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This is the last paragraph of an interview between Medscape and Dr Cohen, an MS expert. The words are those of Dr Cohen. It is a good
read for starting the new year.

It is the second story at the following website: http://www.msnewschannel.com


"Finally, we have great hopes now for reparative therapies, such as therapies using stem cells or other
technologies, which would allow us to repair long-standing damage and restore function. This is probably a little farther away, but obviously an area of great interest right now, both to physicians and to patients, and an area of very intensive research investigation".

gwa

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GWA,

Hope is good.

The Times newspaper ran an article today on what the medical experts thought would be the big breakthroughs in 2007.

There was quite a bit on stem cells and also this on spinal cord injuries:

Stem-cell repair of spinal cords

Expect an exciting year in spinal cord repair. The Geron Corporation, based in America, is seeking approval for the first clinical trial using embryonic stem cells to repair human spinal cords, which would be conducted next year. By injecting the cells, which have the ability to turn into any cell of the body, they hope to replace damaged neurons.

Add to this work at University College London — where scientists believe that a cell from your nose, an olfactory ensheathing cell, can make the cells in the spinal cord regrow. In an area that can sometimes give false hope, next year could bring effective developments.

Ian, you posted info about an upcoming clinical trial using embryonic stem cells, in which was:

By injecting the cells, which have the ability to turn into any cell of the body, they hope to replace damaged neurons.

I have heard this "turn into any cell in the body" claim many times before, but I have never heard of evidence to support this. Now I ask my simple question--remember, I am a simple person--how do scientists know those cells will turn into any cell?

I pose the question to you, Ian, only because you made the posting and are so well tuned in to these scientific ideas. The question is actually for anyone out there.

lyndacarol,

The experts know this from the many years of research that have taken place and from animal trials. I think the fact that stem cells can turn into any cell is not the issue - it's how to get the stem cells to where they are needed and how to prevent them overgrowing (and possibly turning into tumours). With MS there is also the issue of how to stop the new cells being damaged.

But 2007 looks like the year when human trials will begin. Professor Scolding in Bristol, England, may start human trials using a person's own stem cells from their bone marrow in 2007. There are, of course, lots of other work / trials in this area (for many diseases). There will, no doubt, be some bumps along the way, but this was science fiction not so long ago and now looks a potential therapy in the not too distant future.


Ian

But 2007 looks like the year when human trials will begin. Professor Scolding in Bristol, England, may start human trials using a person's own stem cells from their bone marrow in 2007. There are, of course, lots of other work / trials in this area (for many diseases). There will, no doubt, be some bumps along the way, but this was science fiction not so long ago and now looks a potential therapy in the not too distant future.


bromley can we use this statment and look at it a year from now and see if 2007 is what it says , lets come back to this same time next year and just change the date to 2008 and so on and so on. i hope 2007 is the year for something that will help but if it is just a lottery i don't like my chances..

I had posted earlier in this year about the head of the Barrows Neurological Research in Arizona, Dr Vollmer, stating that he believed new and better treatments would be available for MS patients at some point around fall of 2007.

It appears many researchers are now locking in on new approaches and better treatments for MS. I would like to see more studies that compare meds to the lesions in the gray and while matter of the CNS rather than just comparing lesions with MRI's.

I certainly have not seen such confidence espoused by so many scientists about treatments, causes and cures until 2006. I think we will have positive therapies in 2007.

gwa

sounds like 2007 is gonna be a good year

Becca,

Quite a bit was achieved in 2006: Vit D was shown to be protective against MS for some people; Tovaxin trials started; FTY 720 showed promise in trials as did Rituxan (for RR patients); there were a number of stem cells advances in medicine. The NMSS's Promise 2010 initiative also reported advances:

Members of the four Nervous System Repair teams from Europe and the U.S. met to share progress being made in the Society funded Promise: 2010 initiative. The first clinical trials focused on protecting the nervous system will begin shortly, and trials aimed at repairing damage and restoring function in people with MS are expected to begin within the next five years.

There were other advances relating to the understanding of the role of hormones (for men and women) in MS. There were also advances relating to the understanding of the genes involved with this disease.

So there were some advances in 2006 and we can only hope that there will be further advances in 2007 - fingers crossed!

Can I ask if you are related to Harry Z?

Ian

Bad Boy.

gwa

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Ian, thanks for the embryonic stem cell explanation. It still seems to me that cell differentiation would begin immediately when cells divide, that the initial cell or zygote would have to be used.

Please go easy on becca. Although I am generally an optimistic person, I often experience the same pessimism that becca expressed. I recall five years ago I was so sure that 2002, being a palindrome, would surely bring me improvement or some breakthrough in MS understanding. Wrong!!!

After so many years (I was diagnosed in 1992.), it is human nature to think help is not coming. I continue to hope, but don't really expect anything; I'll get excited when concrete evidence comes in!

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"This is Lyon/Bromley"

I really hope things start to happen but for now i will sit in my chair and watch while they figure it all out. You are obviously a glass is half full kind of guy and i want to share in that but myself and 100's of 1000's of ms suffers don't. There has been enough time and money and knowledge to be farther along than they are and why there not is a mystery. If you believe thats great, it's kinda like believing in god when u meet him it will all make sense but until then it's hard not to be skeptical, When a doc puts a needle in my arm and i jump out of my chair and start dancing then i will believe but thats just not going to happen so i hope they find a fix within your grace period, but like you said it's a lottery so i hope your a lucky guy. For me the only thing that 2007 will bring is a trip to the lumber yard to get the wood to build the ramps to get into my house... P.S i don't know Harry but he sees things more in reality and for that i respect him...

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