Ken Armitage and wife Anne were trying to reach a pub on Dartmoor in time for a cream tea.

Mr Armitage improvised using his rucksack and a bungee strap, and the couple made it in time for tea.

His MuSmate walking aid was in line for a best new product award at a leading UK disability show, Naidex, at the NEC in Birmingham.

'Wonderful idea'

Mr Armitage is a geo-physicist and spends his time inventing things, though not usually disability-related products.

"Our need was to get to a pub that was serving the best cream teas on Dartmoor," Anne Armitage said.

My husband had this wonderful idea - he took off his rucksack, put a bungee on my foot and I covered the last two kilometres and got there in time for tea."

The Armitages - together with a partner, Andrew Wynd - have formed a company to market the MuSmate to the public.

The device consists of a shoulder harness and an elasticated cord connected the wearer's shoe.

They are hoping it will help people with MS, cerebral palsy, those recovering from strokes and adrenoleukodystrophy, a condition similar to MS.

"My wife's walking range was down to about 50 or 60 metres," explained Mr Armitage.

"Aerobic fitness is really important. Just because one muscle group doesn't work, that's not to say the others can't do a lot more."

Mr Armitage uses the elastic cord to help people whose muscles won't allow them to lift their feet during that part of the walking cycle.

"We found a way of transferring energy from the strong muscles in the thigh and back to the ones that weren't working."

Confidence boost

The next stage in the product's development was to have it tested by a larger group of people. The South-West MS Society helped by coming up with around 20 volunteers.

According to Mr Armitage, over a 90 day period their walking speed increased by more than 100%.

The volunteers also reported - though this was not measured scientifically - that the distance that they were able to walk increased by up to 600%.

Wearers reported that walking without the MuSmate had also improved.

"All of my friends at the MS centre asked why I was getting better," said Mrs Armitage.

"I thought it was the red wine, but it wasn't. It was the red wine and the MuSmate together."

Mrs Armitage says that the device has significantly increased the amount she can walk as well as restoring her confidence.

"If my husband hadn't invented this I would probably be using a wheelchair by now."

Having gone through the testing process and having been approved as a medical aid, the MuSmate is now on sale to the public.

Testing time

One of those who tried it out at Naidex 2006 was Rob Woodfield from Leicester who is recovering from a stroke.

"What I want to do is to go hill walking," he said.

Mr Woodfield spent 10 minutes walking around the exhibition hall at the NEC and concluded, "this does seem to work".

"This has certainly given me the confidence to give it a much longer try," he said.

The MuSmate can be used on one or both legs and costs around £75 for a single harness and £125 for a double version.

The company estimates that there are two million people in Europe and North America who could make use of the invention.

Source: BBC News helath website Copywrite BBC

Danny Wallace finished the London Marathon yesterday after six days running the course.

The former England and Manchester United footballer, who has multiple sclerosis, fell over several times during the run because of his condition. Michael Watson, the former boxer and his friend and inspiration, joined him on Wednesday and was at the finishing line to hand him his medal yesterday.

Source: news.Telgraph.com © Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2006.

The results were published for the first time in the May issue of Annals of Neurology (Vol 59, Issue 5, 2006, pp 780-787). Data from this trial were previously presented at U.S. and international medical meetings in 2005. The published article "Randomized, Controlled Trial of Dextromethorphan/Quinidine for Pseudobulbar Affect in Multiple Sclerosis" describes the safety and efficacy of Neurodex, an orally administered combination of dextromethorphan and low dose quinidine, in the treatment of IEED patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).

IEED is a disorder that causes uncontrollable and unpredictable episodes of laughing and crying in patients with neurological disease or brain injury.

"Neurological disorders and brain injuries can affect patients' lives in devastating ways, but one consequence, IEED, is frequently overlooked or misdiagnosed," said Hillel Panitch, MD, Professor of Neurology at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and Director of the Multiple Sclerosis Center at Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington, Vermont, and the article's lead author. "IEED can be seriously disabling in social or occupational settings, adversely affecting the quality of life and quality of relationships of those suffering from this condition. The results of this study confirm earlier findings of the efficacy and safety of Neurodex. With no currently approved treatment, this represents an important step forward for patients suffering from IEED."

The double blind Phase III clinical study in MS patients with IEED was completed in June 2004. 150 patients at 22 clinical sites were randomized to receive either placebo or Neurodex on a 12-hour dosing schedule for 85 days. A minimum CNS-LS score of greater than or equal to 13 was required for inclusion in the study. For the primary endpoint, patients receiving Neurodex had a significantly greater reduction in CNS-LS score than those receiving placebo (p less than 0.0001) at all clinic visits (Days 15, 29, 57 and 85). All secondary endpoints also favored Neurodex, including the number of crying or laughing episodes (p less than or equal to 0.0077), quality of life (p less than 0.0001), quality of relationships (p=0.0001), and pain intensity score (p=0.0271).

The safety profile of Neurodex was favorable. The most common adverse events associated with Neurodex in this study were dizziness, nausea, fatigue, and headache.

Source: Yahoo News Copyright © 2006 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.

Rhianwen Emberton, from Berriew, near Welshpool, says that health bosses in Wales are refusing to pay for treatment which could save her life.

The 37-year-old, who has suffered from multiple sclerosis (MS) for 16 months, was told last December by consultants at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, that she should take specific drugs to combat the effects of the disease.

However, since then Rhianwen has been battling against an “unfair post code lottery” which, because of Welsh Assembly rulings, is denying her the necessary funding for the medication Copaxone.

Experts say the drug can dramatically improve the lives of MS patients if it is taken early enough.

Rhianwen, an office manager in Welshpool, says that if she lived just a few miles over the border in England she would be given the drug immediately.

“I’m very angry about the whole situation it’s just totally wrong,” she said.

“Since December 9 last year when I was told I was poorly enough to take the drugs, I’ve been trying to get the health board here to pay for it.

“It’s essential that I have it, if I don’t I’ll end up in a wheelchair, or I’ll die – it’s as simple as that.”

The exact price of Copaxone is disputed but it is thought to be around £800 a month. MS patients inject the drug into themselves every day, in a similar way to diabetics, and it aims to reduce the number and severity of the attacks that occur.

“It’s just another example of the totally unfair post code lottery system for getting treatment,” said Rhianwen.

“I’ve been trying everything to get the local health board to agree to pay for the treatment but nothing has worked.”

A number of people in Powys are believed to be already taking the drug, but Rhianwen says that health officials have told her that there are only a limited number of these places available and one will not be given to her.

The married mother of four, who can now only walk with the aid of a stick, told the County Times that she has no plans to organise a fundraising campaign to pay for the treatment herself.

“I don’t think I should have to.

“Why should I have to pay for something that I need and other people are getting free of charge?” she asked.

Rhianwen says she is determined to lead as normal a life as possible, including looking after her children Bethan, 16; Sion, 12; Nia, 11 and Delwyn, nine.

Leigh Jeffes, the executive officer for MS Society Wales/Cymru, wished Rhianwen luck in her campaign and said they would do everything they could.

