Multiple Sclerosis - Jeffery D. Kocsis, Ph.D. And Wayne State Graduate To Receive The Da Vinci Lifetime Achievement Award

Main Category: Multiple Sclerosis
Article Date: 03 Sep 2008 - 15:00 PDT

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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