Low-dose naltrexone – a research blog for patients and caregivers

Visit the research blog on Low-dose naltrexone. USE this blog to explore both the experience of people who have used the medication but also barriers to accessing the medication.

Over the course of the last few years there has been an increasing about of discussion regarding the use of Low-dose naltrexone (LDN) to treat various medical conditions such as multiple sclerosis,Crohn’s disease and fibromyalgia.  Recent research from the University of Freiburg has indicated that LDN may also be useful in treating disassociation which can be associated with borderline personality disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

LDN is a controversial product not least because it was developed as a way of treating heroin addiction.  For MS,for example,the jury is still out on its effectiveness.  But that does not stop many patients advocating its use! That is why we there is interest in the opinions of people who have used LDN.

Of particular interest are the following questions:-

a)    Have you ever used LDN and for what condition was it prescribed?

b)    How effective was LDN for treating your condition?

c)     How easy was it for you to be prescribed LDN?  Were you ever turned down for it?

d)    How did you find out about LDN?

e)    What sources of information would you recommend to others regarding LDN?

f)     Did you ever consider using LDN which had not been prescribed by a physician?

Please do treat these questions as a guide we would love to have any comments you might make!

To take part in the research blog please click here, taking you to the PATIENT EXPERIENCE  page where you can add your comments in the box provided. Alternatively you can reply to the comments and experiences of others.

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Disclaimer:  'MS Views and News' (MSVN), does not endorse any products or services found on this blog. It is up to you to seek advice from your healthcare provider. The intent of this blog is to provide information on various medical conditions, medications, treatments, and procedures for your personal knowledge and to keep you informed of current health-related issues. It is not intended to be complete or exhaustive, nor is it a substitute for the advice of your physician. Should you or your family members have any specific medical problem, seek medical care promptly.

Unique gMS blood tests, leads 'Glycominds' to receive Japanese nod for its patent of diagnostic process of multiple sclerosis

Israel - Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Glycominds, which develops a unique technology and provides via it CLIA certified clinical laboratory groundbreaking services for early detection and management of Multiple Sclerosis (MS), reported that it has received approval from the Japanese Patent Office for the registration of its application for a patent for its main process for early diagnosis and management of MS. The approval of this Patent further strengthens the intellectual property of Glycominds and is an expansion of the extensive patent protection held by the company, which has more than 100 issued and registered patents. Glycominds now intends to examine possible entry into the Japanese market, which is considered the second largest market in the medical field. Glycominds’ CLIA laboratory is processing the company's unique gMS blood tests, that dramatically shorten the time it takes to diagnose MS, and predict the course of progression of the disease. This technology allows the neurologist better treatment decision. Currently there are no competing blood tests for MS.  The Company estimates the market potential for MS tests at about 1 billion dollars. Glycominds recently reported the successful results of a clinical study of its prognostic test, the gMSPro CDMS. This test predicts events of clinical relapses in patients suspected with Multiple Sclerosis. The clinical study was held at the centre for Multiple Sclerosis of Catalonia, at the University Hospital Vall d'Hebron in Barcelona Spain, with a leading research group, led by Professor Xavier Montalban and Dr Mar Tintoré. The gMSPro CDMS is the third test being developed by the Company. The two other tests: the gMSDx for early diagnosis of MS, and the gMSPro EDSS to predict the likelihood for rapid progression and accumulation of disabilities. Dr Avinoam Dukler, CEO and president of Glycominds, said: "I am pleased that we have received the patent approval in Japan, which is an additional evidence of the technological innovation and the unique knowledge that we have developed at Glycominds. This approval is important and also supports the continued development of additional markets in the future for the company". Glycominds, a molecular diagnostics company, develops and commercializes autoimmune and chronic inflammatory disease management tools and services with a distinctive focus on the Multiple Sclerosis market. Source: PharmaBiz.com

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Disclaimer:  'MS Views and News' (MSVN), does not endorse any products or services found on this blog. It is up to you to seek advice from your healthcare provider. The intent of this blog is to provide information on various medical conditions, medications, treatments, and procedures for your personal knowledge and to keep you informed of current health-related issues. It is not intended to be complete or exhaustive, nor is it a substitute for the advice of your physician. Should you or your family members have any specific medical problem, seek medical care promptly.

Parasitic Worms May Offer Hope on MS

By STEN STOVALL

For people suffering from debilitating autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis, there is growing evidence that help may be at hand from an unusual source: parasitic worms.

