Activin-A ?

[SusanBr]

My daughter sent me an email regarding research being done at the Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic in Edinburgh annerowlingclinic.com/home..... Researchers there are looking at Myelin repair and have found that a protein inside cells, known as Activin-A, could be targeted as a way to repair damage to myelin.

They studied laboratory models of demyelination to try and discover more about how remyelination happens. They found that when Activin-A production was blocked, it stopped oligodendroyctes (myelin making cells) producing the myelin that is needed to repair the damaged sheath!

Therefore looking at a treatment to stimulate Activin-A to encourage repair of myelin in body!

Has anyone heard of this and if this is done elsewhere as I live down south and would be interested in any trail clinics being held?

Sue

[COwithAMN Administrator AMN EASIER Volunteer]

Hi Susan

Thank you (and your daughter) for providing an update on this interesting development.

(By the way, there was a small typo in your link for the Anne Rowling centre which stopped it working, but I have updated it for you.).

I hadn't heard of the Anne Rowling Centre but when I looked at the Web site I saw two names I was familiar with: Professor Siddharthan Chandran, and Professor Charles ffrench-Constant. A number of AMN-ers will be familiar with these names, as we used to invite them to our AMN day meetings years ago, at a time when we were trying to interest scientists in AMN. So Charles in particular is familiar with AMN.

They have a myelin research centre there in Edinburgh and whenever these therapies become available you can be sure we will hear about them. Your idea about clinical trials might be worth pursuing but I believe they are funded by the MS Society so they may want MS people only on the first trials

[SusanBr]

Many thanks for above, will have to watch out for clinical trials if possible, Sue

[Cherie]

Very interesting Sue.

[SusanBr]

Thanks Cherie. I am seeing Dr Robin Lachmann, Consultant in Metabolic Medicine at the National Hospital in Queens Sq, London, in March so will mention this to him.

Sue

[Cherie]

I didn't realise that you went to London for your check ups. I go to Oxford. I am sorry to hear you are unable to use FES at the moment and hope you can go back to it soon.

[SusanBr]

Thanks Cherie, I am trying FES again on left leg and back to Salisbury in a couple of weeks to get right adjusted after hip replacement. See a local neuro consultant here who treats symptons and London yearly in case any trials or new drugs become available.