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Multiple Sclerosis Damage Washed Away By Stream of Young Blood
FatLittleMonkey writes "A new study on mice suggests damage caused by diseases like Multiple sclerosis, as well as natural aging, can be reversed by an infusion of stem cell rich blood from younger mice. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease that erodes the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord, and can result in serious disability. Similar effects occur naturally with aging. From New Scientist: 'White blood cells called macrophages from the young mice gathered at the sites of myelin damage. Macrophages engulf and destroy pathogens and debris, including destroyed myelin. "We know this debris inhibits regeneration, so clearing it up is important," says team member Amy Wagers of Harvard University.' Here's the academic paper's abstract."
You know a joke is obvious when you get to the comments section only to discover three people have already made it. Alas!
Unrelatedly, TED has a lot to say on the topic of ageing, much of it accessible. The general gist seems to be "as long as food is plentiful, it's in our best interest to reproduce fast and die young, so eating conservatively makes our bodies think they need to survive longer."
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I've been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Started with lesions in my spine taking out all the sensation from my neck to my hips for a month or so, then the blindness in one eye, since then various bouts of stocking+gloves neuropathy that come and go, mixed with random sensations of walking barefoot on gravel and every now and then I lean right while walking in a straight line.
At the time of the first incident, I was drinking about 2 liters (straight from the bottle) of non-diet Dr. Pepper a day, and didn't touch the diet stuff.
Now I drink the diet stuff (still about 2L/day) and lost 60 pounds. Doesn't seem to make a difference neurologically to me. YMMV.
I suspect you'd also see a huge correlation between Type 1 (and maybe even Type 2) Diabetics and MS if aspartame was a causal link. Since I was diagnosed with Type 1, I consume massive amounts of artificial sweeteners to avoid sugar.
Given the number of people who drink diet coke, there must be some people who are sensitive to it.
Just about every product both natural and artificial has some people that are sensitive to it. If you decide not to eat something because someone somewhere is sensitive to it then I can assure you that you will die of starvation. As to what the people scaring others have to gain, money, notoriety, attention, research dollars, market share.
I could see this becoming a new business in the third world. Selling children's blood would not be far fetched. Look up were all (or most) of the hair for natural wigs and extensions comes from: Little girls in India.
Even cheaper, and something that can't be patented by unscrupulous scientists and pharmaceutical companies, but researchers have already found MS can be reversed by changing your diet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLjgBLwH3Wc
Dr. Terry Wahl presented at TEDxIowaCity that eating nutrient dense foods reversed her second stage MS, and they have moved on to trying it is more subjects. But it sure won't get government stem cell money. And the recommendations fly in the face of government dietary recommendations. Not to mention probably more than a few slashdotters habits.
Compare, trials in mice. Versus clinical trials in humans.
Easy enough, right? Just get regular transfusions from someone young. Except nobody is going to advocate blood donations from children. Could you have your own cells harvested, reverted to stem cells, and reintroduced into your bloodstream?
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