This Is What Excites Me About Remyelination Therapy Research

Ellminating the cause of the Symptoms of so caed Multiple Sclerosis will End MS and often when CCSVI is treated with Venous Angioplasty SymptoMS often Ease/Disappear including Fatigue, sleep apnea, gait, cognition and urinary issues, ect Ect ECT! FACILITATE AND MAKE AVAILABLE CCSVI TREATMENT RESEARCH!!!!

Debi,

Thank you for your post. Just a couple of things though.

First, CCSVI has been debunked as a very risky procedure that has nothing to do with the cause of MS or mitigating any symptoms. All of the results--positive and negative--are completely anecdotal. It was a highly speculative surgery developed by an Italian cardiovascular surgeon with absolutely no experience with multiple sclerosis.

As far as remyelination therapies, we're quite close on several fronts, with genetic engineering being the closest at hand. Unfortunately though repairing white matter (myelin) is much simpler than repairing gray matter (nervous tissue), if at all. Once the myelin is stripped away (and sometimes from the inside out), the axon underneath is a tube with many nerve fibers running through it, the nerve fibers can start to die. So remylinating axons with missing nerve fibers won't regenerate the missing nerve fibers. Even more frustrating is that doctors can't tell you if the nerve fibers are just heavily demyelinated, or if they're gone, because we can't just go opening people up to look. Only time will tell. Even replenishing OPCs won't bring back destroyed nerves.

Hopefully we'll get far with genetic engineering, because repair with stem cells is still 20+ years away or more.

Hi Debi,
Thanks for the inspiring article. I love reading things like this that give us hope. The previous comment about ccsvi treatment in multiple sclerosis is very controversial and does not appear to be something that helps MS. Here is a link to the multiple sclerosis society's interpretation and information about the process and studies that were done.
https://www.nationalmssociety.org/Research/Research-News-Progress/Research-News/CCSVI

To my knowledge it's just opening up an artery with a balloon. Pretty cheap procedure. As far as hospital visits go. Been thinking about it it, myself

CCSVI has nothing to do with arteries. It is venoplasty which is opening the veins that may be clogged twisted or have stuck valves. It is done very similar to angioplasty but instead of going into the artery through the groin it is done going into the vein through the groin. The blood returns to the heart to become reoxygenated through the veins. The purpose of CCSVI is to open the internal jugular vein and the azygos vein to allow proper blood flow from the brain back to the heart. Although CCSVI and MS have similar symptoms in many cases they are not related.

Nothing excites me. Let the treatment prove that it works and then I will get excited. Also, make it available to us. Don't make us wait 10 years. All I get is disappointment because it says all this research is being done and really nothing is showing for it. Blah, blah, blah...

Hi All: The procedure in Rhode Island is for MS Patients and is venoplasty. They do a simple ultrasound to the neck of the patient. They have found that some MS patients have veins that collapse in the neck leaving the flow restricted out of the brain. This leaves high levels of toxins (like iron) behind. My wife went for the initial screening her veins were fine.

I feel, I have heard it all:
1. Vitamin D, MS does not have as many cases as you get to the warmer climates and MS patients have low doses of Vitamin D. Could that be the sun we all stayed away from.
2. Dr. Wahls Protocol cured herself by using a Paleo Diet with supplements, (The body does not get enough iodine)and the diet is brutal.
3. Northwestern Dr. can remove MS Symptoms if its Relapse Remitting and you are newly diagnosed. The procedure is risky by shutting down your immune with heavy doses of chemo and restarting your immune system with stem cells.
4. I am a firm believer in the stem cell approach but there are many kinds of stem cells that just don't work and you need to know that are many forms of stem cells and which ones show the most promise.

In 1973 I had my first major experience with MS at 23. I lost my vision in my left eye. After hospitalization and a 40 pound weigh gain, I got my vision back and started to research everything I could on MS. There were no real treatments at the time, but I read the MS Diet book. I might add that my brother is 7 years older than me also had his first experience of blindness at 23. His doctor gave him Betaserone and then Avonexe. His MS progressed until he was totally disabled over the last 41 years. I chose to change my life and follow the recommendations in the book. I added B-Complex and Cod liver oil to my diet for the MS, I didn't have another episode for 24 years. Again, steroids and no other treatment. In 1991 I had moved to Washington State. I wasn't paying attention to my diet as closely and in 1996 another episode scared me enough to try Copaxone. It helped get me and keep me on track. When I moved to Tennessee in 2006 I was back on track with my diet and the Neurologist were surprised that I was in such good shape for a person with MS for so many years. Don't get me wrong, I had my ups and downs over the years, but at 65 I am in better shape than most 30 year olds. The doctors told me that diet had nothing to do with it, but I kept on my regime with B complex and cod liver oil. Around 2015 research had found that vitamin D had a great effect on MS. Duh! They also found that estrogen had an effect. The steroids I received in the 90's had thrown my hormone balance off and my depression was horrible. I started birth control pills to get a balance.
Anyway the combination of both has really helped keep me stable. I have not had a real exasperation in 7 years. I am hoping for everyone's sake that a cure is found. My brother did not change his treatments, diet or life style. He has been bed ridden for over 6 years. Give up the stressful job and change your lifestyle. Moderate exercise, low fat and low sugar diet. Add B complex and cod liver oil, not the pills to your diet. Fish oil has been proven to be good for your brain, joints, eyes and skin. It lowers inflammation
in the body, good for the nerves and joints.
I have said more than you probably wanted to hear, but this has made an amazing differecne in my life while I wait for the cure.

I was born with a demyelinating neuropathy of the peripheral nervous system. I've been in agony my entire life, but this gives me hope that maybe there will be help for me too. Thank you for the interesting article.