Pretty interesting....although not investigated in humans yet:

http://ms.about.com/b/2009/06/02/ms-...yelin.htm?nl=1

Here is some info from dead MS folks that shows LOTS of "other than myelin" damage.

jackD


"1: N Engl J Med. 1998 Jan 29;338(5):278-85.

Comment in:
N Engl J Med. 1998 Jan 29;338(5):323-5.

Axonal transection in the lesions of multiple sclerosis.

Trapp BD, Peterson J, Ransohoff RM, Rudick R, Mork S, Bo L.

Department of Neurosciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic
Foundation, OH 44195, USA.

BACKGROUND: Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the
central nervous system and is the most common cause of neurologic disability in
young adults. Despite antiinflammatory or immunosuppressive therapy, most
patients have progressive neurologic deterioration that may reflect axonal loss.
We conducted pathological studies of brain tissues to define the changes in
axons in patients with multiple sclerosis.

METHODS:
Brain tissue was obtained at autopsy from 11 patients with multiple sclerosis and 4 subjects without brain disease. Fourteen active multiple-sclerosis lesions, 33 chronic active lesions,
and samples of normal-appearing white matter were examined for demyelination,
inflammation, and axonal pathologic changes by immunohistochemistry and confocal
microscopy. Axonal transection, identified by the presence of terminal axonal
ovoids, was detected in all 47 lesions and quantified in 18 lesions. RESULTS:
Transected axons were a consistent feature of the lesions of multiple sclerosis,
and their frequency was related to the degree of inflammation within the lesion.

The number of transected axons per cubic millimeter of tissue averaged 11,236 in
active lesions, 3138 at the hypocellular edges of chronic active lesions, 875 in
the hypocellular centers of chronic active lesions, and less than 1 in
normal-appearing white matter from the control brains.

CONCLUSIONS: Transected
axons are common in the lesions of multiple sclerosis, and axonal transection
may be the pathologic correlate of the irreversible neurologic impairment in
this disease.

PMID: 9445407 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]"

Well, I must say, this is not very uplifting news...
Do the DMDs only work on myelin-affected areas, or do they help stop progression in gray matter as well?

Thanks for this. I just giggled when I saw the autopsy revealed "active" lesions...pffft....too funny when they word things like that.

Really!! If they're "active" during an autopsy what on earth are they considered beforehand!?

I have NO HUMOR for you but I do have some more info..

PANIC!!! PANIC!! PANIC!!

MS is a TWO STAGE DISEASE!!!

1st is THE INFLAMMATORY Stage - Standard DMD work well here.

2nd is the NEURODEGENERATIVE PHASE The Standard DMD is weak and mostly unknown. However LDN may be effective for this stage of MS. In classic MS you have about 10 years of R/R MS followed by the next, 2nd phase which severly reduces mobility and loss of leg strength. Treatment with DMD during R/R stage could delay or hopefully avoid this stage.

http://home.ix.netcom.com/~jdalton/ms-two-stages.pdf

http://home.ix.netcom.com/~jdalton/two%20stage%20MS.jpg


jackD

P.S. Look a the pic and guess what needs to be reduced or blocked. Hint it begins with the letter "g".

Incredibly timely given my doctor's appointment today regarding my new "black hole" lesion. I'm beat but I'm going to address this more when I further update that thread. I believe this is probably correct. But although obviously not good news, not necessarily as bleak as it sounds -- remember that depending upon where the damage is, the brain can be remarkable in re-routing itself to compensate (neuroplasticity). Many MS folks with even axonal damage are asymptomatic.

Do you take LDN?

gmi

I subscrube to the stages of MS but I think it can be considered neuro-degenerative even in the inflammatory stage. When axonal damage is confirmed in the brain of a most definitely RRMS patient, wouldn't that in fact be considered neuro-degenerative?

I had actually read a lot this when I was first dxed, that researchers were beginning to look at MS as a neuro-degenerative disease altogether.

NO. I never considered taking LDN because I was on Avonex for over 10 years.

The info that LDN was found to counter Glutamate nerve toxicity is very new and I will post it here as soon a I can find it again.

FounD It!!!!
.
.
http://autoimmunedisease.suite101.co...rosis_variants
.
jackD