterday.

A team at Bristol University carried out tests on mice and then on human brain tissue and found that the neuropeptide “galanin” was resistant to the MS-like disease, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE).

Professor David Wynick, who works on the function of galanin in the relief of neuropathic pain, initiated the project and worked with Professors David Wraith and Neil Scolding on the research.

Mr Wraith, who is working on a vaccine for the treatment of multiple sclerosis, said: “The results were really remarkable, rarely do you see such a dramatic effect as this.

“Mice with high levels of galanin just didn’t develop any signs of disease. We have a lot more to do to figure out how this works but the results are extremely promising.”

A spokeswoman for the university said that although the results are “very encouraging” there is still a large amount of work to be done before a drug can be developed and it could be at least 10 years before being released on the market.

She said the research team are now expected to seek the “substantial” funding needed to advance their findings.

Meanwhile, a cheap drug widely used to reduce blood pressure could help combat MS, new research suggests.

Last week The Herald reported how US scientists had developed a cheap drug, Lisinopril, which reduced blood pressure and prevented paralysis in mice which were made to suffer MS symptoms.

The MS Society reacted to the experiments by stating that drugs which dampen down an overactive immune system have been shown to be of “some benefit” to sufferers of the condition.

A pill, Cladribine, may soon be available to UK patients after it was hailed by the society as a major step forward in the effective treatment on the condition. It was involved in promising trials in the US treating relapsing-remitting MS, the most common form of the disease.

Scotland has the highest prevalence of MS in the world and 10,500 people have the condition. In June, schoolboy Ryan McLaughlin, 14, from Drumchapel, Glasgow, whose former athlete mother was stricken by MS made an impassioned plea for help to halt the disease as he took his own one-man campaign to the Scottish Parliament.

He dressed as William Wallace as he led children from two schools down the Royal Mile chanting and singing.

He called on Holyrood’s petitions committee to push for pregnant women and young children in Scotland to be given vitamin D supplements to help prevent the disease that has crippled his mother, former Tae Kwon Do champion Kirsten, 34.

Scientists believe extra doses could prevent up to 80% of cases of MS, for which there is no cure.

Bring Kano Home

Saturday, August 15th, 2009 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Rare condition meant Martin suffered a lifetime of multiple sclerosis in one night

Story by the Daily Record

martin-kane-article-201661562

WHEN Martin Kane asked his wife Carolyn to rub some ointment into his tingling back before going to bed one night, she thought he had pulled a muscle.

Four hours later, he woke up in a pool of sweat, unable to feel his own legs.

By the time Carolyn called an ambulance he could not move his arms, and when the paramedics arrived a few minutes later, paralysis had set in and they needed two medical crews to take the Scots expat to hospital near his home in Perth, Australia.

Frantic Carolyn followed him and left their two teenage children at home until she found out how critical he was.

She could only look on in shock a few hours later when doctors put him on a ventilator and told her to bring the kids into hospital, warning her: “It doesn’t get any more serious than this.”

Martin, 41, had been hit by the very rare neurological condition Devic’s syndrome, which is related to multiple sclerosis but is equivalent to going through a lifetime’s worth of MS attacks in just a few hours.

That night on November 5 last year, the electrical supplies office manager from Glasgow became paralysed from the neck down.

He has spent the last nine months in hospital, desperate for the chance to return home to Carolyn and their children Sean, 16, and Alanna, 13.

The prognosis for Martin’s health is unclear at the moment, with specialists unsure how long it will take for his central nervous system to repair itself.

In the meantime, the family just want to bring their dad home.

But the hospital cannot release him until the family raise the money to have their house refitted to cope with his clinical needs.

Now, a network of pals, relatives and online friends of the devoted Celtic fan have banded together in a fundraising effort which has included support from former club manager Gordon Strachan and midfielder Scott Brown.

Carolyn, 49, said: “I met Martin in 1991, and we married a year later.

“We are what you would call an average family, we have two great kids and we were both healthy and had a relatively easy life. I’m a carer support co-ordinator and I have always worked with families with disabilities and I could see what other people went through.

“So I felt a bit guilty going home to a marriage that was as near perfect as possible, two wonderful kids with no problems – and then this happened.”

She recalls: “We both had an early night, but at 1.30am I woke up and found Martin on the edge of the bed.

