Nicotinamide May Help Slow The Progress of Multiple Sclerosis
http://www.medpagetoday.com/Neurology/MultipleSclerosis/tb/4144
Background on MS: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disease in which the immune system attacks myelin, a material that coats the nerve fibers in the central nervous system. Myelin speeds the transmission of nerve signals and demyelination results in the interruption of nerve transmissions and various neurological symptoms. MS presents in two forms: relapsing-remitting MS, where the patient suffers from bouts of illness followed by periods of recovery, and chronic progressive MS. While anti-inflammatory drugs can help patients with relapsing-remitting MS, there is no good treatment for the chronic form.
The article: Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, a disease similar to MS, was induced in mice used to test the effectiveness of nicotinamide. The researchers found that mice injected with nicotinamide showed slower progression of the disease and had less neurological damage. Nicotinamide is the chemical precursor of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). Researchers believe that injections of nicotinamide increases the biological levels of NAD and help prevent neuronal damage.
The results are promising because nicotinamide was also shown to be effective in the chronic stages of the disease for which there is no current treatment and because it readily crosses the blood brain barrier. It is also inexpensive and readily available. However, the doses used for the mice study are significantly higher than the doses that have ever been used clinically on humans.
Background on MS: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disease in which the immune system attacks myelin, a material that coats the nerve fibers in the central nervous system. Myelin speeds the transmission of nerve signals and demyelination results in the interruption of nerve transmissions and various neurological symptoms. MS presents in two forms: relapsing-remitting MS, where the patient suffers from bouts of illness followed by periods of recovery, and chronic progressive MS. While anti-inflammatory drugs can help patients with relapsing-remitting MS, there is no good treatment for the chronic form.
The article: Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, a disease similar to MS, was induced in mice used to test the effectiveness of nicotinamide. The researchers found that mice injected with nicotinamide showed slower progression of the disease and had less neurological damage. Nicotinamide is the chemical precursor of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). Researchers believe that injections of nicotinamide increases the biological levels of NAD and help prevent neuronal damage.
The results are promising because nicotinamide was also shown to be effective in the chronic stages of the disease for which there is no current treatment and because it readily crosses the blood brain barrier. It is also inexpensive and readily available. However, the doses used for the mice study are significantly higher than the doses that have ever been used clinically on humans.
posted by Mei Zhan at 2:19 PM
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