Source: North Wales News Lyd. ©All original material on these pages is the copyright of North Wales Newspapers Ltd

Stem Cell Innovations, Inc. has filed a patent application protecting the differentiation of its proprietary human pluripotent stem cells (PCs) into neural progenitor cells and purified populations of motor neurons. These cells will initially be used in the Company´s core drug discovery and toxicology platform. The Company is also exploring therapeutic applications of these cells.

Dr. James Kelly, CEO of Stem Cell Innovations, Inc. (SCI), stated, "These cells have significant potential in both drug discovery and cell therapies to treat diseases such as ALS, Parkinson´s, Huntington´s, Multiple Sclerosis, and Spinal Cord Injury. Obtaining and protecting neural progenitor cells, as well as purified populations of motor neurons from our PCs, is a significant step for the company." Kelly added, "We are already in discussions with companies that have expressed interest in these cells."

Stem Cell Innovations is actively seeking to make its PC cells widely available to universities and other not-for-profit institutions to rapidly advance the potential of the cells for the benefit of people and the Company.

About Stem Cell Innovations, Inc.

Stem Cell Innovations (SCI) is a cell biology company with offices in New Jersey, Houston, TX and Leiden, the Netherlands. SCI has developed and protected a unique pluripotent stem cell called the PC(TM). PCs have great potential in that they can be differentiated into virtually all cell types, and qualify for federal funding since PCs are not subject to the restrictions in National Institutes of Health funding imposed on Embryonic Stem cells. The PC program expands on the Company´s currently marketed C3A human liver cell-based toxicology offerings.

For more information about SCI, visit the company´s website at: www.stemcellinnovations.com 

Source: Stem Cell Innovations Press Release

Tysabri was withdrawn from the market early in 2005 after some US patients who had been treated with the drug in combination with other medication developed the brain disease, PML.

Since then the regulatory authorities in the US and in Europe have been separately re-examining the clinical trail research data surrounding the drug's original launch.

Today's recommendation will go before the European Commission for final approval. That is expected in June but will limit the use of Tysabri as a single therapy only which will be restricted to patients with an aggressive form of Multiple Sclerosis.

Today's announcement from the EMA could mean Tysabri will launch in Europe before any relaunch in the US where the Food and Drug Administration has still to give final marketing approval.

Source: RTE News © RTÉ 2006

Danny Wallace's soccer career ended when he was struck down with the neurological condition 10 years ago.

The 44-year-old ex-Manchester United and Southampton player has taken six days to complete the 26.2 mile route.

Former boxer Michael Watson, who completed the marathon in seven days in 1991 after being in a coma following a fight, will greet him at the finish.

Wallace has taken part in the marathon to raise money for the Danny Wallace Foundation which researches multiple sclerosis and helps people with MS.

Next year he wants to secure several places for the charity.

Wallace is not the last person to finish the marathon - Lloyd Scott is walking the marathon dressed as St George wearing a full suit of armour and towing an 8ft dragon.

He is expecting to take eight days to get to the finish line.

Source: BBC News Online Copyright BBC 2006

The 46-year-old had to pay for her own supply of the anti-cancer drug tamoxifen when she was discharged from hospital, and even had to pay for cream to soothe her scalp when chemotherapy made her hair fall out.

Mrs Hogg is just one of the thousands of chronically ill people in Scotland who are forced to pay, through prescription charges , for the medication that keeps them healthy and, in some cases, alive.

The outdated system of prescription charging which does not exclude people with chronic illnesses including cancer, leukaemia, hepatitis C, asthma, schizophrenia and multiple sclerosis from payment, is under review by the Scottish Executive.

The consultation into prescription charging closes on Sunday, but, according to well-placed sources, ministers are "lukewarm" about extending the current list of exemptions to include all chronic conditions.

Today The Scotsman launches a campaign to end this iniquitous further burden on people who are already having to cope with the physical, emotional and financial toll of serious illness.

Today The Scotsman urges that people with life-threatening and chronic illnesses should be spared the further distress and worry of having to pay, often from limited resources, for the medications they need.

Despite a torrent of evidence from charities, professional organisations and patients, it seems ministers intend to do no more than tweak with the 40-year-old system of prescription charging that is failing the sick people it was meant to protect.

Calculations by The Scotsman - it appears nobody has more precise figures - show it would cost around £9 million to end charges for the chronically ill - a tiny fraction of the overall NHS drugs budget of £960 million.

Last night, patients, charities and opposition politicians backed our campaign. Even GPs, who yesterday voted against free prescriptions at the British Medical Association conference in Glasgow, agreed the current system was "a stealth health tax". As Mrs Hogg said: "When you are diagnosed with cancer, the first thing you think is, 'I am going to die'. Being burdened with the cost of getting better is the last thing you need."

The Executive does not keep official records of the amount spent on prescriptions - at £6.65 per prescription - by chronically ill patients.

However, using NHS statistics, The Scotsman has obtained a list of the top ten drugs, all of which treat chronic conditions, issued on chargeable prescriptions.

It reveals that the chronically ill pay at least £8.9 million in prescription charges every year. Some patients spend up to 20 per cent of their income on prescribed drugs, putting severe strain on them and the speed of their recovery.

Ministers have already signalled they will not follow the Welsh Assembly in scrapping all prescription charges.

The Scotsman has spoken to people living with cancer, multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease, asthma and psoriasis who say that being charged for prescriptions is a "financial burden".

They also claim it is unfair that patients suffering from diabetes and epilepsy are exempt from charges, but those with cancer, asthma and arthritis are not.

Even the Pharmaceutical Association says the current system is "riddled with inequalities".

Lorraine Dallas, head of Breast Cancer Care Scotland, said: "Prescription charges can place enormous strain on individuals and families. It's time for change."

Shona Haslam, the public affairs manager of Asthma UK Scotland, said: "It is not fair that people with asthma have to pay for their prescriptions while people with other long-term conditions do not."

Shona Robison, the SNP health spokeswoman, said: "We would abolish prescription charges for all, but at the outset would prioritise the cases of people with cancer and other chronic illnesses."

Rosemary Parr, chairman of the Scottish executive of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, told The Scotsman: "The current system is full of anomalies and clearly needs to be reviewed."

The Executive's own figures show that in 2003-4, £962.68 million was spent on dispensed prescriptions, of which £917.14 million was paid by NHS Scotland, while only £45.55 million came from prescription charges.

In total, the cost of drugs accounts for 13.5 per cent of the Scottish health budget - but the revenue from charges alone contributes just 0.5 per cent.

The flat-rate charge of £6.65 per prescription does not relate directly to the cost of the prescribed item nor the cost to the NHS of supplying it, but is a contribution towards the cost of the service as a whole. If the charges, introduced in 1968, had risen in line with inflation, they would currently stand at 95p.

The Scotsman intends to compile a huge protest petition and present it to the Executive to let ministers know the strength of feeling on the issue and shape their views as they review prescription charges. You can help by using the box on the next page to make your voice heard.

