re-myelination . . . is it a possibility in the hunt for a cure of Multiple Sclerosis?

Question

If the myelin sheaths are attacked, resulting in the depletion or exhaustion of impulses before they reach the relevant nerve endings, then shouldn't scientists be looking at the possible regeneration of myelin...?

I'd like answers from MS sufferers, carers, relatives please in the hope that you may have thought or heard of this too.

DWP I DO understand the complxities of MS, That's why I reached the re-myelination "theory". With things like stem cell research going on, I wondered if the idea of regeneration of the myelin sheaths was a possibilitiy. Many organisms have the potential to regenerate, I was wondering why the human body wasn't so good at it. Best wishes to your wife.

Michael, sorry to hear of your unfortunate situ, Iwish Iwas some great scientist who had arrived at this theory 30 40 years ago and was on the verge of making a breakthrough.....I dont have a relative with MS, but a very dear friend who's quite a remarkable person, and it makes me feel so hopeless and selfish...just wish there was something going on that would bring hope..y'know.

Willim, thanks for your extensive reply. I will sift through all your references in an attempt to find the most positive discoveries and info...might take me a while..what is it with regeneration? some can some cant ....? There ought to be a reversal or a HALT at least.....THINK, think, think...

Pcheesewhiz . .so there is someone looking into re-myelination..it does exist as a theory, ?? cool, I actually had an idea that scientists think is feasible… and I can also see the possibility of synthetic myelin,
remedyfind.com. sounds like a good place to snoop around, thanks and its interesting to know that low cost drugs can be as effective as conventional treatments. I guess with MS affecting people in different ways, maybe it’s symptoms could be allayed by different treatments for different people.

Maude, I've had a nosey at the mssociety site, the fun walks seem to be a regular event and a good way for anyone to help raise funds and awareness. Thanks again.

CJ, cant believe what I'm reading about prolactin...interesting. I will keep my eye on developments and take a look at your blog too, many thanks. I hope a few MS sufferers find new info in all these links and replies. So I guess in a way, I am helping already.

Musherbaby, intruiging name..!

Dunno what could be done about the lesions, at best I guess they couldn't get any worse. The main possibility would, I think be the return of the motor functions..with impulses being allowed to reach their destination. As for the myelin, it could somehow be artificially created or there could probably be an attachment of "something" some cell or other, that would diffuse or paralyze the antibodies that attack the myelin... I'm not quite sure, its out of my league, but if I...WE appreciate that concept, then surely the guys in the white coats will be a good few years ahead of us on that one.
Doesn't it give you a buzz though to focus on something so magnificent, that could alter the lives of thousands of people..?

Answer 1

As I posted in my blog in February, there was a story that broke regarding a study around why women who have MS do so much better while they're pregnant. Traditionally, scientists thought it had to do with the enhanced immune systems of pregnant women. But researchers at the University of Calgary made a surprising discovery when they studied pregnant mice with MS-like diseases. They found that a hormone during pregnancy, prolactin, actually causes myelin to be produced.

"In a paper to be published in the February 21 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience, a team of researchers from the U of C's Faculty of Medicine reports that a study conducted on mice found that the hormone prolactin encourages the spontaneous production of myelin, the fatty substance that coats nerve cells and plays a critical role in transmitting messages in the central nervous system."

The study "...compared pregnant and virgin female mice of the same age and found that pregnant mice had twice as many myelin-producing cells, called oligodendrocytes, and continued to generate new ones during pregnancy. By chemically destroying myelin around nerve cells, the researchers found that pregnant mice had twice as much new myelin two weeks following the damage as virgin mice and that introducing prolactin mimicked the effects of pregnancy on myelin production and repair in mice that weren't pregnant. "

Answer 2

Hi Chou, while I can't think of any of the scientists' names, they are working on how to turn the "apparatus" back on that generates myelin. When we are infants and in our childhood, this mechanism works at full bore to cover the nerves with protection. Once the job is done and our bodies are physically mature, the mechanism shuts down.
Or so the theory goes. There are any number of scientists working on the issue of myelin regeneration. And I suspect someone has also thought of the concept of synthetic myelin. Just as we have synthetic skin for burn victims, there is the possibility of synthetic myelin. Hey, anything is possible. So in essense, your idea of re-myelination is not novel or new. Scientists have been researching this concept for a number of years. I have relapsing remitting MS and I go to a website called remedyfind.com. There people with chronic diseases mention the drugs that help them combat the effects of disease. You would be surprised to see that many of the conventional treatments for MS are not very highly rated by MS sufferers. However there are low cost drugs out there that are true life savers for people with MS. You might want to check that site out.

Answer 3

Stem cell research seems to be the way ahead - just don't hold your breath on accessible treatments! You already have to meet certain criteria fo the DMD's that are currently available, obviously different neurologists will take a different approach to assessing this - it's way too subjective.

I know I'm a lot worse, and have been for many years, never been offered anything in my area (postcode and PCT's), and I know that some people get them almost at the point of dx, one relapse (criteria states 2 disabling relapses in 2 years) and may just have numbness in a finger, wheras I use 2 sticks or crutches and a scooter! and I'm unable to work.

