Scientists at the Scripps Research Institute have identified a set of compounds that may be used to treat multiple sclerosis (MS) in a new way.
Unlike existing MS therapies that suppress the immune system, the compounds boost a population of progenitor cells that can in turn repair MS-damaged nerve fibres.
One of the newly identified compounds, a Parkinson’s disease drug called benztropine, was highly effective in treating a standard model of MS in mice, both alone and in combination with existing MS therapies.
“We’re excited about these results, and are now considering how to design an initial clinical trial,” said Luke L Lairson, an assistant professor of chemistry at Scripps and senior author of the study, which is reported online in the journal Nature.
– Source: The Scripps Research Institute
