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July

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Memory & Thinking

1 July 2008, Peterborough, Marriott Hotel

 

July

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Abseil and Zip Slide

From: 12 July 2008
Until: 13 July 2008
Location: Newport Transporter Bridge

 

University of Birmingham - Three Peaks Challenge

From: 12 July 2008
Until: 13 July 2008
Location: Three Peaks

 

July

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Abseil and Zip Slide

From: 12 July 2008
Until: 13 July 2008
Location: Newport Transporter Bridge

 

University of Birmingham - Three Peaks Challenge

From: 12 July 2008
Until: 13 July 2008
Location: Three Peaks

 

Wheel & Walk

13 July 2008, Windsor Great Park

 

July

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Awareness Talk: Shrinking the monster

16 July 2008, King’s Fund, 11-13 Cavendish Square, London W1G 0AN

6.30pm - 8.30pm

 

July

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Icelandic Lava Trek 23rd July

From: 23 July 2008
Until: 27 July 2008
Location: Iceland

 

July

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Icelandic Lava Trek 23rd July

From: 23 July 2008
Until: 27 July 2008
Location: Iceland

 

July

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Icelandic Lava Trek 23rd July

From: 23 July 2008
Until: 27 July 2008
Location: Iceland

 

July

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Icelandic Lava Trek 23rd July

From: 23 July 2008
Until: 27 July 2008
Location: Iceland

 

July

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Icelandic Lava Trek 23rd July

From: 23 July 2008
Until: 27 July 2008
Location: Iceland

 

August

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Mazda London Triathlon 2008

From: 9 August 2008
Until: 10 August 2008
Location: ExCel Centre, London Docklands

 

August

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Charity Cricket Match

10 August 2008, Sidley Cricket Club

 

Mazda London Triathlon 2008

From: 9 August 2008
Until: 10 August 2008
Location: ExCel Centre, London Docklands

 

September

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Raydon Gala Charity Ball

5 September 2008, Heckfield Place Hotel, near Basingstoke

 

September

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Cloverleaf Historic Car Rally

6 September 2008, Heydon Grange Golf and Country Club, SG8 7NS

 

September

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adidas Women's 5K Challenge

7 September 2008, Hyde Park, Liverpool and Birmingham

 

September

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London to Paris Cycle Ride

From: 10 September 2008
Until: 14 September 2008
Location: London and Paris

 

September

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London to Paris Cycle Ride

From: 10 September 2008
Until: 14 September 2008
Location: London and Paris

 

September

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Guiness world record attempt at longest tennis doubles match!

From: 12 September 2008
Until: 14 September 2008
Location: LA Fitness Health Club, Maidstone, Kent.

 

London to Paris Cycle Ride

From: 10 September 2008
Until: 14 September 2008
Location: London and Paris

 

September

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Guiness world record attempt at longest tennis doubles match!

From: 12 September 2008
Until: 14 September 2008
Location: LA Fitness Health Club, Maidstone, Kent.

 

London to Paris Cycle Ride

From: 10 September 2008
Until: 14 September 2008
Location: London and Paris

 

MS Society AGM 2008

From: 13 September 2008
Until: 14 September 2008
Location: Sofitel Hotel, Heathrow, London

 

September

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Guiness world record attempt at longest tennis doubles match!

From: 12 September 2008
Until: 14 September 2008
Location: LA Fitness Health Club, Maidstone, Kent.

 

London to Paris Cycle Ride

From: 10 September 2008
Until: 14 September 2008
Location: London and Paris

 

MS Society AGM 2008

From: 13 September 2008
Until: 14 September 2008
Location: Sofitel Hotel, Heathrow, London

 

September

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Berlin Marathon

28 September 2008, Berlin

 

October

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"Run to the Beat" Half Marathon

5 October 2008, Greenwich, London

 

BUPA Great North Run

5 October 2008, UK - Newcastle

 

October

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Tiptree 10 Mile Road Race

12 October 2008, Tiptree

 

Royal Parks Half Marathon

12 October 2008, Central London

 

Chicago Marathon

12 October 2008, Chicago

 

