Promising drug against multiple sclerosis: new successes
In a phase 2 clinical trial, a new experimental drug for the treatment of multiple sclerosis demonstrated the ability to restore myelin, the protective sheath of nerve fibers that is destroyed in this disease.
A total of 82 patients participated in the study with the first manifestation of acute optic neuritis, a disease that usually affects one eye and is characterized by inflammation and damage to nerve fibers, as well as destruction of the myelin sheath of the optic nerve. According to experts, approximately 50% of patients with this disease subsequently develop multiple sclerosis.
The active ingredient of the experimental drug anti-LINGO-1 are antibodies against the protein LINGO-1. This protein is part of two types of cells of the central nervous system: neurons and myelin-producing oligodendrocytes. The function of LINGO-1 is to suppress the growth of these cells after the full maturation of the nervous system. At the same time, blocking its activity contributes to the restoration of damage to the nervous tissue.
All participants underwent therapy with high dosages of steroid hormones, after which they were randomly divided into two groups, one of which received a placebo, and the other an experimental drug. The drug or placebo was administered 6 times at intervals of 4 weeks. During the next 6 months, the participants underwent a monthly examination, and the final examination was carried out 8 months after the end of the course of therapy. The effectiveness of the drug was evaluated by comparing the degree of recovery of the latency of the induced potential of the optic nerve of the damaged eye 6 and 8 months after the end of treatment with the corresponding indicator for a healthy eye at the start of the study. (This indicator reflects the ability of the visual system to conduct electrical signals between the retina and the brain.)
The results showed that in patients who underwent experimental therapy and did not miss the introduction of more than one dose of the drug, there was a significant improvement in the conductivity of the optic nerve compared to patients who received placebo. 6 months after the end of therapy in patients of the experimental group, this parameter improved by an average of 7.55 milliseconds or 34% compared to the placebo group. 8 months after the end of therapy, these indicators were 9.13 milliseconds or 41%, respectively.
In addition, the number of patients whose latency of the evoked potential of the optic nerve of the damaged eye recovered to normal or practically normal values (+/– 10% of the indicator for a healthy eye) in the experimental group was more than two times greater than in the placebo group – 53% and 26%, respectively.
The researchers consider the experimental drug to be very promising, but note the need for additional clinical studies, in which it is necessary to find out whether the registered changes lead to an improvement in the clinical picture of the disease.
The results of the study will be presented at the 67th Annual Congress of the American Academy of Neurology, which will be held on March 18-25, 2015 in Washington.
Evgeniya Ryabtseva
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of the American Academy of Neurology:
Experimental Drug That May Repair Nerve Damage in MS Moves Forward.
16.04.2015