The exemptions
CURRENT exemptions include those who are: under 16, or under 19 and in full-time education; aged 60 or over; expectant mothers and mothers of children under the age of one; holders of a War Pension exemption certificate; on Income Support or Jobseeker's Allowance; on low incomes.

Medical exemptions include: Addison's disease, diabetes, the neuromuscular condition Myasthenia gravis, hypothyroidism, epilepsy and continuous physical disability.

Medical conditions not currently exempt include: cancer, multiple sclerosis, asthma, psoriasis, Crohn's disease, schizophrenia, glaucoma, arthritis, chronic leukaemia, HIV/AIDS, ulcerative colitis, and hepatitis C.

Give your support to the campaign!

Source: Yahoo News Copyright © 2006 Yahoo! UK Limited. All rights reserved.

The patented therapeutic use of CD83 was initially filed by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Beckman Coulter then gained license to it and under the latest agreement, retains rights to develop CD83 within the field of diagnostics.

Researchers working with Argos at the University of Erlangen in Erlangen, Germany, discovered that CD83 is an effective immunosuppressant and able to inhibit paralysis in a model of multiple sclerosis in both an active and pre-treatment setting.

In contrast to other immunosuppressive agents, this soluble protein can target autoagressive immune responses without the need for chronic administration and without suppressing the entire immune system. Preliminary data also suggests that CD83 may have clinical utility in the treatment of transplantation rejection and autoimmune diabetes.

"As a complement to our dendritic cell-based immunotherapeutic programs, this agreement allows us to advance our CD83 development activities based on its novel immunosuppressive properties," said Jeff Abbey, vice president of business development for Argos Therapeutics.

Source: Pharmaceutical Business Review Online ©2006 Business Review Ltd

This was published by scientists at Lund University in Sweden in an article in the journal of Nature Medicine. This pioneering discovery paves the way for future therapeutic targets for inflammatory and degenerative diseases of CNS like multiple sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's.

It is generally known that motor neurons regulate basic functions like movement, learning, and memory. But Swedish scientists are now able to show that the neurons are also capable of combating CNS inflammation.

The role of neurons in the regulation of immune response in the CNS has been neglected as brain and spinal cord are well protected against immune cells surveillance by a tight barrier and because neurons do not express molecules known to be involved in immune response.

"Now, we show that motor neurons are capable of actively regulating immune response and indeed they have a central role in prevention of CNS inflammation", says Associate Professor Shohreh Issazadeh-Navikas at Lund University.

In this report, Swedish scientists have demonstrated that neurons can transmit signals to harmful T cells (a type of white blood cells important for immune defense) in the brain. These signals cause these T cells to alter their function, transforming them from harmful to benign T cells that counteract inflammation and neuronal cell death.

Pathogenic T cells can enter the CNS because of several reasons such as during viral infection of CNS, as a result of mechanical damage to CNS or inflammatory diseases of CNS or autoimmune reactions, for example in case of MS (an inflammatory disease of CNS believed to be caused by autoimmune T cells). Inflammation is now implicated to be involved also in other neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

The impetus for this research work came from previous observations made by Shohreh Issazadeh-Navikas at the Karolinska Institute and at Harvard Medical School. There she found in different experimental conditions that neurons appeared to be able to secrete certain immunological proteins that could have potential to combat inflammations.

"These observations indicated that neurons could actually play a role in the regulation of the immune cells causing CNS inflammation. This was a new concept that had virtually been unexplored, since it was believed that neurons were mainly targets of inflammatory attack rather than active player in its regulation."

Dedicated work by a research team under supervision of Shohreh Issazadeh-Navikas at Lund University in collaboration with Dr. Bryndis Birnir resulted in the current pioneering publication in the Nature Medicine.

According to Shohreh Issazadeh-Navikas, their findings provide new knowledge about how chronic inflammation of the brain is regulated, and it could have implications for novel therapeutic approaches of inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer, Parkinson and MS.

Lund University Website - http://www.lu.se

 Source: Medical News Today © 2006 MediLexicon International Ltd

The 42-year-old former Southampton and England star has multiple sclerosis, the debilitating condition which means he can only walk the 26-mile course and must take regular rest spells to combat severe fatigue.

Wallace, who had clocked up 15 miles by this afternoon (26/04/06) to reach Canary Wharf, is hoping to complete the remaining 11 miles by Friday but knows it could be longer.

But if that means he will raise MS awareness, then the gruelling journey, which has seen his unsteady legs send him toppling to the tarmac on more than one occasion, it will be worth it.

He said: "I'm hoping to finish on Friday but it doesn't matter when I finish just as long as I do. So if it is Saturday that will be fine.

"To tell you the truth it has been easier than I expected. Don't get me wrong, it has been tough and my legs are very tired but I have done 15 miles now and am raring to go for the last 11.

"I'm more than halfway now so it is all downhill now. I have got to Canary Wharf so I can push on a bit.

"The support has been absolutely brilliant. We have been getting cars coming up to us and donating. We even had Frank Maloney stopping people to get donations."

Boxing promoter Maloney had been joined by another figure from the fight game, former middleweight champion Michael Watson.

And Watson, who famously defeated Nigel Benn in 1989, knows more than most what Wallace has been going through as he had struggled to complete the 2003 marathon, long after his career was ended in 1991 when he suffered brain damage in a title joust with Chris Eubank.

Watson was convinced Wallace would realise his latest goal.

He said: "I have been confident all the way.

"It's all about self-belief. It's all mental. All things are possible if you believe in yourself - and he does. So he has done the marathon already. He has crossed that line before he had already started."

Wallace, who lives in Manchester, has set up the Danny Wallace Foundation to raise money and awareness about MS and donations can be made via the dannywallacefoundation.org website.

He said: "A lot of people don't know much about the disease and to tell you the truth I don't either. The type I have is spinal MS, which affects the right side of my body.

"There are two forms of it. One is really aggressive and attacks the brain and the other the central nervous system. It is a terrible disease.

"I have just set up my foundation and we haven't really put a limit on how much we expect to get. As long as we raise awareness and raise as much money as possible the marathon will be a good start for us."

Wallace is unlikely to finish last in a race which was completed by most competitors on Sunday.

Another entrant is also still going - the man dressed in a suit of armour and towing a large dragon to commemorate St George's Day.

Wallace said: "We left him way back at Greenwich. He's doing really well. He's pulling a lot of weight too so my message to him is `Keep it up mate'."

Source: Manchester United Football © Copyright 2006 GMG Regional Digital.

Dr John Dunphy, who is under investigation by the Irish Medicines Board (IMB) for providing the treatment at his clinic in Carrigaline, Co Cork, said 400 patients, all from Britain, were due to be seen over the next four weeks.

"All of them had paid for their flights and hotels, and now they must all cancel. There is a major loss financially to people who can ill afford it," he said.

Dr Dunphy had to suspend his use of stem cell therapy a treatment which is not licensed by the Irish Medicines Board since the signing into domestic law on April 7 of new EU regulations.

The GP, who used stem cells supplied by Swiss company Advanced Cell Therapeutics, also claims he is the victim of an orchestrated campaign by British neurosurgeons annoyed at losing patients to him.

