Aussie and Kiwi researchers make double MS genetic discovery – 2 new locations of genes causing multiple sclerosis. – Two new locations of genes responsible for multiple sclerosis are discovered which will help to unravel the causes of MS and other autoimmune disease, revealed by Australian and New Zealand researchers
Breastfeeding associated with a reduced risk of relapse in women with multiple sclerosis – Women with multiple sclerosis who breastfeed exclusively for at least two months appear less likely to experience a relapse within a year after their baby’s birth, according to a report that will appear in the August print issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Narcolepsy is an autoimmune disorder, Stanford researcher says. Genetic study confirms the immune system’s role in narcolepsy. – Ten years ago, Stanford University School of Medicine scientist Emmanuel Mignot, MD, PhD, and his colleagues made headlines when they identified the culprit behind the sleep disorder narcolepsy.
Potential preventative therapy for Type 1 diabetes – Scientists believe they may have found a preventative therapy for Type 1 diabetes, by making the body’s killer immune cells tolerate the insulin-producing cells they would normally attack and destroy, prior to disease onset.
Genetic study shows direct link between vitamin D and MS susceptibility ‘gene’ – Researchers have found evidence that a direct interaction between vitamin D and a common genetic variant alters the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS).
Scientists call up stem cell troops to repair the body using new drug combinations – Scientists have tricked bone marrow into releasing extra adult stem cells into the bloodstream, a technique that they hope could one day be used to repair heart damage or mend a broken bone, in a new study published today in the journal Cell Stem Cell.
USC researchers derive first embryonic stem cells from rats. Finding represents major breakthrough for biomedical research. – Researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) have, for the first time in history, derived authentic embryonic stem (ES) cells from rats. This breakthrough finding will enable scientists to create far more effective animal models for the study of a range of human diseases.
Cancer drug bortezomib ? used to treat multiple myeloma – effectively treats organ transplant rejections. – University of Cincinnati (UC) researchers have discovered a new therapy for transplant patients, targeting the antibody-producing plasma cells that can cause organ rejection.
Research indicates drug alemtuzumab not only stops the Multiple sclerosis disease from advancing but may also restore lost function in many Multiple sclerosis patients. – A drug which was developed in Cambridge and initially designed to treat a form of leukaemia has also proven effective against combating the debilitating neurological disease multiple sclerosis (MS).
Friendly? bacteria in stomach protect against type 1 diabetes, Yale researchers find. – In a dramatic illustration of the potential for microbes to prevent disease, researchers at Yale University and the University of Chicago showed that mice exposed to common stomach bacteria were protected against the development of Type I diabetes.
Genentech Inc. and Biogen Idec Inc.’s cancer drug Rituxan (rituximab) reduced brain lesions in multiple sclerosis patients. – A drug therapy, using rituximab, dramatically reduced the number of inflammatory lesions that form along nerve fibers in brains of multiple sclerosis patients, revealed by researchers recently.
The research could lead to development of new drugs that turn off the immune system in patients with autoimmune diseases ? such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. – University of Minnesota researchers have discovered a new way to turn genes off in human T cells, a type of white blood cell that helps the immune system fight infections. Turning off genes, through a process known as mRNA decay, is important for regulating the body’s immune response after fighting infection.
