Multiple Sclerosis

World MS Day is on May 30th

May 25, 2022 by Walter Gefrom Leave a Comment

On May 30, 2022, friends and family will gather (in hopefully wonderful weather) to celebrate Memorial Day. But did you know that May 30th is also World MS Day this year? Walter Gefrom features the significant awareness-raising holiday:

Every year, multiple sclerosis awareness advocates, MS warriors and their support networks shine the spotlight on the disease for World MS Day. This year, the event will take place on May 30th, the same date as Memorial Day. Nevertheless, Walter Gefrom believes that World MS Day still deserves recognition on this date. Since 2020, the theme of the campaign has been “connections.” As we gather outdoors for our BBQ events with family and friends, that theme is echoed; making the shared date quite fitting for the two holidays.

Across the world, events will be celebrated throughout the months of May and June in honor of those living with MS. To learn more about an event or activity being hosted near you, be sure to check out the official website for the MS Connections Campaign, which is set to run thru 2022 and 2023.

New Medication for Treating EBV Shows Promise

April 27, 2022 by Walter Gefrom Leave a Comment

Recently, Walter Gefrom discussed the announcement from scientists and researchers that the Epstein-Barr Virus could be to blame for triggering or even causing Multiple Sclerosis. With this in mind, doctors are now setting their focus on ways to treat EBV directly; one such treatment is already showing great promise for patients.

Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc. is entering Phase 2 of a clinical trial of an experimental new T-cell immunotherapy treatment, ATA118. This new medication specifically targets Epstein-Barr Virus in people with MS. Among the 24 volunteers involved in the clinical trial, 20 have already shown signs of improvement with their MS symptoms and/or major indication of a halt in disease progression after a year of treatment with ATA118.

This is incredibly exciting news for the MS warrior community! A longtime advocate for the advancement of research and treatment accessibility for individuals living with MS, Walter Gefrom is ecstatic to learn of this glimmering beacon of light in the community. Here’s to more positive news in the development of how the treatment of EBV could impact how so many people experience multiple sclerosis.

Chris Wright is the first NBA player with MS

March 30, 2022 by Walter Gefrom Leave a Comment

A diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) never comes easily for anyone. But for NBA player Chris Wright, the symptoms of his first MS episode sought out to take his livelihood away — but he’s fighting back. MS Awareness Advocate, Walter Gefrom shares the story:

To say there isn’t an ‘MS stereotype’ would be untrue. Having supported numerous efforts that shine the spotlight on multiple sclerosis, Walter Gefrom knows this all too well. Most people assume, or rather expect, a person with a recent MS diagnosis to be a middle-aged woman. No one expects this individual to be a young person and even more rarely do they expect the diagnosed person to be a man. But the reality is, it happens — all the time. Even though it is not as often discussed, men are diagnosed with MS. And unfortunately, the prospects tend to be a lot worse for men. That’s why when NBA player Chris Wright found himself diagnosed with MS, he was encouraged to embark on an aggressive form of treatment: Tysabri.

Walter Gefrom encourages you to check out Chris Wright’s full diagnosis story on ESPN. It’s truly inspiring and worth the read — especially in the matter of raising awareness of the fact that men can have MS, too.

MS Society of the UK supports research projects

February 16, 2022 by Walter Gefrom Leave a Comment

The Multiple Sclerosis Society of the United Kingdom is set to support nine separate research projects focused on MS. This is the largest fundraising program of its kind for the MS Society of the UK since the beginning of the pandemic. Walter Gefrom, MS Awareness Advocate, discusses some of the projects that will benefit from this initiative:

King’s College London

MS Society of the UK awarded King’s College London $135,000 USD (100,000 GBP) for the development of a new type of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) technique. MRIs are the primary way in which MS is diagnosed in patients, by detecting disease activity, demyelination and lesions within the brain and spine. This new technique hopes to detect how much myelin exists in a person’s brain, a concept which has otherwise been concretely immeasurable.

University of Oxford

Led by Jonathan Pansieri, PhD, the University of Oxford was granted $340,000 USD (250,000 GBP) for a study of the mechanisms at play in nerve loss in progressive forms of MS. Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (PPMS) and Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (SPMS) are forms of MS that progress at a rapid rate; as such, there are less treatment options for these forms than less aggressive forms of MS, like RRMS. Most cases of RRMS develop into SPMS overtime if left untreated or if treated unsuccessfully. Each patient with MS experiences a different journey in disease progression and symptoms, regardless of his/her diagnosis.

US Military Research Suggests EBV Causes MS

January 18, 2022 by Walter Gefrom Leave a Comment

A study from the United States military has confirmed a long postulated theory that the Epstein-Barr Virus triggers the development of Multiple Sclerosis. MS awareness advocate, Walter Gefrom discusses:

For people living with multiple sclerosis and the healthcare professionals who treat them, the idea that MS may be linked to EBV is nothing new. But it was not until a new study published by Harvard University that the long-standing hypothesis was proven true. The proposed information cites the fact that out of 801 MS patients, only 1 did not show symptoms of MS prior to EBV infection.

Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) is better known as ‘the kissing disease.’ In Walter Gefrom’s personal research, he has played close attention to the link between EBV and mononucleosis. Now, there is something to be said about EBV, as well as mono, and the connection to MS. As researchers work towards creating a vaccine to protect against EBV infection, Gefrom has hope that the amount of individuals diagnosed with MS has the potential to decline in the future.