Jun
9
Stem Cell Tourists Denied: Costa Rica Stops Treatments at Top Clinic
Filed Under News, Research | 2 Comments
Last month, Costa Rica’s health ministry halted treatments at the country’s largest stem cell clinic, arguing that the treatments are unproven and possibly unsafe.
Though the Obama administration has expanded federal funding of stem cell research and there are ongoing clinical trials, there are currently no FDA-approved stem cell treatments. So some Americans, suffering from conditions ranging from cancer to spinal injuries, have looked elsewhere for experimental stem cell-based remedies, and clinics in countries such as Costa Rica, China, India, and Mexico have grown into stem cell tourist destinations.
Costa Rica’s largest clinic, the Institute of Cellular Medicine in San Jose, was operated by American entrepreneur Neil Riordan; it attracted about 400 patients for these treatments. The clinic used adult stem cells, which Costa Rica’s government had allowed the clinic to take from patients’ fat and bone marrow. The government had not authorized the clinic to use these cells for treatment.
“If stem cell treatment’s efficiency and safety has not been proven, we don’t believe it should be used,” said Dr. Ileana Herrera, chief of the ministry’s research council. “As a health ministry, we must always protect the human being.” [Reuters]
Researchers argue that such clinics neither provide reliable treatment nor advance research since they use anecdotal evidence for a treatment’s efficacy and don’t safeguard against other variables in their testing. Given the dire conditions of many patients seeking these clinics, many worry that desperate patients make easy targets.
Read the rest via Stem Cell Tourists Denied: Costa Rica Stops Treatments at Top Clinic | 80beats | Discover Magazine.
Jun
9
Vitamin D Linked to Poor Learning Performance in Patients With MS
Filed Under News, Research | Leave a Comment
June 9, 2010 San Antonio, Texas — A new study shows that serum vitamin D deficiency is associated with poor learning performance among patients with multiple sclerosis MS. The research was presented here at the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers 24th Annual Conference and the Third Joint Meeting of Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis.
There is some evidence that vitamin D suppresses proinflammatory cytokines, and that low levels of these cytokines could contribute to MS. Other evidence suggests that vitamin D plays a role in cognitive function in older adults. Cognitive impairment is very common in MS, but few studies have examined the relationship between serum vitamin D and cognitive deficits in this population.
Read the rest via Vitamin D Linked to Poor Learning Performance in Patients With MS.
May
26
O’Jays Singer Reveals Long Battle With Multiple Sclerosis
Filed Under News, Personal Stories | Leave a Comment
By Belinda Goldsmith
Reuters
CANBERRA
Singer Walter Williams from R&B group The O’Jays seemed to have a charmed life, but for nearly three decades he kept a secret from his fans — he was suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS).
However to mark World MS Day on May 26, Williams decided it was time to go public with his health issues to let other MS sufferers know that it is possible to lead an active life despite the chronic and often disabling disease.
“I have done well with MS and I want other sufferers to know that they too can lead a normal life,” Williams, 67, told Reuters in a telephone interview.
“Why now? Well, it’s a good time to come out and let people know there is medication for this now that helps a great deal. When I was diagnosed they told me I had 20 years to live and there was no cure but it has all changed.”
Williams is a founding member of the The O’Jays who were pioneers of 1970s soul music with hits like “Love Train,” and “Use Ta Be My Girl.”
He first realized something was wrong while on tour in 1983 and he began getting numb in his feet, legs and torso. At the age of 39 he was diagnosed with MS, the inflammatory autoimmune disease that attacks the central nervous system.
Over 2 million people worldwide have MS which affects about three females to every male with symptoms often starting to show when people are in their early 30s.
“I knew nothing about MS so when I was diagnosed I just freaked out. The doctor told me to get my life in order as I probably only had 20 years to live,” said Williams.
“At first I did the pity party thing and felt sorry for myself, but then I got angry and decided to fight it. I started exercising more to make my body strong and started to eat right and keep a great attitude. I slipped a lot but I got through it.”
read the rest: O’Jays Singer Reveals Long Battle With Multiple Sclerosis.
May
18
Liberation or placebo effect?
Filed Under News, Research | Leave a Comment
from the Montreal Gazette:
MONTREAL – Miracle cures are not a common occurrence but in the world of multiple sclerosis, the hopes of patients and their loved ones have never been as high as they are right now. The excitement stems from what is being touted as a circulation-improving surgical procedure that seems to promise remarkable results. With dramatic testimonials pitted against a skeptical scientific and regulatory community, the question is whether or not poor vein drainage from the head to the heart is a cause of MS and whether dilating the veins, known as “the liberation treatment,” is helpful. We take a hard look at the evidence.
A good, skeptical look at the “liberation” treatment for ms, concluding:
As a result, it is likely – given what we know about the placebo effect in MS patients who enter studies of novel treatments – that all of the benefits were the result of the powerful belief in the treatment, rather than anything related to improved blood flow.
The supposed connection between CCSVI, if that condition actually exists, and MS, breaks down on a number of other fronts, including the fact that patients who have impaired blood flow in their veins as a result of surgeries, for example, don’t develop MS. Similarly, vessels tend to narrow as we age and yet MS is not a disease of older individuals. The blocked vein theory of MS is so out of keeping with our understanding of the disease that it might be compared to fixing a burned out car radiator by changing the tires of a car.
read the rest via HealthWatch: Liberation or placebo effect? MS surgery.
I strongly suspect that critics of this “treatment” are correct. Don’t get your hopes up.