“He asked me to phone an ambulance because there was something really quite wrong, and to help him put his shorts on because he couldn’t move his arms.

“I thought it was a heart attack. I followed him to hospital and around four in the morning the doctors said he was paralysed and they had to put on a ventilator and induce a coma.

“They told me to get the kids in, but I had left them at home until I found out how serious it was, and they said to me, ‘Carolyn, it doesn’t get any more serious than this’.”

Over the next two weeks dozens of tests were done on Martin, who had left his native Glasgow 20 years ago, and Devic’s Syndrome was eventually diagnosed.

The condition is an extreme form of multiple sclerosis. It causes the immune system to attack the protective material that covers the nerves, and is so rare that there is not even a statistic covering its incidence per head of population.

Like many neurological conditions, the cause is unknown, and it is impossible to know how long it might take Martin to recover.

After his diagnosis, he was transferred to a rehab hospital in Perth, and still has to breathe through a ventilator and is fed through a tube into his stomach.

While Martin is the same person he always was on the inside, he has been left with no movement below his neck and his vocal chords and tongue cannot move, so he can only mouth words to his loved ones.

His life has settled into a clinical daily routine. He is fed and bathed, given physio and put on a coughing machine to help keep his lungs clear.

Carolyn goes up every day, the kids every other day, while his friends, including best mate Ramie McGeever, also from Glasgow, visit as often as possible.

But the highlight of his week is the occasional overnight stay at home.

Carolyn said: “It would mean everything to have Martin home, the hardest part is leaving him at the end of the day.

“If we get him home, we can get back to as normal a life as possible.There is a lot to be done but our target is Christmas.”

One shining ray of hope has come from the club Martin, nicknamed Kano, is devoted to.

The lifelong Celtic fan was a keen member of the Celticquicknews.co.uk fans’ blog, and would spend hours talking to other supporters all over the world.

And when his online pals found out about his illness, they started a major fundraising effort to help raise the £50,000 needed to get him home. From donations and charity events, they have so far collected almost half of the money needed.

Carolyn said: “Celtic has always been Martin’s life, I always joked that it came before me and I would moan at him for spending so much time online.

“But I’m grateful for it now, because so many people have got in touch and it has really helped.We’re blown away.”

Martin’s story was featured on Australian TV a few months ago, and included recorded messages of support from Strachan and Brown.

Brendan Lafferty, a spokesman for the Bringing Martin Home Fundraising Committee said: “People want to do whatever they can because his illness was something that happened so suddenly, and it could have been any one of us.”

Carolyn added: “At the moment, we’re waiting and hoping for Martin to get better. He has had muscle spasms in his legs, which is a good sign, and his face muscles have gotten stronger, so he has recently started to be able to smile again. That’s why there is always hope.”

A spokesman for Celtic said the club were donating £3000 to the Bringing Martin Home fund and added: “Once again, Celtic supporters have shown a tremendous charitable spirit in support of this campaign, and the club is also pleased to make a contribution.”

To find out more or donate, visit www.bringingmartinhome.com, or write to Bringing Martin Home, PO Box 7604, Glasgow, G42 2FJ.

Ryan is helping the campaign with some publicity please join the groups on facebook and spread the word, lets get martin back to his home so he can be with his family

Researchers successfully reverse Multiple Sclerosis in animals

Thursday, August 13th, 2009 | Posted in Uncategorized

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New immune-suppressing treatment forces the disease into remission in mice

Published: August 11, 2009

A new experimental treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS) completely reverses the devastating autoimmune disorder in mice, and might work exactly the same way in humans, say researchers at the Jewish General Hospital Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research and McGill University in Montreal.

MS is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s own immune response attacks the central nervous system, almost as if the body had become allergic to itself, leading to progressive physical and cognitive disability.

The new treatment, appropriately named GIFT15, puts MS into remission by suppressing the immune response. This means it might also be effective against other autoimmune disorders like Crohn’s disease, lupus and arthritis, the researchers said, and could theoretically also control immune responses in organ transplant patients. Moreover, unlike earlier immune-supppressing therapies which rely on chemical pharamaceuticals, this approach is a personalized form of cellular therapy which utilizes the body’s own cells to suppress immunity in a much more targeted way.

