Treatment For Multiple Sclerosis: New Hope In The Battle Against Multiple Sclerosis

Lisa and I met just after University, and for a few years during our 'salad days' we were the best of friends. But the demands of careers, family life, and moving to different parts of the country slowly changed us from everyday friends to old friends... trusted, tried & true.

About five years ago, Lisa was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. She had been experiencing a slight numbness in her right leg, which was not a major problem in itself, but the diagnosis certainly was. Here was a healthy and athletic woman in her prime, completely devastated by the news that she had a degenerative disease

Since then Lisa has continued a satisfying full-time career and still plays tennis with her husband every week. So far the multiple sclerosis (MS) has not advanced - that is, she still experiences only occasional numbness. She describes herself, with typical good humour, as made of 'stern stuff,' and has told me more than once - again with good humour - that she's made the decision to not let the multiple sclerosis (MS) advance. I admire her attitude and complete lack of self-pity, but I also know that the odds are that sooner or later the multiple sclerosis (MS) will catch up with her and at the very least will present some challenges.

This is the reality that Lisa and everyone with multiple sclerosis (MS) must face. A shadow is cast on their future. But now, new hope is being cast in the form of three new multiple sclerosis (MS) studies, which offer promising potential regarding effective treatments becoming available in the future.

Enzyme balancing act
Report number one comes from the Mayo Clinic, where scientists believe they've taken an important step toward arresting the tissue damage that occurs in multiple sclerosis (MS). In their investigation of both mouse and human multiple sclerosis (MS) tissue, they found a large amount of a destructive enzyme in the damaged tissue.

They theorise that if they can inhibit this enzyme they might block the process of tissue damage. But it's not quite that simple. The enzyme, myelencephalon-specific protease (MSP), is destructive on one hand, but also contributes to the proper function of some central nervous system cells. So MSP can't simply be blocked, it has to be regulated and balanced.

Isobel Scarisbrick, Ph.D., the lead author of the study, said, 'If you could control this enzyme, you could possibly decrease the development of the disease.' She added that these new findings should not be reported as a cure, but she's committed to taking this research to the next step towards the development of an effective treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS).

Cell survival
The other two studies are reported together in the journal Nature Medicine and both address different types of cytokine, a protein that affects the interaction between cells.

One study comes from the University of Melbourne in Australia. This research on laboratory mice with multiple sclerosis (MS) showed that a cytokine called leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF) directly prevents the death of oligodendrocyte, a type of cell that insulates the fibres through which nerves send their electrical messages. This study has also been tested on humans with promising results.

The other study was conducted by a team of researchers from the University of Wuerzburg in Austria who looked at the effects of the cytokine ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) on mice with multiple sclerosis (MS). The mice that were not treated with CNTF developed a more severe form of multiple sclerosis (MS), suggesting that CNTF may protect and even nurture the survival of oligodendrocytes.

These two promising studies, like the Mayo Clinic study, may lay the groundwork for methods of curbing the process of cell damage in multiple sclerosis (MS).

I promise to keep you fully updated regarding any developments in this area.