Abstract: Developing effective therapies for serious neurological insults remains a major challenge for biomedical research. Despite intense efforts, the ability to promote functional recovery after contusion injuries, ischemic insults, or the onset of neurodegenerative diseases in the brain and spinal cord remains very limited even while the need for such therapies is increasing with an aging population. Recent studies suggest that cellular therapies utilizing mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) may provide a functional benefit in a wide range of neurological insults. MSCs derived from a variety of tissue sources have been therapeutically evaluated in animal models of stroke, spinal cord injury, and multiple sclerosis. In each situation, treatment with MSCs results in substantial functional benefit and these pre-clinical studies have led to the initiation of a number of clinical trials worldwide in neural repair. ... Read more

Abstract: Infectious agents contribute to the environmental factors involved in the development of autoimmune diseases possibly through molecular mimicry mechanisms. Hence, it is feasible that vaccinations may also contribute to the mosaic of autoimmunity. Evidence for the association of vaccinations and the development of these diseases is presented in this review. Infrequently reported post-vaccination autoimmune diseases include systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory myopathies, multiple sclerosis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, and vasculitis. In addition, we will discuss macrophagic myofasciitis, aluminum containing vaccines, and the recent evidence for autoimmunity following human papilloma virus vaccine. ... Read more

Abstract: Ghrelin is a recently identified gastric hormone that displays strong growth hormone (GH) releasing activity mediated by the GH secretagogue receptor (GHS-R). While this unique endogenous peptide participates in the regulation of energy homeostasis, increases food intake, and decreases energy expenditure, its ability to modulate immune regulation is another important feature. Here we discuss the effect of ghrelin on the immune system. Ghrelin was initially reported as an immune enhancing factor. More recently, however, the immunosuppressive effects of ghrelin have been found in several animal models including bowel disease, arthritis, and sepsis and endotoxemia. We recently demonstrated that exogenous administration of ghrelin suppressed experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, an animal model of multiple sclerosis in association with the reduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines in microglia. These results shed light on the new role of ghrelin in the regulation of disorders that pro-inflammatory cytokines contribute to the pathogenesis such as neuroinflammatory and mental diseases. ... Read more

Abstract: Identification of the genetic determinants that underlie autoimmune diseases implicates new biochemical pathways in disease pathogenesis. The authors describe how recent advances in genetic knowledge of autoimmunity have pointed to aberrant negative regulation of autoreactive T-cells as a key step in autoimmunity. The tissue specificity of autoimmune attack is also under genetic control and variations in tissue-specific factors also appear to have a role. ... Read more

Abstract: Self antigens can have dominant and cryptic (hidden) antigenic determinants. T cells that can see the dominant antigenic determinants are tolerized and "disarmed." T cells that may still see the cryptic determinants are active and become a part of the T cell repertoire. Under certain circumstances when these T cells are more capable of "seeing" the cryptic antigenic determinants or the cryptic determinants unveil themselves, autoimmunity ensues. ... Read more

Abstract: Empirical and scientific data support the phenomenon that infections can prevent and alleviate certain allergy and autoimmune diseases. The author discusses the mechanism behind it and how to maximize the benefits without revoking the deadly consequences of infections. ... Read more

Abstract: On a grander scale, multiple sclerosis is a battle between a patient's will to fight and the disease's vicious attack on central nerve cells. On a cellular scale, it's between the T helper 1 (Th1) cell, which attacks and destroys the myelin sheath that protects nerve cells, and the Th2 and Th3 cells, which try to bring Th1 cells under control. ... Read more

There are diseases that have known causes and a seemingly straightforward and consequential pathology such as in the case of bacterial infections. There are others of unknown cause with multifactorial and complex pathologies. Chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis represent such diseases.

One might think that complex pathology requires a complex treatment regimen targeting multiple factors simultaneously. For some conditions, this may well be the case, but for some it is not — a pleasant surprise. Blocking just a single molecular component works!

A case in point is rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic inflammation of the joints. Scientists discover ... Read more

Abstract: Can one conveniently treat an autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis by ingesting the very protein that triggers the disease in the first place? The answer is maybe. Active studies are performed on both animals and humans and met with both success and failure. ... Read more

In 1997, deCODE Genetics, Inc., a genomics biotechnology company based at Teykjavik, Iceland, proposed to the Icelandic Ministry of Health that a centralized database on health care in Iceland be established for gaining new knowledge and insight about common diseases and for serving as a model system for individualized healthcare practice in a nation. A bill was drafted and debated nationwide, primarily on bioethics and privacy grounds, and passed by the Icelandic Parliament by approximately 75% of the votes in December 1998.

The bill stipulated, among other specific instructions such as community consent, partnership with the community, consent of individuals, and ... Read more