GIFT15 was discovered by a team led by Dr. Jacques Galipeau of the JGH Lady Davis Institute and McGill’s Faculty of Medicine. The results were published August 9 in the prestigious journal Nature Medicine.

GIFT15 is composed of two proteins, GSM-CSF and interleukin-15, fused together artificially in the lab. Under normal circumstances, the individual proteins usually act to stimulate the immune system, but in their fused form, the equation reverses itself.

“You know those mythical animals that have the head of an eagle and the body of a lion? They’re called chimeras. In a lyrical sense, that’s what we’ve created,” said Galipeau, a world-renowned expert in cell regeneration affiliated with the Segal Cancer Centre at the Jewish General and McGill’s Centre for Translational Research. “GIFT15 is a new protein hormone composed of two distinct proteins, and when they’re stuck together they lead to a completely unexpected biological effect.”

This effect, explained Galipeau, converts B-cells — a common form of white blood cell normally involved in immune response — into powerful immune-suppressive cells. Unlike their better-known cousins, T-cells, naturally-occurring immune-suppressing B-cells are almost unknown in nature and the notion of using them to control immunity is very new.

“GIFT15 can take your normal, run-of-the-mill B-cells and convert them — in a Superman or Jekyll -Hyde sort of way — into these super-powerful B-regulatory cells,” Galipeau explained. “We can do that in a petri dish. We took normal B-cells from mice, and sprinkled GIFT15 on them, which led to this Jekyll and Hyde effect.

“And when we gave them back intravenously to mice ill with multiple sclerosis, the disease went away.”

MS must be caught in its earliest stages, Galipeau cautioned, and clinical studies are needed to test the treatment’s efficacy and safety in humans. No significant side-effects showed up in the mice, he said, and the treatment was fully effective with a single dose.

“It’s easy to collect B-cells from a patient,” he added. “It’s just like donating blood. We purify them in the lab, treat them with GIFT15 in a petri dish, and give them back to the patient. That’s what we did in mice, and that’s what we believe we could do in people. It would be very easy to take the next step, it’s just a question of finding the financial resources and partnerships to make this a reality.”

Ryan McLaughlin say’s It would be nice to see this actualized in my mums lifetime but if the study is in the animal stage, it’s another 7 years to 15 years before my mum could receive it unless in a clinical trial which could be stopped prematurely because it does not work on humans in the same manner it worked on mice.

However it is a very interesting new development and we’ll keep an eye on it, for now ill still fight for prevention of the disease through vitamin D supplementation.

Ryan will join amazing scots at awards ceromony

Sunday, August 9th, 2009 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Ryan made the finals of bighearted scot awards (child of the year award)

Ryan doesn’t mind if he doesn’t win the prize its not a competition, he is up against some amazing kids , it’s about getting the message across about the campaign and raising awareness and trying to prevent multiple sclerosis for future generations, there will be some really important people attending and they could really make a difference.

Ryan is looking forward to meeting the deputy First Minister Miss Nicola Sturgeon as she has been very supportive of his campaign and he is looking forward to his meeting with her and health minister Shona Robison in September

Sun exposure cancer warnings ‘lead to Vitamin D deficiencies’

Sunday, August 9th, 2009 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Public health warnings about skin cancer have led to a rise in Vitamin D deficiency through lack of sunlight, according to a controversial study into the effects of ultraviolet exposure.

But now, a controversial new study has blamed the same public health messages for causing growing numbers of people to suffer from vitamin D deficiency, because they are failing to get enough sunlight on their skin.

Vitamin D is produced by the body in response to exposure from ultraviolet radiation from natural sunlight. It helps protect against cancer and is also thought to be important in helping to prevent bone disease such as osteoporosis, as well as autoimmune diseases, asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, Parkinson’s disease and Multiple Sclerosis.

The researchers are now calling for guidelines on sunlight exposure to be reviewed to ensure people receive enough vitamin D.

Dr Veronique Bataille, who led the study, said: “There has been so much effort put into telling people about the damaging effects of ultraviolet light from sunshine, many now take extreme measures to ensure they don’t get exposure by wearing moisturisers with factor 15 all year round.

“We don’t want to say that sunbathing is healthy as there is clearly a risk, but people do need a bit of sunshine to stay healthy.”