In an interview in the Irish Medical Times, Dr Dunphy defended his use of the therapy, used mainly to treat multiple sclerosis and spinal injury.

He said all stem cells he used were:

• Derived exclusively from umbilical cords (no right-to-life issues).
• Donated by informed consent.
• Tested for infectious diseases HIV1, HIV2, Hep B, Hepatitis C, syphilis and CMV (herpes virus).
• Traceable from donor to recipient.
• Used to treat 80 different disease types, with clinical benefits reported in over 80% of patients treated.

He said he had decided to speak out now to expose those conducting what he called a campaign of vilification.

"I presume that senior neurologists in the UK were irritated that their patients were coming to Paddyland for advanced therapy."

He said reports about exorbitant costs €30,000 were "total and complete garbage", adding some patients were charged nothing and others between £1,000 and £5,000 (roughly between €1,400 and €7,200).

Dr Dunphy said that by turning its back on stem cells Ireland was wasting an opportunity.

"This is an extremely important field of medicine. If Ireland does not get involved, we are going to lose out, both from a medical and commercial point of view," said Dr Dunphy.

He added that he has applied to the IMB for a licence to administer stem cell treatment under the new EU regulations.

A spokesperson for the IMB said an investigation into the use of stem cell therapy is ongoing.

Source: The Irish Examiner © Irish Examiner, 2005, Thomas Crosbie Media, TCH

This knowledge, they contend, could lead to development of new drugs that target the two stem cell receptors -- called EGFR and Notch1, gp-130 -- which are key players in brain regeneration.

The research, conducted by Steve Levison, co-author of the study and professor of neuroscience at the UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School in Newark, along with researchers from Penn State University and the San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy in Milan, Italy, appears in the latest issue of The Journal of Neuroscience.

The researchers used a rat model to study a condition called perinatal hypoxia/ischemia, a disruption of blood and oxygen flowing to the brain of a newborn. The study revealed that a neonatal brain injury triggers a proliferation of stem cells within the brain, doubling the number of these cells after just three days. This regeneration response is choreographed by the two specific receptors the researchers were able to identify.

"We're beginning to identify some of the signals that are required to stimulate this repair process from these resident stem cells," explained Levison. "There is a small response that naturally occurs, so we need to expand this natural response to injury so we can have more complete repair of the brain after injury."

He said the research could mean that in the future, transplanting new cells into the body -- from embryonic stem cells -- may not be necessary to cure some brain diseases.

In infants who have suffered brain damage, Levison said it may be possible to "go in and try to repair the brain while it is still developing," enabling the infant to lead a more normal life.

Wise Young, professor and chairman of the Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience at Rutgers University, called the research "exciting" because of its potential implications in addressing conditions such as cerebral palsy.

"This is really a very nice paper because it states very strongly that stem cells play a role in neonatal brain damage repair," he said.

Levison said he and his team believe their findings will be applicable to conditions like cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis.

In addition, he said, adult stroke victims or individuals who have suffered traumatic brain injuries also may benefit.

"We're cautiously optimistic that this will really work some day," Levison said.

Source: NJ.com © 2006 NJ.com. All Rights Reserved.

In a study appearing online in April, in advance of print publication in the May issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Melissa Brown and colleagues demonstrate that IL-4 expression by mast cells is regulated by proteins known as Ikaros and GATA, and this expression contributes to the development of a multiple sclerosis-like autoimmune disease in mice. Interestingly, the authors found that IL-4 expression by mast cells differed in different strains of mice. In sum, the study further points to the role of the mast cell in sophisticated gene regulation relevant to the immune response.

View the PDF of this article at: https://www.the-jci.org/article.php?id=27227 

Source: Medical News Today © 2006 MediLexicon International Ltd

Organisers of the new Monday lottery say punters also have a greater chance of winning prizes than they do with the official Camelot draw.

It is being promoted by Chariot, a company led by Tim Holley, the former chief executive of Camelot.

Seventy British charities have signed up for the draw. Each week five will receive a cut of the proceeds. Initially, tickets can only be bought online but eventually they will be available to buy using a mobile phone or by post.

The new lottery is governed by the Gambling Commission, which means it can only offer a top prize of £200,000. However, Chariot says the odds of winning its jackpot are 27 times higher than with the National Lottery.

Tickets are entered into a first draw with a top prize of £100,000. If they do not win they go through to a second draw with a jackpot of £200,000.

Chariot is not allowed to offer a rollover. So if the jackpot is unclaimed, the prize goes to the customer with the closest winning numbers. The company says the draw gives charities greater freedom to spend the proceeds as they wished.

Mr Holley said: "People want a fairer lottery. We've taken three years to develop this and know it will succeed."

The first draw will be on May 8 at 8pm and at the same time every Monday thereafter.

Chariot says it aims to raise around £150 million for charities each year. Charities signed up to the scheme include Barnados, the British Red Cross, Marie Curie Cancer Care, Shelter, the Samaritans and the Multiple Sclerosis Resource Centre.

Lawrence Wood, the chief executive of the Multiple Sclerosis Resource Centre, said: "Having applied for two National Lottery grants and been rejected for the most minor of reasons after months of preparing our bids, the opportunity now to receive money we really need is amazing and humbling."

Source: news.telegraph © Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2006.

But never before had she been involved in a deal with a payoff that could help millions of people worldwide. Crowninshield is a major player in a landmark effort to search the human genome for genes that put people at risk for multiple sclerosis.

There's no cure for MS today, and even with the best minds at Harvard, Cambridge University and elsewhere searching the genome, there might not be a cure tomorrow or even a decade from now.

Still, Crowninshield, a former partner at the investment firm Boston Ventures, is banking on the project. She, like an estimated 2.5 million people worldwide, has MS, an incurable disease of the central nervous system. She believes the team effort, which involves scientists from all over the world, eventually will lead to improved treatments and maybe something better.

"What we're looking for here is not a Nobel Prize but for a cure for this illness — this insidious illness," she says.

In 2002, Crowninshield learned about the International Multiple Sclerosis Genetics Consortium. After researching the project, she put $1 million of her own money into the project. "I wanted to be able to say I believe in this," she says. She also helped the scientists involved put together a business plan, which was crucial in selling the project to private investors as well as the National Institutes of Health and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

So far, the team has raised $15 million — just $5 million short of the money required for a massive five-year gene hunt for MS, says Adrian Ivinson, director of the Harvard Center for Neurodegeneration and Repair, the center that's managing the project and leading the consortium's fundraising.

Project scientists plan to collect blood from 1,000 people with MS and 2,000 healthy controls. Using a recently developed genetic roadmap, the team will look for "misspellings" in the DNA that put people at risk of developing the disease. Ultimately the team hopes to find the many genes thought to play a role in MS. If successful, the research could lead to drugs that could stop or even prevent MS.

"This will be the most powerful genetic study that has ever been undertaken for MS or for any other disease," says Harvard Medical School's Mark Daly. He's one of the scientists who produced a genetic road map that the group is using to hunt for MS genes.

