In a recent phase 2 clinical trial, the cancer drug bexarotene was found to regenerate the myelin sheath—the target of the autoimmune disorder multiple sclerosis, or MS.
A protective lipid layer around nerves in the brain and spinal cord, the myelin sheath is targeted by immune cells incorrectly in patients with MS, resulting in the disease’s symptoms of neurodegeneration and disability.
The trial showed that bexarotene was able to effectively “remyelinate” the damaged nerves, placing scientists on the path towards a possible treatment.
Professor Alasdair Coles from the University of Cambridge said of the research, funded by a £250,000 grant for the MS Society UK, “The lessons we’ve learned are incredibly exciting, as we now have further concrete evidence that remyelination in humans is possible.
“This discovery gives us confidence that we will stop MS, and will swiftly be taken forward into further studies trialing other potential new myelin repair treatments.”
Source: Good News Network
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