Guest guest Posted April 6, 2005 Report Share Posted April 6, 2005 Hope for MS sufferers13:53 AEST Mon Mar 28 2005 A NZ man who has suffered debilitating effects from the degenerative disease multiple sclerosis for more than 20 years is cautiously optimistic about news of a possible cure. Brett Harland, of Wellington, said he would grab the chance to volunteer for clinical trials for a new treatment if it could relieve the symptoms he and 4000 other New Zealand sufferers endured. Mr Harland, who is almost 50, has lost 60 per cent of vision in one eye, is physically weak and has difficulty walking. His symptoms culminate in major episodes every nine months. "The hardest thing living with the disease is not knowing when I'm going to have a flare-up. I can be feeling 100 per cent and then, whack, I hit the brick wall. "It's an illness I know is going to kill me eventually, it's just a matter of when." MS is thought to stem from a genetic predisposition but has no known cause. The disease attacks nerves in the brain and can leave people wheelchair-bound and unable to speak. It is often fatal. But Wellington's Malaghan Institute of Medical Research has announced it may have discovered a breakthrough. According to its website, scientists have found a way to activate "good" blood cells so that they stop "bad" cells attacking the nervous system, thereby preventing the onset of MS. It was hoped clinical trials can start this year but a publicly available treatment is still years away, the website says. Backstrom, who is leading the research team, said the treatment had been proven in the laboratory and could end the disease if found to work on humans. Dr Backstrom won an international research grant worth $1.3 million in 1999 to study auto-immune diseases such as MS, diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis. ©AAP 2005 MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS Wellington's Malaghan Institute of Medical Research has announced it may have discovered a breakthrough for Multiple Sclerosis.MS is thought to stem from a genetic predisposition but has no known cause. The disease attacks nerves in the brain and can leave people wheelchair-bound and unable to speak. It is often fatal.According to the institute's website, scientists have found a way to activate "good" blood cells so that they stop "bad" cells attacking the nervous system, thereby preventing the onset of MS.It was hoped clinical trials can start this year but a publicly available treatment is still years away, the website says. Backstrom, who is leading the research team, said the treatment had been proven in the laboratory and could end the disease if found to work on humans.Dr Backstrom won an international research grant worth $1.3 million in 1999 to study auto-immune diseases such as MS, diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis. » HEALTHY CEREALS » ARTHRITIS ENZYME » DEMENTIA STUDY » DEMENTIA TRIAL » CHICKEN POX VACCINE » SPLEEN BANK » MEN AND RED MEAT » BOWEL TEST » DIABETES RESEARCH » BEDTIME BLUES » SELENIUM STUDY » SLEEP STUDY » PREGNANT TESTING » CHILDREN'S HEALTH Copyright © 2005 Sky News Australia About Us | Contact Us | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Parliamentary Coverage | Sitemap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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