In a U.S. study, early safety tests suggested the eggs of pig whipworms have anti-inflammatory properties, reducing the size of brain lesions in MS patients. A similar trial is under way in Denmark. And in Britain, academics at the University of Nottingham are studying the potential health benefits of hookworms, another type of parasitic worm.

If these trials prove successful, treatment with parasitic worms—known as helminthic therapy—could provide a simple, cheap, natural and controllable treatment for the debilitating condition, which affects 2.5 million people world-wide.

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Read More

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Know somebody affected by Multiple Sclerosis?

Ask them to remain CURRENT with Multiple Sclerosis news & information 

 when registered at the  MS Views and News  website

.Weekly e-Newsletter now reaching (87) Countries. .

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Help STUART  to Educate:  Please donate   

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Disclaimer:  'MS Views and News' (MSVN), does not endorse any products or services found on this blog. It is up to you to seek advice from your healthcare provider. The intent of this blog is to provide information on various medical conditions, medications, treatments, and procedures for your personal knowledge and to keep you informed of current health-related issues. It is not intended to be complete or exhaustive, nor is it a substitute for the advice of your physician. Should you or your family members have any specific medical problem, seek medical care promptly.

Monkey multiple sclerosis discovered in Oregon suggests virus may cause human disease

In 1986, an unknown disease began killing monkeys at the Oregon National Primate Research Center in Hillsboro. Affected animals developed an unsteady gait and a rapidly advancing paralysis of the limbs. Caregivers could do nothing to stop the disease and euthanized most of the helpless animals within a week of symptom onset. 

The disease, researchers now report, is the monkey equivalent of multiple sclerosis. And it appears to be caused by a virus – adding support to the possibility that multiple sclerosis in humans can be triggered by a viral infection. Experts say the discovery could help expedite the search for more effective treatments. 

"That's the ultimate goal," said co-author Scott Wong, a scientist at the primate center and Oregon Health & Science University's Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute. 

Since the first case appeared at the primate center, 56 monkeys in the Japanese macaque colony have fallen ill with the neurological disease. In most years, no more than four cases appear in the population of more than 300 monkeys. In a few cases, the monkeys recovered and lived normally for many months before relapsing -- a course often seen in people with multiple sclerosis, or MS. 

Wong and colleagues studied brain and spinal cord samples from nearly all of the monkeys after death. Microscopic examination revealed damage very similar to that in MS patients, including nerve fibers stripped of their protective sheath. Brain scans performed on eight living monkeys showed scattered patches of dead and damaged nerve cells also similar to those seen in people with MS. 

The researchers isolated a previously unknown virus from a sample of damaged spinal nerve tissue taken from one animal. DNA analysis showed that the virus belongs to the herpes family of viruses. Wong's team developed a sensitive test for the virus and used it to screen samples from healthy and diseased monkeys. So far, they have detected the virus in samples of damaged nerve tissue from six monkeys that died from the disorder. The virus has not showed up in healthy samples. 

"Whether or not a similar virus might actually cause MS, that's the big issue," said Dr. Dennis Bourdette, a co-author of the study and director of OHSU's multiple sclerosis center. 

Scientists have spent decades trying to find out whether viruses play a role in triggering multiple sclerosis. So far, the evidence for a viral cause has fallen short. Still, many researchers suspect that a viral infection could be one of the factors that drive the immune system to mount a misdirected attack on the protective sheath around nerve fibers.

Continue Reading

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Know somebody affected by Multiple Sclerosis?

Ask them to remain CURRENT with Multiple Sclerosis news & information 

 when registered at the  MS Views and News  website

.Weekly e-Newsletter now reaching (87) Countries. .

***************************************************************************************

Help STUART  to Educate:  Please donate   

- all contributions are tax deductible - 

We are a 501c3 - Not for Profit Charity

.

"Providing You with 'MS Views and News', is what we do"

***************************************************************************************

.

Disclaimer:  'MS Views and News' (MSVN), does not endorse any products or services found on this blog. It is up to you to seek advice from your healthcare provider. The intent of this blog is to provide information on various medical conditions, medications, treatments, and procedures for your personal knowledge and to keep you informed of current health-related issues. It is not intended to be complete or exhaustive, nor is it a substitute for the advice of your physician. Should you or your family members have any specific medical problem, seek medical care promptly.