A genetic spell-checker?

Daly and his colleagues found that human DNA is almost identical from person to person except for chunks of variations in the coding known as haplotypes. They produced the so-called HapMap that charts the location of the most common haplotypes, many of which are thought to involve misspellings which might lead to diseases such as MS.

Other scientists are now using the HapMap to search for the genetic basis of other killer diseases such as cancer and heart disease.

MS is thought to be an autoimmune disease in which the body's own immune cells attack the thick sheath, or myelin, that insulates the long fibers of nerve cells, says David Hafler, an immunologist and MS expert at the Harvard Medical School. That attack causes the symptoms of the disease, such as numbness, difficulty walking and loss of vision, he says.

Some diseases, like cystic fibrosis, are caused by an error or mutation in a single gene. MS, in contrast, is probably caused partly by variations in the DNA that make up the coding of not just one, but many genes, says John Richert, vice president for research at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in New York.

The current thinking is that genes alone don't cause MS but simply make a person vulnerable to the disease, he says. People who inherit these genes probably are at risk but need another factor — perhaps exposure to a virus — to develop the disease, he adds.

Resources mobilized

Technicians at Harvard and MIT's Broad Institute are extracting the DNA from blood samples collected from the people in the study and are running the purified DNA through computers. They're using newly developed DNA chips that read the genetic code to search for misspellings that might be associated with MS.

"The data's looking beautiful," Hafler says. "I hope by the end of the year to have an answer."

Five drugs are available today to treat MS. But those therapies can't stop the disease from the get-go, a goal that Hafler would like to reach. He says that once the disease gets started, it's hard to repair the damage.

Looking toward the future

But the gene hunt might not pan out. The method the scientists are using might not be powerful enough to spot the genes involved in this complex disease, Richert says. That's a gamble that Crowninshield's willing to take.

Meanwhile Crowninshield must cope with flare-ups in her disease, flare-ups that cause temporary vision loss and difficulty walking. So she does all that she can do to reduce the risk of having an MS attack.

That's why in 2000 she gave up her job as a venture capitalist: She was afraid the stress of working round the clock would trigger attacks and possibly speed the progress of her illness.

She also believes that her fundraising and business advice for the MS project will make a difference, at least in the future.

"I don't expect anything to come of this to help me," she says. "But I do want to help the next generation."

Source USA Today Copyright 2006 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.

A study of about 200 MS patients found family members developed the same type of lesions in the brain that cause the disease.

But their healthy brains develop tissue to protect the nervous system, ANSA reports.

"Those protective factors could spell the end of MS," said Nicola De Stefano of Siena University who, along with Maria Givoanna Marrosu of Cagliari University, led the team of researchers.

A cure, said Marrosu, may be found by figuring out why the brain protects itself from the lesions, and how.

Source: United Press International © Copyright 2006 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved

The quality of healthcare for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other long-term medical conditions may be about to suffer a very serious setback. Until recently, the government, the voluntary sector and service users have been working well together to provide vital specialist nurses across the UK. Unfortunately, that good work - and the trust that underpins the partnership - is under threat.

Angela Underhill knows what a difference an MS nurse can make. She was diagnosed with the condition at 23, after years of frustration trying to find out what was causing her pain, fatigue and loss of mobility. After 20 years of relapses and remissions, she was recently told that her MS had progressed to a more serious stage. She took this devastating news badly, but was helped through it by many hours talking with her MS nurse, who encouraged her to speak to a psychologist. Underhill says only a specialist nurse would have had such understanding and patience.

The innovative MS nursing initiative came about in 2002, after the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) decided it would not fund new disease-modifying drugs on cost-effectiveness grounds.

The Department of Health, MS charities and drugs companies came up with a " risk sharing" scheme to enable people to receive these therapies on the NHS, resolving the cost issue. To help this process, the MS Society and pharmaceutical firms invested heavily in fast-tracking the creation of around 80 specialist nurse posts.

It was an initiative that rapidly changed the face of MS care. There are now more than 200 specialist nurses, most working in newly created multi-disciplinary teams. It is no exaggeration to say that they have changed the lives of tens of thousands of people like Underhill.

The initiative came at a time when things appeared to be looking up for people with MS. Nice published NHS guidelines for the clinical management of MS in 2003 and a national service framework for long-term conditions was unveiled in 2005.

Not any more. The NHS financial crisis means that trusts are looking around for cost savings. Specialist nurses for a range of conditions are right in the firing line. Posts are threatened with being "frozen", nurses are working reduced hours or are spending part of their time on non-specialist duties.

The MS Society has co-funded specialist posts to the tune of £4m, raised from voluntary donations, on the understanding that their cost would be carried by the trusts after the first three years. Now it is being asked to step in with more funding to keep the posts in place, a situation that is clearly unsustainable.

There is real fear that many of these highly skilled people - most trained by another charity, the MS Trust - will be lost to the health service, setting back MS care by years.

And this at a time when people who have MS are being told they must wait a year or more for the drugs that set the specialist nurse ball rolling in the first place.

The society is not the only charity facing serious problems. The National Council for Voluntary Organisations warned last week that there are hundreds of charities that may have to axe services unless the health service sorts out its finances.

The government talks more and more about how much it wants to work with the voluntary sector. The 2,000 people at the Society's MS Life convention in Manchester this weekend - and the donors who support them - will be asking: "Is this our reward?"

Sharon Haffinden is director of research and services at the MS Society.

Source: SocietyGuardian.co.uk © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006

The TBE compounds were developed by Michael Sporn, the Oscar M. Cohn '34 Professor of Pharmacology and Medicine at Dartmouth Medical School, in collaboration with Gordon Gribble, Dartmouth Professor of Chemistry, and Tadashi Honda, Dartmouth Professor of Chemistry and Research Assistant Professor of Chemistry.

These compounds have shown potent anti-inflammatory activity in early preclinical studies. They are potent activators of the transcription factor Nrf2, which regulates the Phase 2 antioxidant response. They have been shown to increase the expression levels of major cytoprotective and antioxidant proteins, including inducible heme oxygenase (HO-1). Activation of Nrf2 and induction of HO-1 are widely regarded as promising therapeutic strategies for treating a variety of inflammation-related medical conditions including cardiovascular disease, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and autoimmune diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, and multiple sclerosis. Thus, the TBE compounds have promising potential across multiple therapeutic areas.

"We are pleased that Reata sees the potential that TBEs could have on a myriad of devastating diseases and that our collaboration with Reata and M.D. Anderson has turned into a perfect avenue for bringing fruits of Dartmouth research to the marketplace. We all hope that in the not so distant future thousands of patients will be cured with these promising drugs," said Alla Kan, Director of the Dartmouth Technology Transfer Office.

The TBE compounds are structurally related to Reata's synthetic triterpenoids, which were developed by the same Dartmouth group. Two of the triterpenoids (RTA 401 and RTA 402) are now in clinical development as anti- cancer and cytoprotective agents. In preclinical studies, these triterpenoids have shown the remarkable ability to kill cancer cells while simultaneously protecting normal cells against the toxicities of traditional cancer therapies.

