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The new drug restores the membranes of nerve fibers in multiple sclerosis. But you can't use it for treatment
During clinical trials conducted at the University of Cambridge, it was confirmed that the anti-cancer drug bexarotene restores the protective myelin sheaths of nerve fibers that are destroyed in multiple sclerosis. But because of the strong side effects, it cannot be used in the treatment of this disease. Nevertheless, doctors believe that the discovery of such an effect of bexarotene brings them closer to creating an effective cure for multiple sclerosis. The scientists reported on the results achieved at MSVirtual2020, a joint conference of the European and American Committees for the Treatment and Research of Multiple Sclerosis.
Multiple sclerosis refers to autoimmune diseases in which the activity of T-cells of the immune system for some reason is directed not against pathogens that have entered the body, but against healthy body tissues. With this disease, the myelin sheaths of nerve fibers in the spinal cord and brain are destroyed, which leads to a gradual increase in neurological disorders: loss of skin sensitivity, visual disturbances, tremors, movement coordination disorders, and so on. Modern doctors cannot completely cure multiple sclerosis. So far, they are only able to slow down the development of the disease.
In the current study, for the first time, it was possible to achieve "remyelanization" in patients with early-stage multiple sclerosis. The restoration of the membranes was confirmed by brain scans and tests that showed an increase in the rate of passage of nerve impulses. However, the drug had serious side effects, from thyroid disease to elevated levels of fats in the blood, which could lead to a dangerous pancreatic disease. "It is unfortunate that this is not the drug that we will be able to use, but it is nice that recovery is possible, and this increases our hopes for another study that we hope to start this year," says Professor Alasdair Coles.
The new clinical trial, which Professor Coles mentioned, will evaluate the effectiveness of a combination of two drugs: the well-known antidiabetic drug metformin and the antihistamine drug clemastine. Last year, Professor Robin Franklin from the Cambridge Wellcome-MRC Stem Cell Institute discovered that this combination of drugs causes remyelination in animals. It is assumed that metformin affects stem cells in the central nervous system and stimulates the transformation from into oligodendrocytes – cells that produce myelin.
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