This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

I like monkeys, but this research looks very interesting and it gives the poor old mice a day off.

Ian

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6742163.stm

Good to see you posting again Ian!

I haven't heard any bad news from you so I (hope) assume that all is still well?

I'm pretty dissapointed to hear that they found the stem cells neuroprotective rather than neuroregenerative and it's also dissapointing to hear that the benefit was so short lived.

Considering the progress they are making in using autologous stem cells I'm a little surprised they would deal with foreign stem cells and the required immune suppression.

Bob

Lyon,

I've just about forgiven you for wearing that shiny shirt.

I agree with your comments, but this is an area which is quickly advancing.

Here is another piece of research published today.

http://www.msif.org/goexternal.rm?id=3906

There are a couple of big conferences this week / next week so I'll post any interesting stuff I see.

All the best

Ian

Hi Ian,
If it hastens forgiveness at all, I've since sold that shirt on Ebay and made a tidy profit. I think I might have mentioned in the advertisement that the shirt had belonged to Barry Gibb in the 1980's. It's hell getting old and senile, but it is profitable.
Thankfully, my wife's MS has been so mild that I haven't put much time into neuroprotection/regeneration, but my naivety' led me to believe that hopes for stem cells didn't involve just remyelination but actually reconnecting neural pathways, which I assume means regenerating axons. From your understanding do stem cells offer that hope, and if not do you know of any research/hopes/speculation on what might regenerate axons/nerves?

Bob

That's a very interesting piece of research, they're doing really good work at UCL and Cambridge. From what I've read before it seems that the problem of getting the stem cells to the correct locations was one of the biggest roadblocks standing in the way of practical applications of stem cell therapy in relatively inaccessible parts of the body like the brain.