"Reata is very excited to add the tricyclic compounds to our portfolio, and to expand our collaboration with Dartmouth and M. D. Anderson," said Warren Huff, President and CEO of Reata. "These drugs, like our synthetic triterpenoids, appear to hold tremendous medical and commercial potential, and we look forward to conducting further preclinical studies to explore their broad opportunities."

The University of Texas System Board of Regents owns stock in Reata. These arrangements are managed by M. D. Anderson in accordance with its conflict of interest policies.

About Reata

Reata Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel treatments for cancer, inflammation, and neurodegenerative diseases. Founded in 2002, Reata is developing five distinct classes of cancer drugs licensed from leading academic institutions. The company has three drugs in Phase 1 clinical development -- RTA 744 for primary brain cancers, RTA 401 for leukemias, and RTA 402 for solid tumors and lymphoid malignancies. Reata is matching its clinical and preclinical drug development programs with a best-of-class drug discovery platform to identify small molecule chaperones that can induce proper folding of p53, SOD, and Tau, misfolded proteins that are involved in cancer and neurodegenerative disease.

Source: Reata Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Researchers from Oxford University studied data for a group of over 110,000 people admitted to a hospital with head injury and analysed the patterns of their trauma. They then compared the occurrence of multiple sclerosis in this group to a reference cohort of over 500,000 individuals.

Researchers failed to find any evidence linking head injury to the development of multiple sclerosis.

The ratio of multiple sclerosis after head injury, when compared with the reference cohort, did not increase, or decrease, with time. Moreover, the severity of the injury - defined by the length of stay at the hospital - did not seem to influence outcomes either.

Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, April 2006

The presentation will cover laboratory and clinical data from the Company's proprietary T-cell vaccination technology for the treatment of the autoimmune disease, multiple sclerosis and is entitled:

"Characterization and Clinical Response of a T-Cell Vaccination for Multiple Sclerosis."

Multiple Sclerosis (MS), an inflammatory, demyelinating disorder of the human central nervous system (CNS) is the leading cause of nontraumatic neurological disability in young adults. The pathogenesis of MS involves antigen specific T cells directed against the protective myelin sheath of the neural network leading to a blocking of the transmission of nerve impulses. Over time exacerbations of the disease occur, leading to debilitating symptoms and eventually total disability.

The Company has developed a novel technology that utilizes an autologous T-cell vaccine known as Tovaxin(TM). Tovaxin(TM) is composed of Myelin Reactive T cell (MRTC) lines against the major proteins of the myelin sheath, myelin basic protein (MBP), proteolipid protein (PLP) and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG). A commercially feasible screening process has been developed to identify patient-specific myelin protein peptide reactive T cells from a patient's blood. The MRTC are expanded ex vivo, irradiated to render them non-replicating, and then administered subcutaneously to the patient as an individualized T-cell vaccine. This method allows the development of a patient-specific T-cell vaccine that induces an anti-idiotypic immune response directed against the T-cell receptor of patient-specific subsets of autoreactive T cells, thereby depleting these autoreactive cells in MS patients. The majority of vaccine T-cells are activated, as seen by CD25 (IL-2R) expression. This suggests that the T-cell vaccine also has the ability to elicit an anti-ergotypic response that may lead to a shift in the patient cytokine profiles.

"We are pleased that two ongoing Phase I/II clinical trials have shown reductions in relapse rate and alleviation of MS symptoms. A Phase IIb clinical trial with the T-cell vaccination, Tovaxin(TM), is planned for the second quarter of 2006," said David B. McWilliams, Chief Executive Officer, PharmaFrontiers Corp.

About PharmaFrontiers Corp.

PharmaFrontiers' strategy is to develop and commercialize cell therapies to treat several major disease areas such as cardiac and pancreatic conditions, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. PharmaFrontiers has exclusive license from Baylor College of Medicine for individualized cell therapies that are in FDA Phase I/II human dose ranging clinical trials to evaluate their safety and effectiveness in treating MS. The company also holds the exclusive worldwide license for an autologous T cell vaccine for rheumatoid arthritis from the Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences (SIBS), Chinese Academy of Sciences of the People's Republic of China. The company also holds the exclusive worldwide license from the University of Chicago, through its prime contractor relationship with Argonne National Laboratory, for patents relating to the use of adult pluripotent stem cells derived from patients' own circulating blood.

For more information, visit PharmaFrontiers' website at www.pharmafrontierscorp.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains "forward-looking statements," including statements about PharmaFrontiers' growth and future operating results, discovery and development of products, strategic alliances and intellectual property, as well as other matters that are not historical facts or information. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current assumptions and expectations and involve risks, uncertainties and other important factors, specifically including those relating to PharmaFrontiers' ability to obtain additional funding, develop its stem cell technologies, achieve its operational objectives, and obtain patent protection for its discoveries, that may cause PharmaFrontiers' actual results to be materially different from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. PharmaFrontiers undertakes no obligation to update or revise any such forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Source: PharmaFrontiers Corp.

But when he lines up to face his toughest opponent, the 26 miles and 385 yards of the London Marathon, it will take the likeable ex-winger SIX DAYS with pain and discomfort nagging his every step.

When he finally crosses the finish line, walking stick in hand, it will represent a triumph every bit as meaningful as the FA Cup winners medal he pocketed while playing for the Reds in 1990.

It will also represent the latest milestone on Wallace's journey back from what he calls "the really, really bad place" where he was dwelling after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1997 and turned to booze and self-pity for solace.

Wallace has also written his life story "Danny Boy" detailing the triumphs for Southampton, the frustration at United and the tragedy of trying to come to terms with a condition that turned him from supreme athlete to a devastated man at the age of 31.

Explosive

Little did he know it at the time, but the crippling disease was already showing its insidious effects when Wallace joined United in September 1989, signed by Alex Ferguson for £1.2m for the explosive pace and eye for goal which had marked his seven-year career at Southampton.

A stream of injuries wrecked his United career and he made just 73 appearances in four years. Doctors have since said that the strains, knocks, pulls and tears were early signs of the MS, all of them happening down the right side of his body which is now severely affected.

Wallace suffers horrifying spasms every day which rack his entire body with cramp, he constantly has back pain, "pins and needles" in his right hand and foot and suffers from fatigue and loss of balance.

But he will tackle the London Marathon by walking four or five miles a day, having to stop after every mile for an hour's rest, to raise money for the Danny Wallace Foundation, a registered charity he set up to help fellow MSers.

Inspired by brain-damaged former boxer Michael Watson, who completed the course in 2003 despite being told he would never walk again, Wallace, who lives in Worsley, sees the challenge as therapy as well as help for a good cause.

"I don't think I will ever come to terms with MS but doing the marathon is making me realise there are a lot of other people worse off than I am," he said.

And he says in the book: "I've also come to realise that the competitiveness that was always there as a player has never really left me. It may have been dormant for several years, but the idea of trying to complete a 26-mile marathon course was so attractive that it woke it up."

