NMSS & CCSVI
Tick
Medical News
National MS Society Flags CCSVI Hypothesis a Top Research Priority in
2010
Susan Jeffrey
December 22, 2009 — As 2009 draws
to a close, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) has taken
stock of some of the research highlights of the year that was and is
looking ahead to 2010.
Among its priorities for 2010 is a call for grant proposals to
investigate the potential link between chronic cerebrospinal venous
insufficiency (CCSVI) and multiple sclerosis (MS). The society has
issued an international call for grant applications to look at the
CCSVI hypothesis in MS.
"Working with MS Societies around the world, an international panel
will be convened to conduct a joint expedited review of the grant
applications submitted in order to ensure a coordinated, strategic
approach to funding the best research examining the CCSVI hypothesis
in 2010," a statement from the NMSS notes.
The controversial hypothesis proposes that narrowing in the major
veins draining the brain, called CCSVI, may be an early step in the
disease process causing MS, and early work suggests that these lesions
may respond to angioplasty. A pilot, open-label study published in
December in the Journal of Vascular Surgery by lead author Paolo
Zamboni, MD, director of the Vascular Diseases Center at the
University of Ferrara, Italy, showed in a series of 65 patients that
endovascular treatment of strictures in the extracranial cerebrospinal
veins was safe in MS patients and may provide neurologic benefit
(Zamboni P, et al. J
Vasc Surg. 2009;50:1348-1358).
Dr. Zamboni emphasized that their work is preliminary and urgently
requires replication. "What we know is that MS is very complex and
multifactorial," Dr. Zamboni told Medscape Neurology at that time. "We
have identified an unknown factor and possible treatment for that
factor."
Already, work to discover the prevalence of CCSVI in MS patients is
under way, and treatment trials are being planned.
"We are interested in more research because obviously [these are] very
preliminary findings about CCSVI. The society is certainly inviting
investigators to apply for grant funding so that we can further
investigate this and provide the appropriate guidance for people with
MS," Patricia O'Looney, MD, vice president of biomedical research at
the NMSS in New York City, told Medscape Neurology.
There has been a great deal of public interest, particularly in
Canada, where media reports and a documentary profiled Dr. Zamboni and
colleagues' work and MS rates are among the highest in
the world.
"People with MS have been pursuing this and perhaps having unnecessary
surgery, which carries a risk to it because it is invasive, but also
we want to respond to any possible clue that may help us help people
with MS or help us understand it."
Lots of research in other directions is also being funded, she
hastened to add, with the regular grant deadline coming up on February
3, 2010. "That's all top priority as well."
Susan Jeffrey is the
news editor for Medscape Neurology & Neurosurgery. Susan has been
writing principally for physician audiences for nearly 20 years. Most
recently, she was news editor for thekidney.org and also wrote for
theheart.org; both of these Web sites have been acquired by WebMD.
Prior to that, she spent 10 years covering neurology topics for a
Canadian
newspaper for physicians. She can be contacted at
SJef...@webmd.net.
Medscape Medical News © 2009 Medscape, LLC
Send
press releases and comments to ne...@medscape.net.
evilzona
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lol, the nmss must be getting a lot of heat from ms'ers.
of COURSE they'll participate, how can they NOT?
I'm sure they'll figure out how to benefit financially from it.
Money is the nmss's priority.
BigArtie
"evilzona" <davei...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:7dd40d42-b43d-416c...@u37g2000vbc.googlegroups.com...
notice how everyone is jumping on this bandwagon
even though it is still unproven