Scientists offer hope of keeping MS under control
Apr 16 2008 by Chris Robinson, The Journal
SCIENTISTS in the North are carrying out research with the aim of controlling multiple sclerosis before it progresses to a more debilitating form of the disease.
The team at Newcastle University is looking at how cells work so they can try to understand the development of the condition among young adults.
In MS the immune system attacks the central nervous system, often causing physical disability in later stages. It usually starts in young adults and is more common in women.
About 85,000 people in the UK have MS and it is hoped the Newcastle research will lead to treatments that will stop cells mutating into a more progressive form of disease.
Dr Don Mahad, intermediate research fellow within the clinical neurology department, said: “The primary aim is to better understand the processes which cause tissue damage in multiple sclerosis, particularly the progressive stage. By increasing our understanding of it we can identify particularly therapeutic targets, which is our eventual aim.”
The research will look at mitochondria – the energy-producing engines of cells – especially those in the brain and spinal cord.
Dr Mahad said: “I believe that energy defects are very important in multiple sclerosis, both at the very early stages of the disease as well as during the progressive phase.
“What we are doing right now is to try and determine the nature of these energy defects and see how they come about and what these energy defects really mean for patients with multiple sclerosis.
“Very much is at a basic science level and we hope to try and identify potential targets which can be used for therapy, particularly for those who have progressive disease.
“One of our primary aims is to try and understand these processes and by doing that hopefully we can get a better handle on what may be manipulated to try and reduce the damage.”
The research has been hailed by the MS Society. Its research communications officer Dr Laura Bell said: “The work of the team in Newcastle into progressive forms of MS is an important area of research because this is an area where few effective treatments exist for people with this form of the condition. We are encouraged that more studies are now tackling this field.”
