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Posted on Oct 10, 2002, 6 a.m.
By Bill Freeman
A commonly prescribed antibiotic may be a useful treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS), say researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Results of a recent study into the effects of the drug minocycline on rats suffering from autoimmune encephalomyelitis - a disease similar to human MS - suggest that the drug may significantly decrease the severity of MS attacks, and may even prevent relapses of the disease.
A commonly prescribed antibiotic may be a useful treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS), say researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Results of a recent study into the effects of the drug minocycline on rats suffering from autoimmune encephalomyelitis - a disease similar to human MS - suggest that the drug may significantly decrease the severity of MS attacks, and may even prevent relapses of the disease. Researchers believe that the drug works by preventing inflammation in the central nervous system and by blocking the action of cells thought to play a key role in the destruction of myelin. Tests of the drug on MS patients are planned to begin in 2002. Results of another study earlier this year found that minocycline prevents the destruction of dopamine-producing cells in mice, thus suggesting that it may prevent or slow the progression of Parkinson's disease.
SOURCE/REFERENCE: Reported by www.bbc.co.uk on the 23rd December 2001
