CrowdFunding: Charcot Project 2

When you are down and being kicked what do you do? #CrowdFunding #MSBlog #MSResearch

"As you are probably aware by now the INSPIRE (Raltegravir) trial was negative regarding its primary outcome; raltegravir had no impact on MRI activity in this cross-over study design. We have some biomarker data, independent of the action of raltegravir or the study design, that we will be presenting at a meeting sometime this year (observational data). We are in the process of completing the end of trial report and tying up loose ends. Once we have done this we will be submitting a paper for publication on the negative trial results."


"We have been taking quite a kicking from internet trolls about this study; there are clearly people out there who don't like us and are very against the viral hypothesis of MS and the Charcot Project. However, I was inspired last night by several very kind, and inspiring comments, that some of you posted; particularly the Robert Kennedy quote. Thank You, your support is much appreciated."

'Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.' - Robert F. Kennedy

"We are therefore definitely not giving-up on the Charcot Project and plan to focus our attention this year on EBV as the trigger and driver of MS disease activity. We have therefore taken your advice and have launched a small Crowdfunding campaign to raise money to provide data for us to test whether or not an old antiviral drug is capable of suppressing lytic EBV infection in pwMS and to find the correct dose of the drug to use in a clinical trial. Before applying for funding for these studies we need to ascertain how many pwMS are shedding EBV in their saliva. The latter is required for us to power the study appropriately; in other words how many subjects will be required in the study to show that the drug works. We will be posting more on our proposed plans and will appreciate your input."

"I hope you are still willing to support us! Thank You."

IF

BY RUDYARD KIPLING

IF you can keep your head when all about you 
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools: 

If you can make one heap of all your winnings 
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
' Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,
if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

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