Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a condition where the CNS of a person present a special kind of distributed lesions (sclerosis) [1] whose pathophysiology is complex and still under investigation. It is considered a pathological entity by some authors[2] and a clinical entity by some others.[3] From a pathological point of view it can be classified as an encephalomyelitis, and sometimes is known as encephalomyelitis disseminata. In MS, an unknown underlying condition causes damage in two phases. First some MRI-abnormal areas with hidden damage appear in the brain and spine (NAWM, NAGM, DAWM), followed later by leaks in the bloodbrain barrier where immune cells infiltrate causing the known demyelination[4] and axon destruction.[5] Some clusters of activated microglia, transection of axons and myelin degeneration is present before the BBB breaks down and the inmune attack begins[6][7][8] MS is mainly a white matter disease, and lesions appear mainly in a peri-ventricular distribution (lesions clustered around the ventricles of the brain), but apart from the usually known white matter demyelination, also the cortex and deep gray matter (GM) nuclei are affected, together with diffuse injury of the normal-appearing white matter.[9] MS is active even during remission periods.[10] GM atrophy is independent of the MS … Continue reading →

Originally published January 11, 2015 at 12:13 AM | Page modified January 11, 2015 at 1:55 PM Seven years ago, Mike Kearny of Seattle was so sick and weak from multiple sclerosis, he had to use the handrail to pull himself up the stairs of his Wallingford neighborhood home. Daily injections of powerful drugs hadnt slowed the neurodegenerative disease; tests showed growing numbers of lesions in his brain. The once-active cyclist and climber started missing work as a cardiac catheter lab nurse, and worse activities with his wife, Casey Castaneda, and his boys, Owen, then 2, and Jack, 7. I was not doing well, recalled Kearny, now 47, who was first diagnosed in 2006. So when local doctors offered a gamble on an experimental treatment that aimed to use high-dose chemotherapy and stem-cell transplants to stop multiple sclerosis (MS), Kearny took the chance. Five years later, he says joining the small-but-promising HALT-MS clinical trial led by Seattle researchers was the best bet he ever made. The opportunity I was given now feels like a gift, said Kearny, who was treated in December 2009 and has seen no progress of the disease since. It stopped it in its tracks, he added. … Continue reading →

SINGAPORE: In only one year, two accident and health insurance plans covering both dogs and cats previously non-existent here have sprung up, drawing pet owners in droves. PetCare, offered by Liberty Insurance since last February, has attracted about 150 sign-ups. It covers third-party liability, accidents such as theft, those that lead to injury or death, and vet expenses for non-surgical and surgical treatment for cats and dogs. Premiums range from S$321 to S$695, depending on the grade of plan. Late last month, Aon Singapore started offering its Happy Tails plan and has already garnered double-digit sign-ups. Annual premiums range from around S$265 to S$1,810 for dogs, depending on the breed, age and grade of plan. Premiums for cats are around S$244 to S$420. Coverage includes specified hereditary conditions, specified congenital conditions, chemotherapy and surgery. While AIA Singapores Paw Safe has been around since 2006, it is an accident plan for dogs only and does not offer medical coverage. Take-up rate for this has been growing steadily, it said. NTUC Income offered an accident and medical insurance policy in 2000, but it was discontinued after a few years. A check with other insurance companies such as Prudential and Aviva showed they … Continue reading →