oncologist

An amazing experimental medical study is going on at the Ottawa Hospital, led by Ontario neurologist Dr. Mark Freedman and Dr. Harold Atkins, a bone-marrow transplant specialist.

The subjects participating in this experiment got bone-marrow stem cell transplants and are enjoying mysterious remission of their disease. Lead author, Dr. Mark Freedman is not sure why.

"Not a single patient and it's almost seven years, has ever had a relapse," Freedman said.

Multiple Sclerosis or MS(also known as disseminated sclerosis or encephalomyelitis disseminata), with an incidence of 100 in 100,000 in the United States and Europe, is by far the most common neurodegenerative disease. Between 55,000 and 75,000 Canadians have multiple sclerosis. MS is a chronic, demyelinating disease of the brain and spinal cord, collectively the central nervous system (CNS).

The cause of MS or multiple sclerosis is not known, though it's thought that the body's own immune systemdefine attacks the nervous system. It can cause mild illness in some people while causing permanent disability in others. Some of the most common symptoms are impaired vision, weakness and paralysis of muscles, numbness, bladderdefine and bowel problems, slurred speech, loss of balance and muscle coordination, memory loss, depressiondefine and mood swings. Though, treatments are available to slow the progress of the disease but there is no cure.