But with the days being ticked off until the day of the race - it is held on April 23 - 42-year-old Wallace admits he has started to have anxious moments.

Destroyed

"I just keep thinking `Oh my God, 26 miles,' but my best friend and agent George Lawrence will do the first day with me and then my wife Jenny will join me for the rest of it.

"The course also goes right through the part of south-east London where I grew up, so I should get plenty of support - Jenny has 11 brothers and sisters, so they could form a crowd on their own! The course also goes right past my mum's house, so I can pop in there for a cup of tea."

The MS destroyed Wallace's football career. Two years after being released by Alex Ferguson in 1993, he was struggling in a trial for Mansfield Town after difficult spells at Birmingham and Wycombe.

It was during a reserve team game for Birmingham that he began to realise things were not right with him, as he reveals in the book: "I was struggling to run freely and didn't know exactly what was causing the problem.

"I could see the ball at my feet and knew I was moving forward with it, but the shocking thing was that I couldn't really feel it. I was kicking the ball, but I couldn't really feel any contact.

"Or, to be more precise, I could feel it, but it seemed as though I was kicking a balloon...

"It was scary, but what was worse was the fact that I didn't feel I could say anything about it to anyone.

"The last thing I wanted was to be stopped from playing. I hoped that it was just a one-off feeling that would go away but I also knew that there seemed to be something else going on with my body.

"I was still a young man but my body started to feel old."

It was two years later, when Wallace had given up trying to play and had appealed to the Professional Footballers' Association for help, that a medical examination at a Manchester private hospital revealed that he had the spinal form of multiple sclerosis.

"It might sound strange but when I was first diagnosed, it made me really, really happy," says Wallace.

"I felt the relief of knowing it was not my fault and that all the injuries I had been getting had been more or less caused by this disease.

Annoyed

"I had been annoyed at the way I left United because I felt I hadn't done enough while I was there.

"I had been in good form for Southampton when I came to United and it was a dream move. I won a couple of medals but it wasn't enough and I found it really tough when we won the league title in 1993 and I had only made a couple of appearances as substitute.

"It was tough watching the other lads pick up the trophy - it really hurt me."

But the book also reveals some of the lighter times at Old Trafford, such as celebrating the 1991 Cup-Winners' Cup victory by sharing a cannabis joint with teammate Neil Webb and Simply Red singer Mick Hucknall.

Or the time when Paul Ince had his revenge on Ferguson after a stand-up row by playfully targeting the manager with an air rifle after sneaking up to his office.

Now Wallace, with the undying support and love of his wife, is looking to a brighter future after learning to live with his illness, and has plans in the pipeline.

"Charity work will be my main thing from now on and we have one or two other events planned for after the marathon, such as golf days and dinners.

"I will probably look for another challenge as well. Maybe a bike ride?"

Source: Manchester Evening News © Copyright 2006 Manchester Evening News.

Mark Westwell, 45, of Kilmaluag, Balmacqueen, on Skye, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1987. He is now confined to a wheelchair and has suffered from intense and debilitating pain for more than a decade.

But it was revealed yesterday that Mr Westwell has been free of pain since he travelled to a GP's surgery in Cork to receive the stem cell treatment last Thursday.

His wife Carole, 43, said the impact of the £12,500 treatment had been "dramatic and astounding", within hours.

She said: "When Mark woke up the next morning he was without pain for the first time since 1994. Mark got very emotional and couldn't get the words out and then eventually he just managed to say 'No pain ... no pain'.

"The effect the treatment has had on him has been shockingly dramatic. And he has had no pain since."

She said she and her husband had first read about the controversial new stem cell treatment, pioneered by Advanced Cell Therapeutics, a Swiss biotechnology company, last summer and decided to travel to a doctor's surgery where the treatment is being provided.

The Irish Medicines Board confirmed two weeks ago that it was investigating the provision of unlicensed stem cell therapy in the Cork region, but has refused to comment further while inquiries are taking place.

Source: The Scotsman ©2006 Scotsman.com

12/04/06

Advanced Cell Therapeutics today issued the following notice of postponement of treatment at their Cork Clinic.

"We are pleased to announce that the Irish Medical Board has invited ACT to comply with the new EU Directive (2004\27\EU) that was transcribed into law on 7 April 2006 (governing all establishments using tissue and cells products).

The ACT executive body has recommended that treatments at the Cork facility be postponed for a short period pending our expedited approval. This is necessary to enable the Cork clinic management and the Irish government to comply fully with the new EU Directive."

It is understood that patients who were booked into the Cork clicnic are being offered alternative arrangements at ACT's Rotterdam Facility.

Almost half of the money is destined for cancer treatments while a further £7m has been set aside for a range of other specialist drugs to treat conditions such as multiple sclerosis.

Source: UTV Copyright © 2006 UTV Internet and the UTV plc Group. All rights reserved.

According to study chairman, Fred D. Lublin, M.D., Saunders Family Professor of Neurology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine-Corinne Goldsmith Dickinson Center for Multiple Sclerosis, "This is a very important trial because, if effective, combination therapy will allow us to take advantage of these agents that have different and complementary mechanisms of action to slow or halt progression of MS."

An estimated 400,000 Americans suffer from MS, a chronic neurological disease that affects the central nervous system. MS is most commonly diagnosed in young adults. Relapsing-remitting MS, the most common form of new cases of the disease, is characterized by episodes of attacks of neurologic dysfunction, which occur over many years.

Approximately 130,000 MS patients are receiving either FDA-approved interferon beta-1a weekly (Avonex®) or glatiramer acetate daily (Copaxone®) to treat relapsing forms of MS. However, because these agents provide only a partial amelioration of the risk for additional attacks and development of disability, there is a major and continuing need for better therapies. As yet, there is no cure for MS.

CombiRx will determine whether the combination of these treatments is more effective than either treatment alone. This trial is unique among placebo controlled studies, in that none of the participants will receive placebo alone. All participants will receive at least one active, FDA-approved treatment. Specifically, 50% will receive the combined investigational therapy, 25% will receive interferon beta 1-a weekly plus a daily placebo, and 25% will receive glatiramer acetate daily plus a weekly placebo.

In addition to CombiRx, participants will be offered the opportunity to volunteer for another study known as Biomarkers in MS. This study is designed to determine if there are specific genes and proteins that can predict the course and progression of MS. More importantly, this study may allow identification of markers that may be useful in distinguishing which MS patients may respond to specific treatments. According to Dr. Henry McFarland, Clinical Director, NINDS, "As with the data from the CombiRx Trial, the implications of the Biomarkers in MS Study could be enormous, both for the individual patient as well as for the costs associated with MS treatment and hence the health care providers and the general public."

One thousand patients are being recruited for these studies at approximately 80 sites across the US and Canada.

Men and women between 18 and 60 years of age who have been diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS and who have not previously taken interferon beta-1a weekly (Avonex®) or glatiramer acetate daily (Copaxone®) may be eligible to participate in both studies. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of the three study groups and will receive treatment over 36 months. Clinic visits will be scheduled every three months throughout the treatment period to assess the impact of treatment.

