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MS study suggests key role of environmental factor in the disease

Scientists are reporting what they say is compelling evidence that some powerful non-heritable, environmental factor likely plays a key role in the development of multiple sclerosis.................

http://www.msrc.co.uk/index.cfm/fuseact ... ageid/1850

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Amen Bob. I'm going to close off my epigenetics thread now.

Very interesting. Let us hope that the US military will solve the riddle. I'm also impressed with this new database, where all sort of info is registered. It is probably a high number of factors that need to be present to give MS, maybe if one or some of them can be eliminated we can stop the disease to spread further.
I've got two young kids, and it is a worry that they will get this shite as they grow up. Hopefully they will have more answers by then.

I wonder just what the environmental factor is. My neighbour got MS last year. It made me wonder if it was 'catching'......what is the shared environmental factor. Even within families one person gets it, and others don't sometimes.

Sofia 'shite' is right. I have a little son too and am also worried about his future, I won't tell you what I privately describe MS to my husband as but I can tell you it's worse than 'shite' .

squiffy2 wrote:MS study suggests key role of environmental factor in the disease

Scientists are reporting what they say is compelling evidence that some powerful non-heritable, environmental factor likely plays a key role in the development of multiple sclerosis.................

http://www.msrc.co.uk/index.cfm/fuseact ... ageid/1850

The "compelling evidence" for the environmental factor in this case is really only that the genomic research in MS is a total failure.

I'm sticking with both genetic and environmental.
I developed a brain lesion after receiving a dental injection (twice!).
I get lots of similar symptoms to MS, but now find I have a genetic fault.

Do the pharmas want you to know this?
Of course not, it would mean a huge range of drugs could be dangerous for a proportion of people. The $$$$$$ mantra stops research into this.

My son has this genetic fault too.....His DX was ADHD at 6yrs and he presented in a totally different way to me. His trigger was two local anesthetics. Wouldn't want the Ritalin sales to go down!

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True, no study is perfect. The Nature article on the study suggests some additional work that needs to be done to confirm the results,

Yet scientists are unlikely to glean much immediate insight about MS from the work. One limitation, notes Geschwind, is that although Baranzini and colleagues examined epigenetics and gene expression in three twin pairs, they obtained the complete genome sequences of just one pair. "If we sequenced another dozen twin pairs we could make this much more definitive," says Kingsmore. And although the group targeted immune cells, "we really ought to look at sequencing of the brain tissue," he adds, as this might be an alternative site of genetic differences between the twins.

http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100428/ ... 1259a.html

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Bob, I'm so happy that you've taken up Ian's crusade. You really needed a hobby.