Australian scientists discover key to halt nerve fibre damage in MS

[Koala77]

Scientists from RMIT and Monash Universities announced today a discovery that shows blocking a specific protein may have the ability to act as ‘hand brake’ to the progression of the disease in people with Multiple sclerosis (MS).

http://www.msra.org.au/australian-sc...ibre-damage-ms

[mrsD]

They are certainly "mum" about the identity of this drug...which is already on the market.

I'm still searching for it. Finding other articles, but still no details.

[SallyC]

Thanks Annie, yes what is it??

[mrsD]

I finally gave up on looking this morning. I searched all the papers on PubMed by this guy.. Petratos S

The "approved" drug is not mentioned anywhere I could see.

[missj]

My guess is that its a drug for HIV

[SallyC]

It may be Lacosamide (LCM)....it blocks the crmp-2 protein (found in MS lesions) in epolepsy?

Read this http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22433297

[mochagirl13]

I couldn't find it either. I'll ask the neuro who is a MS specialist at new hospital I'm trying. Couldn't get appt. until 5/25. The hospital is a teaching hospital with a neuro clinic.

[mrsD]

Lacosamide=Vimpat:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000506/

In the study which Sally found, it was injected directly into the brains of the animals.

I wonder if this will ultimately end up helping TBI patients too?

Good work Sal!

[EddieF]

Progesterone helped TBI...a lot. Back to MS. Hope you's track the compound down!

[Mariel]

It sure would be nice to know. I suppose the drug companies must profit from this and thus make it secret until it's patented. Sounds like an important discovery!