Re:Always a possibility - Multiple Sclerosis Cures (Score 1)

I come from a family of research scientists personally afflicted with 5 cancers and 4 autoimmune diseases, and I would like to say that "Possibilities" are what keep us on our technical toes, help us "connect the discovery dots" and give hope to patients and those that love them. Our team is currently working on graph theory network maps (similar to those you might find in "WIRED" showing all the servers communicating over the web) that link all known drugs, diseases, biological agents and successful clinical outcomes reported in the peer-reviewed evidence (1949-2007>). Our model applies mathematical weights to each connection (edge) and then seeks to calculate the probability that DRUG A used for RELATED DISEASE 1...might also CURE...DISEASE 2, 3, ...n. You might think of this "Network" as a special type of TCP: Transmissive Curative Packet Net where drugs "talk to diseases." We test the model by going back in time in the data to see if the connections, scientific observations, made between 1949-1989 are strong and can predict drug applications that would not emerge until 1999, for example. What we find over and over again is that drug history often can predict drug future uses accurately. Good examples in the autoimmune family of diseases are two now quite old meds: Methotrexate-1949 and Cyclosporin(e)-1978. Originally developed for cancer and graft-vs-host disease, they emerged into mainstays for the autoimmune disease family and proved effective against psoriasis, eczema, arthritis, lupus, lichen planus, pemphigus, and numerous other skin diseases. The first step in such methods of network discovery "by relational possibility" is computing the central hub in the drug-disease-agent relationship. TNF or tumor necrosis factor is one agent that demonstrated "centrality" in drug-disease cause/cure maps early on and became a leading indicator of an over active immune system central to both many cancers and related autoimmune responses. For MS our system as of today would suggest that Copolymer 1(Also named Copaxone and Glatiramer Acetate), Methylprednisolone, Mitoxantrone, and some of the more potent immune suppressors would be helpful. Two weeks ago we put a BETA site online where patients can get top down drug recommendations of the system just by entering their disease name in a Google-like search field at the top page. Currently we are restricting access to the full research interface to licensed physicians as we continue to check the data integrity of the system, but both the patient search and the physician access are free so if you want to take a look at the network maps with your doc, you can. In sum looking at possibilities for cures is how we find them, convert observation to association to correlation to causation and then to understanding of the complete mechanism of disease. So we advise all patients to take their "suspicions" to their docs and to their medical librarians and see if just maybe your insight has merit. The one discussed in this thread does. If you want to learn more: http://www.curehunter.com/public/showTopPage.do [FDA Disclosure: As a principal scientist at CureHunter,Inc. I have a vested interest in the success of our models and methods, but none whatsoever in any specific drug or treatment. Good luck and good hunting, be a patient activist, nobody knows what you are experiencing better than you.]