5. Monoclonal Anti body Multi ple sclerosis (MS) is a complex immunopathologic disorder of the central nervous system (CNS). For the past several years, there have been six agents approved by regulatory agencies to treat relapsing forms of multi ple sclerosis (MS): interferon beta-1b, intramuscular interferon beta-1a, subcutaneous interferon beta-1a, glati ramer acetate, natalizumab, and mitoxa...

Diverse strategies to develop novel treatments for rheumatoid arthritis which specifically target those patients who do not respond to available medications, including biologics, are currently being explored. New potential therapeutic approaches which may become available as part of standard therapeutic regimens include the propagation of regulatory T cells and-in the future-of regulatory B cel...

O ver the past 2 years, the results of large clinical trials have fundamentally changed the clinical practice of stroke care in several different ways. Perhaps the greatest advances have occurred in stroke prevention, where we now have a wider array of anticoagulants to reduce the risk of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation and we have confirmation from 2 large studies that medical ther...

Mitochondrial disorders are a diverse group of debilitating conditions resulting from nuclear and mitochondrial DNA mutations that affect multiple organs, often including the central and peripheral nervous system. Despite major advances in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms, effective treatments have not been forthcoming. For over five decades patients have been treated with differen...

Context: Activation of the coagulation system and depletion of endogenous anticoagulants are frequently found in patients with severe sepsis and septic shock. Diffuse microthrombus formation may induce organ dysfunction and lead to excess mortality in septic shock. Antithrombin III may provide protection from multiorgan failure and improve survival in severely ill patients. Objective: To determ...

COPD, for which cigarette smoking is the major risk factor, remains a worldwide burden. Current therapies provide only limited short-term benefit and fail to halt progression. A variety of potential therapeutic targets are currently being investigated, including COPD-related proinflammatory mediators and signaling pathways. Other investigational compounds target specific aspects or complication...

The past year has seen further advancement toward the goal of effective and multifaceted stroke treatment. Encouraging evidence has emerged to support mechanical intervention for large artery occlusion, late and imagingdirected thrombolytic therapy, neuroprotectant strategies and decompressive surgery for large middle cerebral artery (MCA) stroke. We have seen important advances with regard to ...

Traditionally, practitioners of stroke rehabilitation are taught that benefits of rehabilitation are achieved primarily through training patients in new techniques to compensate for impairments, and that neurological recovery is predominantly spontaneous in nature. Recent animal and human experiments have, however, indicated that the adult brain is capable of reorganisation and the term plastic...

Cynics may consider that review of emergent stroke therapies in 2007 is likely to make for quick reading—it is certainly true that many high profile trials reported unexpected neutral outcomes. However, although these disappointments made for headline medical news, there were still a number of encouraging results of novel acute therapies. The first “casualty” of the year was neuroprotection. Th...