Charities would say that this isn't the issue - beta interferon is the only drug treatment for MS and there are no alternatives.

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In MS, beta-interferon, the most effective treatment produced so far, holds back the number of attacks but does not prevent eventual disease progression.

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Her organization, Beirut for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or BETA, has looked after more than 1, 500 dogs, cats and other animals since it opened in 2004.

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The researchers said drugs that enhance the activity of calcineurin or NFAT could become a new treatment for type-2 diabetes, in which the beta cells do not produce enough insulin.

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"There is a 50-60 percent decrease in the amount of amyloid plaques and indeed the amount of a-beta proteins in the brains of mice who have gotten chronic nasal treatment, " their report said.

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The treatment also eliminated damage linked to the build-up of beta-amyloid.

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In the past decade or so, beta blockers, which slow the heart rate, have become popular in the treatment of heart failure.

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Treatment often includes inhaled corticosteroids, to reduce inflammation, and long- and short-acting beta agonists like albuterol, to relax airway muscles.

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