- Researchers are reporting they have looked at the potential of a small molecule compound that targets the glutamate system as a treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS).
- However, they note the research was done on mice and there is a long way to go before the technique could be used on humans.
- MS is considered an autoimmune disease and treatments have traditionally targeted the immune system.
- The researchers indicated that because this drug is a compound that targets different systems in the body simultaneously, it be more successful at treating the disease.
A novel treatment approach for treating multiple sclerosis (MS) that targets the glutamate system reduced symptoms effectively in mice, according to a study published in the journal Science Advances.
Dr. Fang Liu, the lead study author and a senior scientist in the Brain Health Imaging Centre at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Canada, and her research team said they created a small molecule compound that targeted the glutamate system rather than the immune system, which other MS drugs usually focus on.
Glutamate is a neurotransmitter found throughout the central nervous system, according to an article published in
The researchers in the current study note that MS has traditionally been considered an autoimmune disorder that targets myelin and causes inflammation and white matter lesions in the brain. Symptoms include vision problems, heat intolerance, paresthesia, incontinence, depression, and problems with coordination and cognition.
In this study, the researchers used two different animal models of MS.
They reported that the new drug compound reduced MS symptoms and might have the potential to repair damage to myelin. Myelin is the protective sheath around nerves that allows electrical impulses to transmit quickly and efficiently along nerve cells. Inflammation can affect…
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