Drinking several cups of coffee a day could halt the development of multiple sclerosis, the results of a new study suggest.

Researchers hope that the finding may prove to be relevant for other autoimmune diseases, in which the body uses the weapons of its immune system against itself, such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.

“This is an exciting and unexpected finding, and I think it could be important for the study of MS and other diseases,” said Prof Linda Thompson of Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, who reports the find in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

In the study, done in collaboration with Dr Jeffrey Mills and Dr Margaret Bynoe of Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, along with colleagues in Finland’s University of Turku, researchers followed the progress of mice that normally developed an MS-like condition as a result of being injected with a vaccine that provoked an immune attack that damages nerves..

The scientists discovered that when the rodents consumed the equivalent of six to eight cups of coffee a day, they did not develop the condition. The finding could lead to new ways to prevent and treat MS, said Prof Thompson.

According to Prof Thompson, the caffeine acted on adenosine (one of the four building blocks in DNA) and this prevented certain T cells - white blood cells that play a central role in immune responses - from reaching the central nervous system and triggering the cascade of events that lead to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, or EAE, the animal model for the human disease MS.

read the rest: Coffee could halt multiple sclerosis - Telegraph

LOGAN - Little did Lynia Bond know, that at 83 years of age, she still would be taking care of her son. At 8:15 every morning, she slowly makes her way into the kitchen wearing tan house slippers to make her 55-year-old son breakfast.

“Every morning, he has Special K,” Bond said while cutting a pear into small pieces with her fragile hands.

She pours a glass of orange juice and takes it to her son lying in his bed where he spends almost 24 hours a day.

Bond spends almost every minute with her son - making his meals, changing his protective shoes, or “moon boots” as Bond likes to call them, and comforting him when he feels ill. Some days are more difficult than others for Bond who cares for him by herself. But she is determined to keep her son with her.

“As long as I am able to keep him at home, I’m going to keep him at home,” Bond defiantly said.

read the rest: Unconditional love: Selfless mother supports son with severe case of MS

MULTIPLE sclerosis victim Janice Reed thought her prayers had been answered when she read about a pioneering cure that injected sufferers with stem cells.

Advanced Cell Therapy promised a 90 per cent success rate and claimed one wheelchair- bound victim walked again.

But mum-of-two Janice, 47, is £15,000 out of pocket and still needs a walking stick.

And the people behind her treatment in Holland are on the run after being indicted on fraud charges by the FBI.

read the rest: FBI hunt pair who sold mum £15,000 multiple sclerosis ‘cure’

Multiple sclerosis patients and others urged state lawmakers today to legalize the use of marijuana in New Jersey to ease suffering, but others warned the practice could spur more drug abuse.

“We all are living proof that this is effective. This is common sense,” said Scott Ward of Robbinsville, a multiple sclerosis (MS) patient and former Marine who said minimal daily use of marijuana has made drastic improvements in his qualify of life.

Ward was one of several advocates who testified before the Assembly Health and Senior Services Committee. They spoke in favor of a bill (A-804) that would given special legal protection to victims of serious illness who smoke marijuana to ease their pain or symptoms.

read the rest: Lawmakers debate legalizing medical marijuana - NJ.com