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Drugs with anti-inflammatory properties may help scoliosis?

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  • #61
    vaccination

    Seasonal Flu Vaccine Lowers Risk of First Heart Attack, Study Finds

    The seasonal flu vaccine is associated with a 19% reduction in the rate of first heart attack and early vaccination in the fall further increases the benefits, found a study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).
    The study, by researchers from the United Kingdom, looked at 78,706 patients aged 40 years or older from 379 family practices in England and Wales. Of the total, 16,012 had had a heart attack and 8,472 of these patients had been vaccinated. The researchers found that influenza vaccination within the past year was associated with a significantly reduced rate of heart attack.
    More evidence that heart health is not exclusively about red meat and heredity.
    Last edited by Dingo; 09-21-2010, 05:46 PM.

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    • #62
      Just to update this thread, my daughter's latest x-ray shows the compensatory curve has returned so the effect from the accutane was indeed temorary in terms of the curve itself.

      It is interesting, however, that she seems to be completely capable in her ballet ability at this point. I would love for the researchers who are investigating Vitamin A and the retinoids on congenital scoliosis to also research the effect on adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. I really believe the retinoid had a positive effect on my daughter's balance (CNS?) and returned her ballet ability to her.

      There was a study done back in the seventies that showed virus-like particles in the spinal muscles of scoliosis patients. I wonder what ever happened with that research?

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      • #63
        Have you read that study Ballet Mom, or is it just something you have heard about somewhere? I would love to track a study down if it exists. It's one of the things that the Raindrop Therapy guy Gary Young (proven to be a quack) used to claim, so I always had dismissed it as being complete BS, but I'd be very interested to read about it if it is actually true.

        ETA What do you know? I just did a search for it again, and it DOES exist! Virus-like particles in paraspinal muscle in scoliosis. J N Webb and W J Gillespie. British Medical Journal 1976

        Time to look at this again! Only 4 out of 21 people with scoliosis had these particles though, so it may have been seen as a coincidental finding and not worth further research.
        Last edited by tonibunny; 11-30-2010, 05:29 PM.

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        • #64
          Virus-like particles in paraspinal muscle in scoliosis.

          Web Link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1688447/

          Abstract

          Biopsy material from the skeletal muscle (paraxials) of 21 patients with scoliosis was examined by light and electron microscopy. Virus-like particles, 17 nm in diameter with a crystalline structure, were identified in the skeletal muscle fibres of four patients. Associated changes in the sarcoplasm included swelling of mitochondria, presence of lipid droplets, and vesicular structures. Serological studies and culture for virus isolation gave negative results. An excess of lipid (predominantly in type 1 fibres) was noted in the skeletal muscle of several other cases. The significance of these findings is obscure, but the morphology of the paraxial muscles of patients with scoliosis and controls is currently being investigated in greater detail.

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          • #65
            Apparently they did do an additional study on these virus-like particles:

            J Pathol. 1979 Sep;129(1):9-12.

            The nature of virus-like particles in the paraxial muscles of idiopathic scoliosis.
            Green RJ, Webb JN, Maxwell MH.

            Abstract

            Virus-like particles (VLP) have been identified by electronmicroscopy in the skeletal muscles (paraxials) of six cases of idiopathic scoliosis. These particles closely resembled VLP reported in the skeletal muscles in other conditions, e.g. Reye's syndrome, polymyositis, malignant hyperthermia, and chronic myopathy. We have shown by specific staining that these structures are composed of glycogen in a crystalline form. Using Coxsackie B infected tissue culture cells as a control we have shown that these viruses, which are of similar shape and size to the VLP, were unstained using this specific staining method.

            PMID: 230331 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

            And a copy of the first page of the paper:

            http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/1...90103/abstract

            (I obviously have no idea whether this might affect some of the cases of scoliosis or not, but they did follow up on the initial study.)

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            • #66
              What's even more interesting is this research paper I happened upon. Perhaps it is an immune system response that the accutane seemed to help in my daughter. I shall leave it to far better minds than my own to figure out the puzzle! :-)



              Endocr Metab Immune Disord Drug Targets. 2009 Jun;9(2):113-31.

              Retinoids as critical modulators of immune functions: new therapeutic perspectives for old compounds.

              Montrone M, Martorelli D, Rosato A, Dolcetti R.

              Cancer Bioimmunotherapy Unit, Department of Medical Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico - IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano (PN), Italy.