October

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ING Amsterdam Marathons

19 October 2008, Amsterdam

 

October

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BUPA Great South Run

26 October 2008, Portsmouth

 

November

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ING New York Marathon

2 November 2008, New York, USA

 

November

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Pukka Chukka's World Elephant Polo Attempt

From: 30 November 2008
Until: 6 December 2008
Location: Nepal

 

December

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Pukka Chukka's World Elephant Polo Attempt

From: 30 November 2008
Until: 6 December 2008
Location: Nepal

 

December

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Pukka Chukka's World Elephant Polo Attempt

From: 30 November 2008
Until: 6 December 2008
Location: Nepal

 

December

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Pukka Chukka's World Elephant Polo Attempt

From: 30 November 2008
Until: 6 December 2008
Location: Nepal

 

December

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Pukka Chukka's World Elephant Polo Attempt

From: 30 November 2008
Until: 6 December 2008
Location: Nepal

 

December

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Pukka Chukka's World Elephant Polo Attempt

From: 30 November 2008
Until: 6 December 2008
Location: Nepal

 

December

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Pukka Chukka's World Elephant Polo Attempt

From: 30 November 2008
Until: 6 December 2008
Location: Nepal

 

May

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High Atlas summit trek

From: 20 May 2009
Until: 25 May 2009
Location: Morocco

 

May

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High Atlas summit trek

From: 20 May 2009
Until: 25 May 2009
Location: Morocco

 

May

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High Atlas summit trek

From: 20 May 2009
Until: 25 May 2009
Location: Morocco

 

May

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High Atlas summit trek

From: 20 May 2009
Until: 25 May 2009
Location: Morocco

 

May

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High Atlas summit trek

From: 20 May 2009
Until: 25 May 2009
Location: Morocco

 

May

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High Atlas summit trek

From: 20 May 2009
Until: 25 May 2009
Location: Morocco

 

July 2008


 
 
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Can cannabis protect nerves?

09 Dec 2003
Disease modifying drugs used for relapsing remitting MS are frequently effective in reducing the relapse rate. However, reducing the number of relapses often appears to have no effect on the progression of disability. Consequently, there is an urgent need for agents that can inhibit the progression of MS, both in relapsing remitting and progressive forms of the disease.
Studies have shown a beneficial effect of cannabinoids (the ?active? part of the cannabis plant) on spasticity and tremor in animal models of MS, and there is some subjective evidence from very small clinical trials. Cannabinoids are thought to cause these effects by acting on certain types of receptor present in the body, which cannabinoids ?recognise? and bind to, causing the effect.
Recent ?laboratory based? studies have shown that various cannabinoids can also reduce substances which have been shown to cause nerve cell loss in diseases like MS. This study aimed to definitively investigate whether the cannabinoid receptor system can protect nerves, by using mice genetically manipulated to be bred without cannabinoid receptors (i.e. in which cannabinoids don't cause an effect). Results were compared to ?normal? (control) mice i.e. with cannabinoid receptors, after an MS-like disease was induced in both types.
Results showed that mice bred without the cannabinoid receptors developed ?aggressive? relapsing remitting MS. This was characterised by periods of paralysis and sharply increasing disability, leading to permanent paralysis of the legs. This was a much more severe disease course than that observed in control mice. Mice bred without cannabinoid receptors also exhibited significantly more nerve fibre loss than in control mice and were found to have increased levels of substances which are toxic to nerve cells and cause nerve fibre loss.
These results suggest that in addition to symptom management, cannabinoids might offer the potential to slow the progression of MS. It is acknowledged that there are likely to be many events that cause nerve fibre loss and that these may change during the disease course. The level of disability experienced will be determined by the rate that nerve fibre loss accumulates, and the genetic background of the individual. Nerve fibre loss in MS correlates with disability levels and the authors suggest that any long-term trials of cannabis should include monitoring of nerve fibre loss and disease progression. Slowing the degeneration process early in the disease, before significant damage has accumulated, may help improve and extend a good quality of life.
This work received support from the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
This report was published in Brain, October 2003. Vol. 126, pages 2191-2202.
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