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Good news. I just noticed on the web the following announcement "International summit convened on vitamin D and MS prevention December 12-13 – This Chicago meeting brings together experts to begin constructing a plan for how to design a clinical trial to test whether vitamin D supplements can p...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-16086004 Importantly, this study demonstrates beyond any reasonable doubt that vitamin D deficiency is part of MS. This in turn may force the MS societies to fund a prevention trial using vitamin D. Organizations such as MSCC and NMSS have always ignored the concept ...

I read the “Big Gene” study yesterday and it simply tells us what we already know, most of the identified genes for MS are related to the immune system. This is not a surprise given that there is no doubt the immune system plays a significant role in MS. However, the question remains, is the immune ...

A New Disease Model for MS Ashton Embry, January, 2011 A disease model is a hypothesis for what causes a disease and how it progresses. A model is developed using all the available empirical data which have accumulated for the disease and combining that with theoretical knowledge gained from studyin...

Chris Selley, a blogger for the rightwing National Post newspaper, commented on the great article “Canada's MS patients are owed an explanation” by Ujjal Dosanjh and Kirsty Duncan, two Liberal MPs who clearly care about the current plight of persons with MS in Canada. Doshnjh and Duncan focused on t...

Docosahexaenoic acid: brain accretion and roles in neuroprotection after brain hypoxia and ischemia. Mayurasakorn K, Williams JJ, Ten VS, Deckelbaum RJ. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2010 Dec 21. [Epub ahead of print] Abstract PURPOSE OF REVIEW: With important effects on neuronal lipid composition...

Comments on Rob Breakenridge’s recent Calgary Herald column “Politics not science pushing MS treatment agenda” Ashton Embry, December 23, 2010 I decided to comment on this column because it was a curious mix of the author getting a few important points correct while at the same time getting a number...

The Sad, Sad State of CCSVI Research in Alberta Ashton Embry, December 23rd, 2010 Introduction It is well established that Alberta and Saskatchewan have by far the highest rates of multiple sclerosis in the world with a prevalence of at least 360/100,000 and an incidence of 24/100,000. This is abou...

Mark "It's a Hoax" Freedman is still the medical advisor to the Ottawa Chapter of MSSC. The fact he remains in such an influential role tells you alot about MSSC and their lack of regard for the well being of persons with MS

Actually there is no good challenge (ie empirical data or theoretical concepts) to the interpretation that adequate vitamin D from birth onwards will prevent MS. Notably there are robust and diverse data that says it will. The twin studies show that genetics plays a substantial role in MS, that is, ...

Regarding animal models, it is also worth pointing out that there is an infection mouse model that produces a reasonable approximation of MS. It is Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) infection. It is not mentioned much because they have never been able to identify a CNS infectious agent...

There is no doubt that CCSVI is a critical part of the MS disease process and I am confident that restoring normal blood flow in persons newly diagnosed will prove to be a means of halting further disease activity for most. Unfortunately I suspect most neurologists and certainly drug company scienti...

From the perspective of having read over 200 papers on CCSVI and closely related issues and having visited three CCSVI treatment/research centres, I found this article misinformed and basically negative. Quoting Brad Stewart (who have never published a single scientific paper on MS) on CCSVI is like...