New Medication Could Repair Myelin, Treat MS

Multiple sclerosis (MS) affects about 1 million people in the United States, according to the National MS Society. Treatments can help reduce symptoms and slow disease progression, but currently, there’s no cure, and many patients continue to suffer despite medical interventions.

But researchers may finally have gotten the break they’ve been looking for in unraveling the MS mystery. A new drug created from two long-established medications could be the key.

Effects of MS

MS is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation and damage to parts of the nervous system. Most affected are the protective fatty layers that insulate the nerve fibers, called myelin, and the nerves themselves. The result is poor nerve conduction, often also causing pain, numbness, tingling, muscle weakness, balance problems and paralysis. Nerves in the eyes are also often hit, leading to vision problems and sometimes even blindness.

When MS directly affects the brain, it can interfere with concentration, memory and mood. There are multiple forms of the disease, but the most common is relapsing-remitting, in which symptoms flare and disappear but typically worsen over time.

Pitfalls of Current Treatments

Treatment options currently depend on whether the patient is experiencing any symptoms. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, sufferers might need to take glucocorticoids, a class of steroids designed to reduce inflammation, when the disease is active.

To reduce the number and severity of flares, patients may take medications that inhibit the immune system, such as interferons, or drugs like glatiramer acetate, which trigger more anti-inflammatory cells in the body. Some patients may also need help with pain management. None of these options can halt or reverse the course of the disease.

How Sobetirome Could Turn the Tide

Sobetirome is a thyroid medication researchers have discovered has properties that stimulate myelin production. Combined with thyroid hormone and another drug, Sob-AM2, sobetirome reduces myelin loss and protects nerve fibers based on empirical results. Sob-AM2 allows the other two medications to penetrate the blood-brain barrier, seemingly benefitting every vulnerable area in the patient’s nervous system.

Studies so far have used mice altered to develop autoimmune responses that mimic MS. Future research will determine whether the sobetirome drug combination will create similar benefits in humans.

MS is often devastating, but we’re moving toward better approaches to combat its effects. Better treatments are out there, and we could be on the cusp of a powerful one. The future in MS treatment might finally be right around the corner.

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