Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 6850 msfocusmagazine.org effective exercise may be one that a person will stick with and is accessible. Aquatics programs can have advantages such as a reduced likelihood of overheating, falls, and injuries. Yoga can be adapted to almost any level of ability, tends to stretch tight muscles, and improves core strength. If you are having a hard time finding the best exercises for you, think about seeing a physical therapist for guidance or working with a personal trainer. Study links gut bacteria with MS in kids A recent study suggests that children with multiple sclerosis had differences in the abundance of specific gut bacteria compared to children without the disease. In particular, there was an association between MS and an increase in gut bacteria linked to inflammation, and a decrease in gut bacteria that are considered anti-inflammatory. A better understanding of gut bacteria’s role in multiple sclerosis may identify novel drug targets and pathways to improved health. The findings were published in the European Journal of Neurology. Thrower – It’s been said that the fastest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Maybethesameistruefortheimmunesystem. Simply stated, there does seem to be a path from our gut to the immune system. Recent research is increasingly pointing to an im- portant link between normal bacteria in our intestinal tract and how our immune system regulates inflammation. While it’s too early to know how to best use this information in our daily lives, this may have great effect on diet, the use of probiotics and maybe even things like the overuse of antibiotics. New stem cell treatment shows promise Anewstudyshowstheuseofchemotherapy followed by autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (aHSCT) has fully halted clinical relapses and development of newbrain lesions in 23 of 24 patients with multiple sclerosis for a prolonged period, without the need for ongoing medication. This is the first treatment to produce this level of disease control or neurological recovery from MS, but treatment-related risks limit its widespread use. The results were published in The Lancet. Thrower – Recently, we’ve seen a flurry of information released about the use of aHSCT for treating MS. The basic idea is to reboot a person’s immune system, with a resultant decrease in the immune attack seen with conditions like MS. Unlike an allogeneic stem cell transplant, where the cells are from a related or closely matched donor, aHSCT in MS is done using the person’s own stem cells. This eliminates the riskof graft vs. host, or host vs. graft disease. Still, the procedure is not without risk. One of the authors of this study, Dr. Freedman, put together a great paper in 2012 looking at some of risks and benefits of aHSCT in MS (Hematopoietic Stem CellTherapy for Multiple Sclerosis: Top 10 Lessons Learned, by Harold L. Atkins and Mark S. Freedman in Neuro- therapeutics). Dr. Freedman points out that patient selection is crucial in aHSCT with the ideal patient being someone with active, inflammatory MS. This may mean active relapses and/or active inflammation on MRI. In this most recent study, people typically were still walking with a walker or better. Medicine & Research It’s been said that the fastestway to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Maybe the same is true for the immune system.