Multiple sclerosis : clinical and laboratory research
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Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) has been successfully used to treat aggressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) that are unresponsive to approved therapies. In the last years, in view of the risk of mortality related to the procedure, the utilization of low-intensity conditioning regimens has been considered. ⋯ A low-intensity conditioning regimen with AHSCT has a profound effect on MRI inflammation and relapses, but is not able to completely abrogate MRI activity and disease progression of aggressive RRMS.
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The treatment of people affected by multiple sclerosis, particularly the relapsing forms of the disease, has been transformed by the availability of various therapeutic agents. This landmark progress is due to an enormous foundation of clinical research and, particularly, numerous phase II and III clinical trials. Although the research community has many reasons to take pride in this progress, a fundamental question remains about whether opportunities for additional research are being lost due to inadequate clinical trial data sharing.
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Exposure to parental chronic illness is associated with several adverse developmental outcomes. ⋯ Parental MS was not associated with adverse early childhood developmental outcomes. However, children of parents with mental health morbidity, and those with longer duration of exposure to parental MS, were at higher risk for early childhood developmental vulnerability.
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Pathology in both cortex and deep gray matter contribute to disability in multiple sclerosis (MS). We used the increased signal-to-noise ratio of 7-tesla (7T) MRI to visualize small lesions within the thalamus and to relate this to clinical information and cortical lesions. ⋯ Using 7T MRI allows identification of thalamic lesions in MS, which are associated with disability, progressive disease, and cortical lesions. Thalamic lesion analysis may be a simpler, more rapid estimate of overall gray matter lesion burden in MS.