This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

http://myelinrepairfoundation.chipin.co ... ial-for-ms

Fund Our Clinical Trial by June 30
MRF Principal Investigator Steve Miller, Professor of Biomedical Sciences from Northwestern University, has a promising idea for an MS treatment.

In multiple sclerosis, the immune system sees myelin proteins as foreign material and attacks them. Recent research indicates that we may be able to "trick" the immune system into believing that the myelin protein is not a foreign material.

Bringing this idea to a clinical trial will help us determine whether this innovative treatment is safe and effective for MS patients.

MRF needs your help to make this clinical trial a reality.

The total cost is over $2 million. However, through collaborations with other funders, the MRF has been asked to provide $200,000 for the clinical trial over the next two years. ($100,000 for the first year and $100,000 for the second year).

Donate today. Help us reach the goal of $100,000 by June 30.

Your contributions to the clinical trial will be matched 100% thanks to another generous donor -- bringing us straight to the finish line.

To donate, click on the "Chip In" button to the right. If you cannot see the widget you can also donate at https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?aid=8264

Share the news about this clinical trial to 10 friends and family about the potential of this clinical trial and help us spread the word.

Thank you.

Scott Johnson
President
Myelin Repair Foundation

Notes: This is an early stage clinical trial being conducted in one research institution. All clinical trial patients have already been selected.

If for some reason the clinical trial does not move forward as planned, you can be assured that 100% of your donation will be used to support other myelin repair research conducted by the MRF.

The research they are basing this on:

Miller, S. D., D. M. Turley, and J. R. Podojil. 2007. Antigen-specific tolerance strategies for the prevention and treatment of autoimmune disease. Nat. Rev. Immunol. 7:665-677 (PMID: 17690713).
Link to PubMed Abstract.

This review article compares and contrasts various antigen-specific ‘immune tolerance’-based therapies for their mechanisms and efficacy in treating animal models of MS as well as those currently in use or shortly to be tested in clinical trials for therapy of MS in patients. There is an emphasis on discussion on tolerance induced using antigen-coupled peripheral blood lymphocytes that is in the final stages of planning for a clinical trial.

Turley, D. M. and S. D. Miller. 2007. Peripheral tolerance induction using ECDI-fixed APCs uses both direct and indirect mechanisms of antigen presentation for prevention of EAE. J. Immunol. 178:2212-2220 (PMID: 17277126).
Link to PubMed Abstract.

The lab is currently in the final stages of implementing a clinical trial to test immune tolerance to a cocktail of myelin antigen peptides for treatment of new onset relapsing-remitting MS. This therapy involves isolation of patient peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs) followed by chemically coupling the PBLs with a mixture of six myelin peptides (known to trigger autoimmune T cell responses in patients) and subsequent intravenous re-administration of the peptide-fixed PBLs. This tolerance method has been used by the lab for years to study therapy in the experimental autoimmune encephalitis (EAE) model of MS in mice. This paper shows that the tolerance works because the chemical, called ethylene carbodiimide, used to attach the myelin peptides to the PBLs induces a certain form of cell death (called apoptosis) and that antigen-presenting cells in the spleen of the recipient mouse engulf these apoptotic cells and induce inactivation of myelin-specific autoreactive T cells via an indirect mechanism (cross-tolerance). Further determination of the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which tolerance is induced is a major focus of ongoing experiments.

Bump for new info and DONATIONS

As you have heard, MRF is raising funds for an upcoming clinical trial. I thought you may also be interested in the role and importance that biomarkers play in all MS clinical trials and diagnostics.

Clinical trials test experimental treatments for safety and effectiveness. They also compare it to other treatments and look at optimal uses of that treatment.

To truly measure the effectiveness of an MS therapy, scientists need accurate biomarkers to determine the progression or regression of the myelin damage. Biomarkers measure a biological process (e.g., levels of a specific protein in blood or spinal fluid; genetic mutations; or brain abnormalities observed in an imaging test) which is related to a particular disease and can serve as an indicator or predictor of that disease.

Currently, MS clinical trials rely on relapse rates and Expanded Disability Status Scores (EDSS), which are not accurate measures and can disguise the effects of the treatment. If it were possible to precisely and accurately measure myelin repair/damage in a blood test or imaging, patients could be diagnosed earlier, we could better determine the effectiveness of a treatment, and we would dramatically increase the speed of clinical trials by speeding up the measurement process.

While biomarkers are incredibly useful, few organizations fund their identification. The MRF is funding the development of key biomarkers because they are essential to speeding up and improving our research.

At this time, we are working on two particular biomarkers – Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan and blood-based biomarkers.

Rusty Bromley created this video explaining our research on PET and what this means for MS patients. Please watch, learn, comment and share this video with others.

My hope is that this information will empower you to become educated supporters, so that when you give to us, or to any other disease organizations you will understand the importance of biomarkers in the research and refinement of a treatment.

Scott Johnson

Scott Johnson
President
Myelin Repair Foundation
18809 Cox Avenue, Suite 190
Saratoga, CA 95070
www.myelinrepair.org

In April, MRF announced that we were looking to fund a promising idea headed for a clinical trial. Our goal was to raise $100K by June 30.

So far we have raised only $5,091. That is only 5 percent of our goal. We need your help to raise awareness and to encourage all your friends, family and colleagues to donate $10, $20, $50 or more to the campaign.


Our goal was to raise $100K by June 30.

So far we have raised only $5,091



www.myelinrepair.org