Dr Bataille and her colleagues measured vitamin D levels in the blood of 1,414 white women in the UK and compared this to their skin type and details about the number of foreign holidays, sunbed use and the number of times they had been sunburnt.

They found that those with the fairest skin, who usually have red or blonde hair, had the lowest levels of vitamin D.

Conventional scientific thinking suggests this should not be the case.

People with greater levels of melanin – which is the pigment which causes darker colour in skin – make less vitamin D and there is evidence to show that those with Asian and Afro-Caribbean backgrounds have trouble producing the vitamin.

Dr Bataille, a consultant dermatologist at Hemel Hempstead General Hospital and a researcher at Kings College London, also found that those with fair skin also had the lowest levels of sun exposure through the number of holidays they had abroad and sunbed use.

The researchers concluded that people with fair skin actively avoided sun exposure more, due to their increased sensitivity and so produced less vitamin D. They added, however, there may also be a genetic element that means people with fair skin metabolise vitamin D differently.

The findings come after another study by Dr Bataille’s group that showed sunlight may not be the main cause of melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer. Instead they concluded that the number of moles on the skin was a better indicator of risk.

“The advice on sun exposure needs to be reviewed,” said Dr Bataille. “It is potentially harmful if people are getting the message that they should completely avoid the sun. The advice needs to be better tailored to the differences in skin type and sun levels around the country.”

Experts claim that excessive avoidance of the sun has stemmed from confusing official guidance on sun exposure which has unduly raised fears about the risk of being outside in the sunshine.

Advice on the Health Protection Agency’s website states that people should limit unprotected personal exposure to solar radiation, particularly during the four hours around midday, even in the UK. It even warns that sunburn can occur when in the shade or when cloudy.

Cancer Research UK used to advice that people stayed in the shade between 11am and 3pm, the time when the sun is at its hottest and the best time for making vitamin D according to experts. They recently changed their advice to “spend time in the shade between 11am and 3pm” and “aim to cover up”.

Vitamin D can be obtained from food, including oily fish and eggs, but it is harder for the body to obtain enough from these sources and consumption of these products in the UK has dramatically declined.

Dr Bataille believes people can make enough vitamin D from just 15 minutes exposure to sunlight while wearing a T-shirt, but added that this would need to be increased for those with dark skin or during the winter months when sunlight is lower.

According to a separate recent study at University College London, 20 per cent of women and 12 per cent of men are now classed as being clinically vitamin D deficient, while levels of the vitamin in nearly two thirds of women and 57 per cent of men are “insufficient”.

Dr Vasant Hirani, who led the study, added: “The advice on sun exposure does need to be clarified.”

The British Association of Dermatologists has recently issued guidance with the National Osteoporosis Society that recommends people get 15 to 20 minutes of sun exposure a day.

Nina Goad, from the Association, said she doubted public health messages were responsible for causing vitamin D deficiency.

“Vitamin D deficiency is likely to be due to our lifestyles meaning we spend a lot of time indoors, to a lack of vitamin D in our diets, and to our climate meaning we have limited sun exposure for much of the year,” she added.

A spokesman for the Health Protection Agency said: “We are not saying that people should avoid all sunlight. Indeed a small amount can help to maintain vitamin D levels.

“Sunbathing incurs the potential hazard without adding to vitamin D levels.

US new Vitamin D Recommendations for Kids

Thursday, August 6th, 2009 | Posted in Uncategorized

1. Newborns

The American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends 400 IU vitamin D3 daily starting from birth. Liquid vitamin D drops containing 400 IU per drop can be used.

2. Children Over 1 Year Old

Research suggests that about 1,000 IU vitamin D3 per 25 lb. may be needed in addition to any multivitamins or vitamin D milk, even in sunny areas like Southern California. For a child one year or older, 1,000 IU vitamin D3 daily may be reasonable (especially in winter or when sick). 1,000 IU daily or 2,000 IU every other day (M/W/F) works fine.

3. Anyone Over 12 Years Old

Research suggests that about 2,000 IU vitamin D3 daily (in addition to multivitamins, milk or sunshine) may be needed. After 2 – 3 months of supplementation, persons with dark skin, health concerns and those who are overweight may wish to request a blood test for 25OHvitaminD level to see if more supplementation would be helpful.

