This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Knowledge & Support Community

Hi everyone,

I just watched a news broadcast where UBC MS clinic announced a $500,000, 100 patient study beginning in 2 months to test and treat CCSVI. They are not accepting patients yet pending ethics approval. Looks like a multidisciplinary study involving vascular and radiology experts.

The news clip may be available online shortly -- I will re-post.

That's my doc! (Traboulsee)

More BC CCSVI news on the Facebook page:
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How exciting!!

Two thumbs up !!

Another pebble thrown for CCSVI

When you throw a pebble into a pond, you’ll see a splash and hear the resounding plunk of the pebble. You might notice concentric circles rippling out from the locus point of where the pebble hit the water. The thrown pebble might also have other effects. It might frighten a nearby duck that leaps out of the water, hit another rock and bounce off, or scare a bunch of fish as it sinks into the pond. You are connected to the pebble, the water and the effects of throwing by the ripples the duck, and the fish. You have caused change through a single and simple act. In education, this concept is known as the ripple effect.

from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-ripple-effect.htm

Sharon

Here is the link to the broadcast!

http://watch.ctv.ca/news/clip247004#clip247004

C3Glo wrote:Here is the link to the broadcast!

http://watch.ctv.ca/news/clip247004#clip247004

Thanks for posting that C3Glo! I kept checking for the link, but it wasn't up before we decided to head for a movie tonight (The Blind Side).

Here's a story in the Globe and Mail about this:
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The UBC doctors are going to be on Canada AM tomorrow morning.

Good things are happening!

Here's another media story coming out of Canada today. This one discusses whether patients should privately pay for testing. It doesn't mention the announcement of the UBC research, but public funding of testing shouldn't be too far away now. I think if UBC confrms it can see the stenosis in Phase 1 of its research, the public institutions will need to ramp up and start testing.

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Here is the CTV National broadcast aired tonight!

http://watch.ctv.ca/news/ctv-national-news/#clip247020

This story ran today on Canada's other major network, CBC. It seems to be a repeat of a story they did a couple weeks ago. Maybe they felt pressure to air something because they knew CTV was doing an update? In addition, CBC filmed some UBC MS patients today (Dec 15), but the story won't air until January.

http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/News/ID=1359955050

UBC plans to test potentially groundbreaking MS treatment
Jane Armstrong

Vancouver — From Wednesday's Globe and Mail
Published on Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2009 9:17PM EST

Last updated on Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2009 5:30AM EST


.The University of British Columbia has announced plans to begin patient trials to test a potentially groundbreaking method of diagnosing and treating multiple sclerosis, a disease that afflicts up to 75,000 Canadians.

Researchers have proposed launching a study involving 100 patients to test a theory that MS is a vascular disease that can be treated with surgery. It's the first research proposal in Canada to suggest evaluating the findings of an Italian doctor whose early studies indicate that multiple sclerosis might be caused by vein blockages that lead to a buildup of iron in the brain.

The findings of Paolo Zamboni have generated a great deal of interest among researchers and those with MS. Earlier this year, the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada appealed to scientists to follow up Dr. Zamboni's theories.

The proposed UBC trial, which would be done in collaboration with researchers at the University of Saskatchewan, is an answer to that appeal, said Anthony Traboulsee, medical director of the UBC MS Clinic.

Dr. Traboulsee said Dr. Zamboni's studies have caused both hope and anxiety among people with MS. They are hungry for a breakthrough, but realize the Italian doctor's findings are preliminary.

“They are very anxious about this,” Dr. Traboulsee said Tuesday in an interview. “MS is a lifelong disease. Young people are hungry for hope.” Because of the intense interest in the new findings, Dr. Traboulsee said the proposed patient trials must “take a careful” approach.

Unlike Dr. Zamboni's earlier studies, the UBC research plan will include a control group – which gives more heft to a study's findings – and will take place over a longer period.

In Dr. Taboulsee's proposed trial, researchers would closely examine participants' neck and stomach veins. The study group will include people with and without MS. Each participant will undergo three tests, including an ultrasound, a magnetic resonance imaging test and the insertion of a catheter. In that test, dye is injected to give researchers a closer look at the veins.

Only MS participants with blocked or narrowed veins will move on to the second stage of the trials.

Half that group will undergo a vein dilation procedure – similar to an angioplasty – to expand the vein, the other half won't.

The purpose of UBC's proposed research trial is to build on the knowledge uncovered by Dr. Zamboni, a professor of medicine at the University of Ferrara in Italy. His theory is that a condition that he dubbed chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency causes MS. The current thinking is that MS is an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks myelin, a fatty substance that coats nerve cells.

Dr. Zamboni found that, in about 90 per cent of people with multiple sclerosis, the veins draining blood from the brain were malformed or blocked, which led to a buildup of iron in the brain, which he theorized causes the neurological symptoms of MS.

Dr. Zamboni had 65 of his patients undergo an angioplasty to clear the blockage. Of those, 50 per cent reported no attacks in the next 18 months. In a group that did not have surgery, that rate was 27 per cent.

Multiple sclerosis is a degenerative condition that can cause loss of balance, heat sensitivity, impaired speech, double vision and paralysis.

UBC's trial still needs funding and approval from an ethics committee. The researchers will apply for funds from the MS Society of Canada, private donors and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Dr. Taboulsee said the study will cost nearly $1-million for equipment and staff.

Researchers including some at UBC have already been studying links between MS and iron in the brain, Dr. Taboulsee said. He said the latest findings are like another piece to a jigsaw puzzle. Previous studies have linked MS to, among other things, a Vitamin D deficiency and cold climates.

More info is available at these websites

http://www.mriresearch.ubc.ca/content/news/news-3T.php
http://www.vchri.ca/s/CTAP_ACTRS_Info.a ... tID=377172


Cheers
Nick

The Canada AM broadcast featured this UBC research into CCSVI as their top news story (even ahead of the Copenhagen climate change protests!) every half hour this morning. Then, they interviewed the two lead researchers, Drs. Traboulsee (my doc!) and Rauscher (spelling may be wrong). The live interviews fell a little flat with a bit too much dead air, but we did learn some new tidbits.

Dr. Traboulsee said they expect they will report on their first 100 patient scans within 6 months of starting. Treatment will take longer -- outcomes will be monitored for 2 years. They are doing a control group study, with 100 people proceeding to treatment, if Phase I results bear that out.

He wasn't really pressed for when this might reach the general population, but that 2 year timeframe to report results is a good bet. Sometimes with these things, if the outcomes are looking good, things get fasttracked into the public domain.

Good for CTV. What excellent coverage they are giving MS.

CTV is covering CCSVI at every chance they get. Here's another 3+ minute clip that aired yesterday:

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/s ... pStoriesV2

This is the reporter, Avis, who broke the story. She's highly committed to keeping this story moving forward.

~ Sandra

I wrote Ms. Favaro after Dr. Zamboni was shut down. Asking her if she would be doing a follow up piece on him and inculded a link to my support group on youtube. I am very proud that myself as well as members of my vlog where shown in the segment.

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I am still writing anyone I can think of to get more coverage and studies done here in the United States. Once again I am asking you all to sign the petition I created.

http://www.gopetition.com/online/32858.html

Sincerely,
Andrea