Source MS Society: Small but mighty, mitochondria provide the energy that busy nerve cells need to survive.

We spoke with mitochondria expert Dr Don Mahad, from the University of Edinburgh, about what makes them so special – and what goes wrong in MS.

Mitochondria and progressive MS

‘I’m interested in energy production and demand in the brain and spinal cord, and especially how this changes in progressive MS.’ It’s the mitochondria that generate the bulk of this energy.

‘Mitochondria are smaller than the size of a pinhead, yet play a critical role in keeping us healthy’ says Don. ‘The healthy brain makes up just 2% of your body but takes 20% of the energy. To meet this demand, mitochondria station themselves all along the nerve fibres.’  Read on.

Source MS Trust:  From 1 April 2019, gabapentin and pregabalin have been reclassified as controlled drugs, leading to changes in how they are prescribed.  

Gabapentin and pregabalin are drugs used to treat a range of symptoms caused by MS, such as nerve pain, spasticity and spasms.

Following concerns about misuse of these drugs, on 1 April the law changed so that it is now illegal to possess gabapentin or pregabalin without a prescription and to supply or to sell them to others.  Read on.

Source BBC: Lifts and adjustable ticket counters will be among the new measures brought in over the next five years.

The changes, part of an “inclusive transport strategy”, will help disabled passengers as well as those travelling with children or luggage.  Liverpool Central and Luton in England, Barry Town in Wales, and Dumfries in Scotland are among the stations chosen.

The Department for Transport says the sites were selected based on criteria which included their usage, level of local disability and value for money of the work.

• Train stations are a nightmare for people like me
• Disabled rail users ‘an afterthought’
• MP hopes for station lift ‘within a year’

Transport accessibility minister Nusrat Ghani said: “Transport is vital for connecting people with work, friends and family, but also to enable them to enjoy visiting some of the wonderful cultural, historical and natural sites across the UK.” Read on.

Source MS Trust: NICE will be assessing Plegridy to decide whether it should continue to be prescribed by the NHS in England. We’ll be telling NICE why we think it should be an option. If you are taking Plegridy we’d really like to know what you think of it, your experiences good and bad. 

If you would be happy to talk to a member of the Information Team about your experience of taking Plegridy, please email infoteam@mstrust.org.uk. 

Last year, NICE decided that Avonex, Extavia, Rebif, Copaxone and Brabio should continue to be available on the NHS in England. At the time NICE was unable to make a recommendation on Plegridy so they are now carrying out this separate appraisal. Whatever their final decision, if you are already taking Plegridy, you won’t be affected. Plegridy has already been approved for NHS use in Scotland and Wales.  Find out more about Plegridy here.

Source University of Nottingham: A new £1.85 million research study led by Professor Roshan das Nair at the Institute of Mental Health aims to develop a new computerised screening tool to detect the “invisible” cognitive impairments that can appear early in the life of a person living with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Approximately 100 people are diagnosed with MS every week in the UK and up to 70% have cognitive problems. People are most commonly diagnosed with MS in their 20s or 30s. There is currently no cure for the lifelong neurological condition that often gets progressively worse.  Read on.