This is Marie writing this note.

Dr. Zamboni says we're at the "beginning of the beginning". By this he means we've only just begun to uncover the relationship between vascular changes seen in multiple sclerosis and the disease process. We've said it before, but the truth is there's still a lot to learn.

But there is another issue aside from the debate about exactly what steps lead to venous insufficiency and exactly what it contributes to the MS process;  there is a potential for simple and safe pharmaceutical interventions to be helpful if it can be shown that venous insufficiency is a big part of MS.  This may help people who have incomplete treatment, can't have treatment for a time, or people whose blockage is inrepairable for some reason.

Congestion, inflammation, reflux or slow flow with iron deposits are all common to venous insufficiency in the legs and there is research and pharmaceutical drugs available for this even now.

In my book I talk about the fact that there is a lot of inflammation in the MS brain; of course current DMT's have been shown to reduce this inflammation.   But venous insufficiency in the legs causes aggressive immune system activity and inflammation that damages the ankle tissue.  Amazingly, vascular researchers are thinking about giving immune suppressants--like MS drugs-- to improve healing in these legs with poor blood flow.

But there are other drugs that could be helpful too. In in-vitro (in a lab dish) research the antibiotic minocycline reduces damage to oligodendrocyte precursor cells (cells that make myelin) when there is a lack of glucose and a lack of oxygen. Potentially minocycline, an inexpensive and readily available drug, could be very helpful if CCSVI is causing low oxygen in the MS brain.  (Note minocycline is also a cornerstone of CPn treatment in the combination antibiotic protocol used at Vanderbuilt called the Stratton/Wheldon CAP for the doctors that developed it)

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Minocycline also reduces intimal hyperplasia (excess tissue inside the blood vessel) when given in very high doses to rats. 

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These studies on minocycline are on mice and may not work in people the same way, but they point out something important;  safe, inexpensive and currently available drugs may be very helpful if we understand that MS is accompanied by venous insufficiency.  This is one reason why research NOW to understand what insufficiency contributes to MS is so important. 

Incredibly minocycline is good for MS under the autoimmune model too as an add on to copaxone; it reduces lesion loads by 63%

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And here's a thought experiment-does mino help MS with copaxone because it is so good at helping vascular issues? 

Another currently available pharmaceutical that could be helpful is desferoxamine.  If it becomes clear that iron is contributing to MS inflammation and degeneration then this drug may aid in removal of this iron.  In the following study doctors treated children with the brain disease Friedrich's ataxia (which has a toxic iron load) with this drug with good results.  A drug like this would only be administered under the close supervision of a physician, but this is already in pharmacies with a well known side effect profile so if the research developed that direction it would be available immediately.

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The really exciting thing about these available drugs is that for years researchers have known that there's a significant degenerative component to MS but they have not known what kind of degeneration it was.  If MS degeneration is related to CCSVI and its low oxygen state or the resulting iron in the brain this gives pharmaceuticals a huge leg up on providing something that can actually be helpful with very little additional research and development.

Another avenue for healing is adult stem cells. These have been studied in the lab for 20 years now and they are already available in private clinics in Texas. This will hopefully make it possible for people that have lost more brain tissue and nerves in the MS battle to see more recovery even if their blood flow is something that cannot be repaired.  Dr Petrov believes that in the future stem cells will be a natural add on to CCSVI treatment.

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There are many ongoing studies on stem cells and their usefulness in stroke and MS, but this study was done on stroke patients a few years back showing people treated with mesenchymal stem cells (MSC's) recovered more than their untreated counterparts. link

How long will it be before MS patients walk & roll in the streets asking that insurance cover stem cell treatment so they can regenerate nerves,  considering stems cells are available already in private clinics for private pay in Texas? 

There are many more breakthroughs coming, and today's understanding will eventually seem quaint and naive as new findings come out of research trials and replace what we think we know today.  Even if you need extra help with your MS given your course and the treatment available given your particular veins, understanding that venous problems are a major part of the disease opens up other avenues for help.

We really are at the beginning of the beginning, but every journey begins with that first step and I am glad we have taken it together.  We are the change we've been seeking, and the future is bright.

~Marie

if you haven't got your copy, consider the book called the bible for CCSVI; see it here.  http://ccsvibook.com 

a new path....