Dr. Jeffery D. Kocsis is to receive the da Vinci Lifetime Achievement Award from
the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Michigan Chapter. Dr. Kocsis received
his Ph.D. in 1976 from Wayne State University and has a long history of research
and publications on transplantation-based approaches for protecting and
repairing nerve functions in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Dr. Kocsis' work
is still in the research stage and holds considerable optimism that someday soon
results will be translated into new treatment strategies for people with MS.
In multiple sclerosis, an immune attack is launched against the central
nervous system, damaging nerve-insulating myelin and nerve fibers (axons) in the
brain and spinal cord. These interrupted connections create a myriad of problems
with vision, mobility and stamina. Dr. Kocsis and his team from the Yale
University School of Medicine have shown that injecting cells that form myelin
including human bone marrow stem cells directly into the brain or spinal cord,
or intravenously can repair myelin damage in rats. They hope to translate those
findings into similarly effective treatment for humans.
Recipients of
the da Vinci Lifetime Achievement Award have dedicated their careers to
resolving the issues faced by people with disabilities and disabling diseases
like multiple sclerosis.
The 2008 da Vinci Awards®, presented by the
UAW-GM, will be held Saturday, September 20 at The Ritz-Carlton in Dearborn,
Mich. The gala event (black tie optional) features a cocktail reception, gourmet
dinner, entertainment, awards program and an afterglow with the da Vinci
Awardees. For tickets, sponsorship opportunities and information visit:
http://www.davinciawards.org.
MS stops people from
moving. The National MS Society exists to make sure it doesn't. We help each
person address the challenges of living with MS. In 2007 alone, through our home
office and 50 state network of chap¬ters, we devoted nearly $136 million to
programs that enhanced more than one million lives. To move us closer to a world
free of MS, the Society also invested more than $50 million to support 440
research projects around the world. We are people who want to do something about
MS NOW.
The National MS Society
