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Hi,

Thought i would share this info to other. I had mailed my question to MRF & got the response back from them. Please find below my question & the response from MRF

My Question:

As per my understanding, in people's with demyelinated CNS after a period of time scarring occurs on top of the demyelinated areas, Which I belive is called as "plauges".

During the remyelinating process developed by MRF, will this "scarred or plauged" areas will be cleared & then the remyelination occur?

Because i read that even if the remyelination occurs on top of these "scarred or plauged" areas without clearing them, it would provide little benefit to the MS patient?

MRF Response

Dear Mr. Gopi,


Thank you for contacting the Myelin Repair Foundation and your Question regarding remyelination of persistent plaques.



As you may be aware, current thinking is that in the early stages of MS remyelination does occur naturally, resulting in what are known as
”shadow plaques”.



Our research in animals has also determined that new, immature myelin
producing cells, called oligodendrocyte precusors, invade the lesion soon after damage but the MRF researchers have found that these cells are unable to produce new myelin so long as there is active inflammation.



Since these precursor cells invade the lesion from the outside edges, and are limited as to how far they can penetrate the lesion, as the lesions grows their ability to reach areas of persistent demyelination is severely limited.



It is also likely that the axons provide signals that promote myelin formation and that these signals are tied to electrical activity. Thus, if the axon has been damage it is unlikely to be remyelinated.



It appears that the body’s natural reparative capacity diminishes as we age. Whether this is due to the depletion of neural stem cells or age related changes in other neural cells is an active area of investigation for the MRF.



Our initial effort to repair myelin is focused on immediate response to damage. We believe it may be possible to protect oligodendrocytes from inflammation, thus allowing more rapid and complete repair following injury.



Sadly, this will not help people like our founder, Scott Johnson, who has had MS for more than 30 years. In order to help people like Scott we must find ways to breakdown the lesion or plaque and allow oligodendrocyte precursors to move into the persistently demyelinated regions.



This is a much more challenging problem as it involves the interaction of many different types of cells in the brain and spinal cord, as well as cells of the immune system. We expect to begin new research projects focused on this problem in July of 2007. Please watch our web site for additional information.



I hope this answers your question. If not please do not hesitate to give me a call.



Warmest regards,

Russell L. Bromley
Chief Operating Officer
Myelin Repair Foundation
18809 Cox Ave., Suite 190
Saratoga, CA 95070
Direct 408.871.2407
Main 408.971.2410
Mobile 650-743-2225
Fax 408-871-2409