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 6854 msfocusmagazine.org 866 782 9658 Learn More at AquilaCorp.com Medicine & Research • Most studies are focusing on RMS • Unclear if hematopoietic stem cell transplantation would help progressive MS • Neuronal stem cells may be more useful for progressive MS, but more research is required • Proposed SPMS trial of OPCs (oligodendrocyte progenitor cells) injected directly into brain What are some areas of research interest related to PPMS? • There is an increasing interest in the role of mitochondria (energy factory in cells). • Just as we are making breakthroughs in genes linked to MS, we are also learning about specific gene associations and progressive MS. • Is MRI useful in progressive MS? - Looking for brain atrophy (shrinkage) may be too late and we need to find ways of studying progressive MS even earlier. - Leptomeningeal (covering of brain) enhancement may be useful. • It’s interesting to note that 1.5 – 2 percent of carefully selected participants in PPMS trials have relapses. • With regard to stem cells, what about the spinal cord? It is affected in many people with progressive MS and can lead to mobility problems, yet it is not a large focus in current stem cell research. Next steps The medical and research community has heard the message loud and clear. We need to not only focus on relapsing MS, also ensure that we continue to try to better understand progressive MS, and we must attempt to develop treatment strategies for progressive MS. ACTRIMS Forum 2016 was a large step in the right direction. To watch video updates from ACTRIMS 2016, visit RealTimeNeurology.com. Question asked: How has MS Focus changed your life? Dulci Repke Hill: MS Focus Magazine is a wonderful magazine that gives us the latest research you'd only find spending too much time on the Internet. Thanks, MS Focus!