              Abstract

              Retinoids are vitamin A derivatives that critically regulate several physiological and pathological processes, including immune functions and cancer development. These biological response modifiers exert their pleiotropic effects through the interaction with nuclear receptors, defined as retinoic acid receptors (RARs) and retinoid X receptors (RXRs). These ligand-activated nuclear receptors induce the transcription of target genes by binding to responsive elements in the promoter regions. RARs and RXRs are also capable to interact with other nuclear receptors, thus expanding their spectrum of action on gene expression. Evidence has been accumulated indicating that retinoids may exert beneficial effects in both immune-mediated disorders and tumors. With regard to cancer, retinoids directly target neoplastic cells by inducing differentiation, inhibiting cell growth or promoting survival. However, the efficacy of these compounds in cancer treatment probably resides in their ability to modulate also the function of immune effectors. Vitamin A derivatives are currently used in the therapy of acute promyelocytic leukemia and of cutaneous T cell lymphomas, but they could be effective also on B-cell malignancies. Clinical trials are ongoing to test their efficacy in solid tumors. In this review, we give a broad depiction of how retinoids influence the function of immune effectors and affect growth and survival of hematological malignancies. This with the aim to better understand the clinical effects of retinoid-based therapies and provide the rationale to combine retinoids with other active compounds in new synergistic treatment strategies.

              PMID: 19519462 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

              http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19519462

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              • #67
                Too exciting!!! Retinoic acid, a metabolite of vitamin A (retinol) repairs myelin!

                Stem cell finding could reverse ravages of multiple sclerosis

                By Sophie Borland
                Last updated at 11:16 PM on 5th December 2010


                Scientists have discovered a way to repair damaged nerves with stem cells which could give hope to tens of thousands of multiple sclerosis sufferers.

                The British researchers say their findings could lead to the development of drugs that repair nerves in the brain and spinal cord and potentially reverse some of the symptoms of MS.

                Almost 100,000 Britons suffer from MS, an incurable disease that causes loss of mobility, sight problems, tiredness and excruciating pain.

                It becomes progressively worse and many sufferers are left confined to wheelchairs or mobility scooters.

                It is caused by damage to myelin, the substance that surrounds all nerves in the brain and spinal cord. This impairs the way messages are transmitted from the brain to the rest of the body.

                Women are twice as likely to develop MS than men and around a fifth of patients will have their life-expectancy shortened by the disease, as it leaves them more at risk from infections and blood clots in the lungs.

                Now scientists from Cambridge and Edinburgh Universities have discovered a way of stimulating stem cells in the brain to help repair the damaged myelin.

                In experiments on rats, they found that when these stem cells were injected with a chemical called retinoic acid, the myelin was repaired.


                They hope that their findings, published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, will lead to the development of future treatments for MS – possibly based on this chemical.

                Simon Gillespie, of the MS Society, said: ‘For people with MS this is one of the most exciting developments in recent years.

                ‘It’s hard to put into words how revolutionary this discovery could be and how critical it is to continue research into MS. We’re delighted to have funded the first stage of this work and we’re now looking into funding it further.’


                Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz17IGfsfwG
                Last edited by Ballet Mom; 12-05-2010, 08:47 PM.

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                • #68
                  Retinol was, by the way, the Vitamin A formulation that was found to help congenital scoliosis in experiments in the study I posted earlier on this thread. This is SO exciting!

                  I wonder if this will be able to help people with spinal nerve damage also. :-)

                  Here's the link to the actual research article if anyone's interested....pretty heavy duty reading though.

                  http://www.nature.com/neuro/journal/...l/nn.2702.html

                  Now let's get some studies like that on AIS!
                  Last edited by Ballet Mom; 12-06-2010, 11:18 PM. Reason: Added link to study

                  Comment


                  • #69
                    MS breakthrough!

                    BalletMom

                    We live in an amazing time!

                    If Scoliosis is triggered by damage to the nervous system from a virus, pollution, toxin, etc. etc. scientists will eventually learn how to use stem cells to repair the damage and cure the disease.

                    I think over the next several decades a large number of mental and physical diseases will be cured through stem cells.

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                    • #70
                      Inflamatory Factors

                      Great findings Ballet Mom! And I really do have to take a moment to thank both you and Dingo for your contributions over the past year. Over the last year I've actually taken some measures to control inflammation through diet - and it has been of benefit. Interesting and noteworthy in my world ;-)

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                      • #71
                        I am linking Concerned Dad's thread to this thread as it is an interesting piece of information related to this thread. Thanks CD!

                        http://www.scoliosis.org/forum/showt...php?11940-Fish

                        Fish?
                        I’ve been doing some research on one of my biotech stocks and came across an interesting thought.
                        The stock I am researching is Amarin (AMRN) who are conducting a Phase III trial evaluating EPA (a component of fish oil) for use in lowering triglyceride levels.
                        I was reading through a paper from a large study using EPA that was conducted in Japan, it is called the JELIS study. The paper was published in Lancet and is available here:
                        http://www.nypcvs.org/images/Jelis_Lancet_2007.pdf


                        Anyway, my concern for the stock is the affect of EPA on LDL cholesterol, that topic is not at all important to my observation, but I thought I’d share what I was looking for. (If they can demonstrate a reduction in triglycerides w/o an increase in LDL-C, I may have a good investment).