To learn more about the CombiRx trial, please call (866) 848-3088.

Source: The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine

In a 51-count indictment handed down by a federal grand jury in Atlanta on March 28, Stephen van Rooyen, 44, and Laura Brown, 35, are accused of distributing untested stem cell treatment drugs "without any basis in science".

The couple had allegedly been paid "thousands of dollars by individuals" suffering from multiple sclerosis and other incurable diseases.

US State Attorney David Nahmias said in statement that Van Rooyen and Brown "provided false and misleading information" about the effectiveness of stem cell treatment.

The grand jury's decision to prosecute the couple followed an intensive three-year probe by the FBI and Special Agents of the Food and Drug Administration.

Charges against the duo include fraud and distributing unapproved and misbranded drugs.

The US Department of Justice said they will announce steps later this week in an effort to get the couple to stand trial.

Van Rooyen is believed to be in Cape Town while Brown is thought to be living in England.

The couple had allegedly marketed their products online internationally to desperate patients in several countries including Switzerland, Holland, Germany, Spain, India, Trinidad, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, China and the Ukraine.

Nahmias said the couple's alleged scam posed a grave threat to patients' health. "This type of fraud is especially harmful because it victimises people in the most vulnerable situation," Nahmias said.

"The allegations in this indictment are serious and will be prosecuted vigorously."

The allegations against Van Rooyen and Brown date back to September 2002 when hopeful patients started flocking to clinics and paid thousands of dollars for relief from the supposed miracle cure.

The couple had met in Los Angeles in the late 1990s.

In 2002 they joined an osteopath, Mitchell Chen, in his business in Atlanta.

They learnt for the first time about stem cell treatment when Chen told them about his interest in umbilical cord blood and stem cells.

After a few months, they broke away from Chen and formed a company, Biomark, which soon fell foul with US authorities.

The couple left the US late in 2003 after authorities had raided their offices in Miami.

But their operation appeared to have re-emerged under another name in Europe.

Source: Cape Argus ©2006 Cape Argus & Independent Online (Pty) Ltd. All rights reserved.

"In a Phase I/II trial evaluating BHT-3009 in patients with multiple sclerosis, we observed a good safety profile, and, in a small number of patients, evidence of a long-lasting antigen-specific immuno-suppression effect," said Mark W. Schwartz, PhD, President and CEO, Bayhill Therapeutics.

BHT-3009 research and clinical data was presented last week at the American Academy of Neurology in San Diego. One of two presentations was selected as one of the meeting's "scientific program highlights," and was among the top five percent of the research presented at this year's meeting: Abstract: http://www.bayhilltherapeutics.com/AAN_2006_abstract_S02_004.pdf.

About Bayhill Therapeutics

Bayhill Therapeutics Inc. is focused on the translation of research into therapeutics by developing novel drugs for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. The company has established a product platform of antigen-specific therapeutics, BHT-DNA(TM), with broad potential applications in treating autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis, Type 1 diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis. In addition, Bayhill is developing a second therapeutic program, BHT-Oligo(TM), using novel oligonucleotide-based drugs for treating autoimmune diseases.

For further information, please visit: http://www.bayhilltx.com.

Source: Bayhill Therapeutics Inc.

When the Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Clinic opened at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children in 1999, physicians expected five to 10 patients a year. Last year, they had 48.

Clinic director Dr. Brenda Banwell said each year at least 100 Canadian children are reported as having an initial attack (clinically isolated syndrome) and about 40 are diagnosed with the disease. But Dr. Banwell said she believes both these figures are under-representations.

While reports of children with MS symptoms date back to the 1920s, widespread recognition has only come in the last decade.

"I don't know if it's because MS is becoming that much more common or if it's because we are so much better at diagnosing it," she said. "I think it's a bit of 'if you build it, they will come' and now that pediatricians know what we do, we are seeing more kids. There is also more of the philosophy of getting an MRI right away."

But better diagnostic tools and increased awareness aside, Dr. Banwell believes there are simply more children with MS.

In April 2004, the Canadian Pediatric Society added MS to its Canadian Pediatric Surveillance Program, which sends every pediatrician in Canada monthly reminders of MS symptoms and asks them to report whether they saw cases.

The program acknowledged one of the barriers to diagnosis is lack of awareness of MS as a possible outcome of acute demyelination in children.

The possible outcomes of initial central nervous system demyelination include optic neuritis, transverse myelitis, hemisensory or hemi-motor syndromes, cerebellar or brainstem dysfunction or acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM).

Predicting whether symptoms represent an acute attack or are the beginning of MS remains a challenge. Many pediatricians don't view MS as possible in children, as it is widely viewed as an adult-onset disease.

When symptoms like weakness, tingling or impaired vision come and go, as they can in MS, Dr. Banwell says they're dismissed as viruses, stress or visual problems.

"Saying it was just a virus will mean these kids will not be closely followed. And some of them may be at risk for further attacks," she said, pointing out a doctor may not link a future attack to the first episode, which would point to MS.

But Dr. Banwell says because of the pediatric surveillance program and steps by the MS Society of Canada, pediatricians are quicker to look for MS.

Supporting the family

Dr. Brandon Meaney, head of neurology at McMaster Children's Hospital, agrees MS in children has been on pediatric neurologists' radar screens for some time, but some consciousness-raising has been needed in pediatricians.

"There is more discussion and awareness because of the surveillance program. Pediatricians and trainees are requesting information from me on ADEM and MS. Before we were pursuing it, now they're coming to us."

Dr. Meaney says about six kids a year in Hamilton are diagnosed with a demyelinating attack and one may go on to have MS.

Dr. Peter Nieman, a community pediatrician in Calgary, says that in 20 years in practice he has never diagnosed MS and doesn't think he's ever missed a case. But he is open to the possibility of MS in children.

"Things change. We used to say there's no way you get a stroke in kids, now we know that's not true," he said. "You have to be open to the possibility if it doesn't fit a particular diagnosis."

Because diseases like MS are more the domain of specialists, Dr. Nieman sees the pediatrician's role as supporting the family after diagnosis. "Families sometimes struggle with things like this. The pediatrician's focus can be helping the family with the psychosocial issues that follow it."

Dr. Marie-Emmanuelle Dilenge, a neurologist at Montreal Children's Hospital, said her department sees about two cases of MS a year and between five to 10 demyelinating episodes.

Montreal Children's is part of a five-year study at 22 Canadian hospitals following children who have had an initial attack. Researchers will determine if a particular combination of symptoms in a child with a first attack is more likely to lead to MS. They will look at the immune system of children with a first attack and at patterns of damage in the brain and spinal cord to determine if certain patterns predict who will go on to develop MS.

Dr. Dilenge said neurologists are seeing more diagnoses than expected and in children as young as six years old. "MS in children is still not well recognized by pediatricians or ophthalmologists, but I think it's coming," she said. "Doctors should be sure to think of a demyelinating event as a possibility and act on it faster with MRI."

Dr. Banwell agrees early diagnosis is key. "We should not dismiss episodic demyelination as being benign. It could be the beginning of MS," she sa