Diabetes drug offers hope for MS victims

A COMMON diabetes drug could boost a new-found natural process to protect against multiple sclerosis.

In MS the protective coating surrounding nerves known as myelin is damaged causing them to become less energy efficient which makes them vulnerable and causes disability.

University of Edinburgh researchers, partly funded by the MS Society, have discovered a mechanism in the body that tackles this called ARMD (axonal response of mitochondria to demyelination).

This alone does not fend off MS, but after further research the team were able to enhance ARMD and protect the vulnerable nerves using the diabetes drug pioglitazone.

Lead author of the paper, published in Acta Neuropathologica, Dr Don Mahad said a drug that protect nerve fibres “is the Holy Grail in MS treatment – not only for the relapsing form of MS, which has various options available, but for progressive forms too, where treatment continues to lag behind.

“Remarkably, we were able to enhance ARMD and protect these vulnerable nerves using the readily available diabetes drug pioglitazone.

“This is an incredibly important discovery – one we believe could finally bridge the gap in MS treatment.”

The MS Society said that more than 130,000 Britons have the condition.The charity’s Dr Emma Gray said: “This represents another important stride towards our goal of stopping MS – and we believe that MS treatment could in the near future look completely different.

“It will mean no one needs to worry about their MS getting worse.”