What do we know about MS today?

Here are a few things I culled from the MS news today, on this World MS Day.  A day to spread "global awareness."    These stories seem to sum up where we are in understanding MS, and who the stakeholders are in the quest to find the cause of this disease.

1. MS is related to slowed bloodflow through the jugular and azygos veins and extracranial venous lesions.  And there are a host of vascular doctors studying this and publishing their results.

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2. MS is not inherited, there is no one gene for MS, the MHC gene (the supposed PROOF of genetic link to the immune system) is only implicated in 4% of pwMS.  That's right.  Only 4% of pwMS have this MHC gene.  

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3. World MS Day is sponsored by groups who are more interested in maintaining the status quo (ie. the immune paradigm)  Note the logos of Biogen, Novartis, Genzyme and Merck on the sponsorship page....who are these people working for?  What is World MS Day really about?  

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What are you doing today, in honor of World MS Day 2012?  

Marie and I wish you hope and healing-- and true global awareness. 

Joan