I don't begrudge them what they get as it may reduce the severity of further relapses, just wish sometimes I lived somewhere else! Yes I could move - but why should I have to? It's too late to reverse the nerve damage I have, and I have great neighbours here who really help me out, so now I'm told only possible (maybe), treatment would be chemo, I won't fit the criteria for that though as there is a 1 : 150 chance of developing leukaemia, and I've already had cancer.

Check out, mssociety.org.uk and msrc.co.uk, you'll find all latest research bulletins etc, there! There is a charity walk going on at the moment (rotten weather!) to raise awareness and funds for mssociety, monies go to funding research etc.you may want to have a look at the links to that!

Answer 4

An extract from ... http://www.keepsmilin.com/transcriptdrlee.htm

The women told me that they had previously been bothered by fibroids, and the fibroids were coming down and their doctor couldn't figure out why. Those that had water retention didn't have it any more, their edema had gone away. Those that had had muscular aches and pains had gotten better.

I could never understand this until just July of this year. There was an article in "Science" the journal for the American Cabinet for the Advancement of Science. It was an article about how the Schwann cell makes the myelin sheath that covers and protects all the nerves as they pass through your body. There are little cells every couple of centimeters that makes a covering, an insulation called myelin that protects the nerve from damage and it protects the nerve so it doesn't short circuit and lose it's electric impulse when the nerve impulse comes down. Turns out the Schwann cell can't do this unless something interferes with this progesterone receptors. Progesterone is necessary to make the myelin sheath. Now who ever new that before?

# # # This transcript is from a John Lee talk of October/November 1995

So look in Science July 1995 ... there maybe a follow up

Search the web for "natural progesterone ache" and you will come across pages such as

http://www.womens-health-naturally.com/progesteroneQ&A.htm

Are there any other benefits of natural progesterone use?
Additional benefits for women include: improved brain function, diminished muscular aches and pains, improvement in skin problems including acne, seborrhea, rosacea, psoriasis and keratoses, and improved sleep pattern.

I have transcribed two of John Lee's more recent talks on my web page
http://uk.geocities.com/[e-mail]/willim_001.html

a search for "natural progesterone MS" and I'd say I'm pointing you in the right direction. I just hope you agree :-).

http://www.msrc.co.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=show&pageid=615

"Much more helpful were other women with MS who had lots of good advice. One recommended natural progesterone cream, as recommended by Dr Lee in his book.

At first, I treated the whole thing with a large dollop of pessimism. Why? Because I had already tried all manner or synthetic progesterone tablets with no success. Even so, I took the view it could not hurt, so why not give it a try. I also began researching natural progesterone and talking to other people.

For the first few months, things got worse. Also, it shortened my periods by more than a week. But now I am pleased to report real improvements in my vegetable-like status. I cannot say I breeze through my period, but what I can say is that I don't have MS exacerbations on top of everything else.

I now firmly believe that hormones play a major part in the cause and exacerbations of this disease.

I am not a lone voice. There is plenty of research going on about the link between sex hormones and MS."
# # #
search for "natural progesterone myelin"
http://www.progesterone.com/Natural_Progesterone_Women.html

The Schwann's cells make myelin sheathing which serves as an electrical insulator for your nerves. In response to stress, myelin sheathing can be damaged and one can literally have "frayed nerves."

Interestingly, Schwann's cells have progesterone receptors and the production of myelin sheath is influenced by natural progesterone. This explains why so many women report a sense of calm and well-being when using a properly formulated natural progesterone cream.
# # #
These are just a few samples of the many pages for each search

Men need progesterone but only half as much as women do. Is there twice as much women with MS as men? This in my opinion would add to the idea that it is hormone balance related.

I hope this helps you and others.

Answer 5

Great question! The human body is a fantasitic piece of living engineering and balances itself and corrects itself in so many marvellous ways. MS is a disease of the auto immune system and hence the environment literally eats itself away, hence the degradation of the myelin sheath. It's therefore an initial question of stopping the damage before it can be reversed. MY understanding is that unlike human skin, where regeneration is continual, the myelin sheaths have no such protection and the damage is currently believed to be permanent. MS is a very cruel disease, very unpredictable and as far as I am concerned, we live in the middle ages with current medical understanding and treatment. Doctors are slow to admit their lack of knowledge and can only scratch the surface in recommendation.

Answer 6

My mom has MS. Ive never heard of it it could work but wouldnt the immune system continue to attack the regeneration of myelin so it would basically be a never ending circle?

It might make sense if the could possibly ever do it to fix the myelin going to major organs from the brain as a start.. its possible to live your life in a wheelchair but pertty hard to do it if the brain cant send messages to the major organs

What would they do about the lesions on the brain? could the somehow fix those?

Answer 7

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Answer 8

It's not as simple as you think. Trying to get regeneration of myeln is incredibly hard. Myelin is made by specialized cells. Those cells cannot just be controlled and told to make more.

There is a lot of MS research out there. It's not an easy disease to treat.