Fwd: [LDN_Users] Major MS Discovery

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Date: Tue, Mar 30, 2010 at 2:02 PM

Subject: [LDN_Users] Major MS Discovery

To: Crystal Nason <ldn_users >

* University of Alabama at Birmingham, Stanford researchers announce major

discovery on multiple sclerosis

By **Jeff Hansen -- The Birmingham

News*<http://connect.al.com/user/keffreu/index.html>

*

March 28, 2010, 12:00PM

* A groundbreaking study by UAB and Stanford University researchers has

revealed that the incurable neurological disease multiple sclerosis has two

distinct forms.

One form appears to respond to the common drug used to try to slow the

progression of the disease, beta-interferon. The other does not, or may

actually be worsened by the drug.

In the future, a simple blood test should be able to distinguish these two

groups of patients. About a third of multiple sclerosis patients now given

beta-interferon do not respond to the drug.

" We have found the first bio-marker that allows us to predict the outcome of

therapy, " said Chander Raman, an associate professor in clinical immunology

and rheumatology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Since beta-interferon treatment can cost $25,000 a year and causes

uncomfortable flu-like side effects, knowing who will benefit from the drug

and who will not would be valuable. About 400,000 Americans have multiple

sclerosis.

The study was published today in Nature Medicine

--

Yvette

Freelance Writer

Managing Editor, Brighthub.com Google Channel

http://www.brighthub.com/internet/google.aspx

Omaha Natural Health Examiner

http://www.examiner.com/x-16397-Omaha-Natural-Health-Examiner

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