This is another great comment on something we have said from the beginning. It is what my HP called Lesions vs Symptoms is all about.
http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Multiple%20Sclerosis/Lesions-vs-Symptoms/show/61?cid=36
The Myelin Repair Foundation would not be at odds with this article. Myelin can only be repaired on an intact, alive axon (nerve fiber). Once it is severed, the entire nerve structure dies and repair of myelin is a moot point.
Axonal loss is known to be at the basis of our growing diability and it certainly can occur without the immune inflammation that characterizes our relapses. So any therapies directed at MS must address both the inflammation and myelin damage (preferably by preventing the immune inflammatory attack in the first place, but also at repairing myelin that has been damaged) and must address this problem of axonal death. It seems that at least two parts of the immune system are attackingt here - both the cell-mediated immune system and the antibody-mediated system.
I don't understand what they mean by the gray matter not showing lesion activity. I think they are saying that gray matter that doesn't have lesions (appears normal) can also be showing damage. We all know that grey matter lesions are known to occur regularly in MS.
Thanks, Jen.
Quix