There’s no question some people with multiple sclerosis — though not all — have seen dramatic improvements in their conditions after travelling abroad and paying for so-called liberation therapy, the controversial treatment that involves opening up blocked neck veins.
What’s unclear, however, is exactly what connection the narrowed veins have to the disease.
After Italian neurologist Dr. Paolo Zamboni announced the technique in 2009, he theorized that the restricted veins could be behind the onset of MS, sparking understandable excitement about a possible “cure” for the debilitating, thus-far-incurable disease.
Preliminary research in the U.S., however, has suggested more of a correlation between MS and restricted neck veins — for reasons unknown — than a causative relationship. Both people with and without MS were found to have narrowed neck veins — known as chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCVI) — but CCVI was discovered to be more prevalent among those with the degenerative disease.
Meanwhile, many people who seemed to initially benefit from the surgical procedure have seen their MS symptoms gradually return. Others were not helped by the procedure. In some cases, there were negative impacts.
All of which supports Ottawa’s decision last week, based on the advice of a scientific panel, to go ahead with clinical trials of liberation therapy in Canada next year. Those experts, who last year had advised against such a course, changed their minds after reviewing the U.S. research and determining the trials could be done safely.
Clearly, not enough is yet known to embrace the procedure. At the same time, given the devastating nature of the disease and paucity — other than expensive and largely hit-or-miss drugs — of treatment options, exploring the effectiveness of Zamboni’s experimental therapy is an ethical imperative.
The Nova Scotia government’s position, leaving the door open to participating in the federal clinical trials once more details are available, is reasonable.
Doing the science right is crucial. Within that context, the next key is speed. Given the nature of MS, the sooner there are answers, the better.
— An editorial from the Halifax Chronicle Herald.