                        Reading through the Lancet paper they note one of the limitations of extending their research to a broader population (non-asian) involved the fact that the vast majority of their participants routinely ate large amounts of fish. They note the background levels of Omega 3’s (DHA and EPA) in their trial were far higher than in European populations.

                        OK, well then I started reading this paper from the Mayo Clinic. http://www.mayoclinicproceedings.com.../83/3/324.full
                        They mentioned the anti-inflammatory nature of high doses of Omega 3’s (DHA and EPA).

                        Then I thought about BalletMoms thread dealing with Anti-inflammatory drugs and scoliosis and some of Dingo’s comments about Melatonin and inflamation.

                        Then I wondered if there was a difference in the incidence of scoliosis in Japan as compared to the US (thinking that, if there were a difference, maybe it is related to the Japanese high fish intake and associated anti-inflammatory properties of the Omega-3’s.)

                        I found this study suggesting the incidence (with caveats – see the paper) in Tokyo Japan was 0.87%
                        http://www.bioportfolio.com/resource...Scoliosis.html

                        and we have this paper suggesting the incidence in the Rochester, MN is 1.8%
                        http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/282/15/1427.full

                        So, the obvious question: Is the incidence of scoliosis in Japan lower due to the anti-inflammatory affects associated with their high dietary fish intake (Omega-3’s)?

                        Probably not, but I thought I’d throw it out for discussion anyway.

                        Hope everyone here is doing well (and getting along).

                        Comment


                        • #72
                          An interesting study on the effect of minocycline after spinal cord ischemia in rats. It was found to improve hind-limb motor function and attenuated gray and white matter injury and microglial activation after spinal cord ischemia in rats.

                          So there could very well have been an effect on my daughter's compensatory curve while taking minocycline and later isotretinoin.


                          Spine:
                          POST ACCEPTANCE, 7 February 2011
                          Basic Science: PDF Only

                          Effects of minocycline on hind-limb motor function and gray and white matter injury after spinal cord ischemia in rats

                          Takeda, Masafumi MD; Kawaguchi, Masahiko MD; Kumatoriya, Tomoyuki MD; Horiuchi, Toshinori MD; Watanabe, Keisuke MD; Inoue, Satoki MD; Konishi, Noboru MD; Furuya, Hitoshi MD
                          Published Ahead-of-PrintAbstractStudy Design: A prospective, randomized laboratory investigation

                          Objective: To investigate whether administration of minocycline attenuates hind-limb motor dysfunction and gray and white matter injury after spinal cord ischemia.

                          Summary of Background Data: Minocycline, a semisynthetic tetracycline antibiotic, has been shown to have neuroprotective effects in models of focal and global cerebral ischemia. However, there have been no data available regarding the effects of minocycline in a model of spinal cord ischemia.

                          Methods: Thirty-six rats were randomly allocated to one of 3 groups; control (C) group (n = 11), minocycline (M) group (n = 13), or sham group (n = 12). Minocycline or saline was intraperitoneally administered for 3 days beginning at 12 hours before 10 minutes of spinal cord ischemia or sham operation. Spinal cord ischemia was induced with intraaortic balloon catheter and blood withdrawal. Seventy-two hours after reperfusion, hind-limb motor functions were assessed using Basso, Beattie, Bresnahan (BBB) Scale (0 = paraplegia, 21 = normal). For histological assessments, the gray and white matter injury was evaluated using the number of normal neurons and the extents of vacuolations in the white matter, respectively. Activated microglia was also evaluated using Iba-1immunohistochemistry.

                          Results: BBB scores and the numbers of normal neurons in the M group were significantly higher than those in the C group. The percentage areas of vacuolations in the white matter and the number of Iba-1 positive cells were significantly lower in the M group compared with those in the C group.

                          Conclusions: The results indicated that minocycline administration improved hind-limb motor function and attenuated gray and white matter injury and microglial activation after spinal cord ischemia in rats.




                          http://journals.lww.com/spinejournal...ion.98935.aspx

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                          • #73
                            Originally posted by Ballet Mom View Post
                            An interesting study on the effect of minocycline after spinal cord ischemia in rats. It was found to improve hind-limb motor function and attenuated gray and white matter injury and microglial activation after spinal cord ischemia in rats.

                            So there could very well have been an effect on my daughter's compensatory curve while taking minocycline and later isotretinoin.

                            It's an interesting article. I was reading about their descriptions of minocycline in the introduction section and evidently it has known clinical effects apart from its anti-microbial action. They then go on to describe a few other studies including 1 open-label trial with recent stroke survivors and suggested that those who received minocylcine had better outcomes.

                            In the present study, the rats that received minocycline had almost total recovery after 72 hours, as measured with the BBB score, whereas the control group mostly remained completely paralyzed.

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