Hi Ally,
You called yourself an idiot earlier and a bat just now. I'm going to have to ask you to refrain from treating my friends in that manner!
It seems that most everyone (including myself once upon a time) takes it for granted that the definition of the word "cure", in the purest sense, involves the opposite of or elimination of the original "cause".
If the cause of the problem is a broken bone, mending the bone is the "cure". If bacteria are raising havoc, elimination of those bacteria is the "cure". In the case of MS, eliminating the disease mechanism responsible for increased disability is the "cure".
As in any other situation, elimination of damage caused in the disease process is an entirely separate matter.
AllyB wrote:Please elaborate on the good reasons you mention above -
First, of course, are the very positive results (RRMS) which seem to be shown by a high percentage of people treated with Campath, Revimmune and Tovaxin (although at this point Tovaxin involves good results in 50% of the population of consideration).
Second, as one considerable option possibly leading to the increased incidence of MS in the developed populations, the "loss of evolutionary normal conditions" and medical science in general finds reason to think that spending childhood, up to about the age of 14/15 in an area and under conditions of low MS incidence, is essential to "teach" the immature immune system to appropriately respond through later life (not become self reactive) and that after that point in life it is too late.
Despite that, introducing helminth parasites to the systems of adults already diagnosed as self reactive shows obvious signs of improvement a high percentage of the time......but less than 100% improvement 100% of the time.
Of course it's early and there is a lot of perfecting which can and needs to be done in regards to improving results. Of course it remains to be seen if loss of evolutionary normal conditions is responsible for MS or if the cause of MS is ever identified at all, but I think the above, even if hypothetical situation shows that the most favorable "cure" doesn't necessarily have to have any relationship to the original cause.
AND YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE THE MASTER OF THE LONG POSTS!!
Bob