New Drug Found to Treat Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease affecting the myelin sheath surrounding the axons of nerve cells. The myelin insulates the axons, allowing for the quick and precise movement of nerve impulses. The myelin is attacked and becomes inflamed. The myelin is attacked by a type of lymphocytes called T cells. Under normal conditions, the T cells know the difference between foreign cells and the cells of their own body. However, in a person afflicted with Multiple Sclerosis, the T cells identify the myelin as a foreign cell and attack it. This creates an inflammatory response in the myelin tissue. The damaged myelin does not insulate the axons well, so nerve signals are sometimes lost before they can reach the axon terminal and release neurotransmitters into the synapse. This creates symptoms such as visual problems, muscle weakness, fatigue, and impaired mobility.

Although it is not known what causes Multiple Sclerosis, there are a number of theories available. Many things are thought to influence the onset of MS, including an infection earlier in life, vitamin D deficiency, stress, and smoking. It is believed that MS is not entirely genetic-based, but genetics may determine the susceptibility to the disease.

Neurologists at Jefferson Medical College, led by A.M. Rostami, M.D., Ph.D., have found a substance that may be able to cease the degradation of myelin in MS patients. The findings were originally published in the journal Multiple Sclerosis on December 12, 2006. The substance is derived from soybeans and is called Bowmann-Birk Inhibitor Concentrate (BBIC). BBIC has already been used for other conditions, such as precancerous conditions in the mouth. When BBIC was given to animals with a disease similar to MS, those animals that received the BBIC were able to walk, while those that did not receive it were unable to walk. The BBIC does this by inhibiting enzymes that play roles in the inflammation and demyelination processes which are the causes of MS symptoms. It may also reduce the immune response, decreasing the amount of damage that the T cells can do to the myelin tissue.

This drug has the potential to be popular because it can be taken in pill form. The majority of MS drugs have to be taken as injections, so another injection will not be viewed positively by patients. The compound may have the capability to be used along with the traditional drugs for multiple sclerosis, such as interferon and copaxane. The team is now ready to start doing trials in humans.