4. Pregnant or Breast-Feeding Women

Research suggests women need 3,000 – 5,000 IU daily while pregnant, and 4,000 – 6,000 IU vitamin D3 daily while breast-feeding for optimum health. These recommendations are not yet endorsed by the American College of OB-GYN, although they are considering revising upward the current recommendations.

Note on Sunshine: Those preferring to use sunshine to obtain sufficient vitamin D levels should be aware that sun exposure would need to be between 10 am and 2 pm without sunblock, and does not work through windows. The ideal amount of time would be about one-fourth the amount of time before burning. (Sunburns are strongly discouraged.) These recommendations are not presently endorsed by most dermatologists due to concerns about photoaging and skin cancer. For more information, visit the Vitamin D Council or GrassrootsHealth. (See especially the video with Dr. Michael Holick and the Disease Prevention Incidence Chart.)

Vitamin D Benefits: Researchers recommend a goal of 40-60ng/ml 25-OH vitamin D levels (60-75ng/ml for cancer patients per cancer researcher Donald Trump, MD). The benefits of sufficient 25-OH vitamin D levels include preventing rickets, strengthening muscles, bones and teeth, lowering blood pressure, reducing the risk of falling, diabetes, cancer, autoimmune disorders, cardiovascular disease and death from all causes, as well as boosting the immune system against viruses (including influenza), bacteria, and tuberculosis. Vitamin D deficiency may increase the risk of depression, preeclampsia in pregnancy and perhaps even autism.

Ryan earns a nomination for top award.

Sunday, August 2nd, 2009 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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See the FULL story on NOTW website click here

PLUCKY RYAN TURNS HEARTACHE INTO BRAVE HELP CAMPAIGN

By Kathleen Nutt, 01/08/2009

PLUCKY schoolboy Ryan McLaughlin has turned the heartache of seeing his mum suffer from multiple sclerosis into a brave campaign to save others from the same pain.

The 14-year-old even led a 1,000-strong march on Holyrood in a brave bid to persuade MSPs to dish out free vitamin D supplements to help beat the disease.

And after putting his case to them, he will meet with Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon next month to discuss his proposals.

Ryan’s actions have now earned him a nomination for our Bighearted Child Of The Year award.

And last night mum Kirsten, 34, of Drumchapel, Glasgow, said: “He is a true hero. I am proud to call him my son.”

Ryan was devastated when she was diagnosed with the disease two years ago. The ex-European tae kwon do champion now struggles to climb stairs or even get dressed.

But after learning that vitamin D in sunlight helps prevent the condition, the schoolboy launched his Shine On Scotland campaign.

Ryan and family on march

He’s calling for children and mums-to-be to get vitamin D supplements free.

The determined youngster has also presented a short film about MS. It’s now been viewed all over the world and, in May, it was even screened at half time during the Scottish Cup Final at Hampden.

As well as his campaigning, the Knightswood High School pupil has proved an invaluable help to dad Alan, 35, and brother Darren, ten.

Graphic designer Alan said: “Without Ryan’s help, I do not know how we would have got through the ordeal. He drew strength from our family’s pain and decided to fight for the health of future generations of Scots. He has received worldwide support for his campaign. He’s an inspiration to everyone.”

Ryan with his mum Kirsten

Ryan’s nomination for our coveted Child Of The Year award could now earn him a second meeting with Nicola Sturgeon – because the Deputy First Minister is presenting the awards at our glitttering ceremony hosted by Sportscene’s Dougie Vipond at Glasgow’s Marriot Hotel on September 4.

Ryan beamed: “I’m thrilled to be up for this award – I hope it helps my campaign. I was really scared at first when I was told my mum had MS.

“Then I decided to see if I could do something to help.”

Ryan’s campaign has been backed by Harry Potter author JK Rowling, 44. Her mother Anne died from an MS-related illness in 1990 at the age of just 45.

Scotland has the world’s highest MS rate, with over 12,500 sufferers. MS Society Scotland’s David McNiven said: “Ryan is an inspiring young man. The MS Society funded the research that sparked his campaign. He’s done a great job.”

The charities to benefit from Bighearted Scotland 2009 are: Alcohol Focus Scotland, CLIC Sargent, Epilepsy Scotland, Momentum, Penumbra and Scottish Native Woods.

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