MS Breakthrough by Scottish Scientists May Lead to Cure

Scientists from Edinburgh University and Cambridge Universities have offered new hope to thousands of Scots with multiple sclerosis (MS), following a major breakthrough in the development of treatments that can halt or reverse the condition.

With 10,000 MS sufferers, Scotland’s MS rate is one of the highest in the world – for reasons that no one understands.

The scientists say they have pinpointed stem-cell molecules that can be stimulated to work to repair nerve damage in the brain. They hope to have drugs available to reverse the progress of the degenerative illness within the next 10 years.

The next stage is for trials with MS patients at the Edinburgh facility funded £10 million donated by JK Rowling, the Harry Potter creator. Ms Rowling’s mother died from MS aged only 45.

In MS, the body’s immune system attacks the coverings that protect nerve fibres in the brain and spinal cord, causing  gradual loss of muscle control. Most people who develop the condition are young, needing decades of help to eat or bathe.

Charles ffrench-Constant is Professor at Edinburgh University’s MS Society Centre: “It’s the most exciting discovery in how to promote repair that I’ve made in the 10 years I’ve been working in this field. It is a significant discovery.”

Speaking from Shanghai last weekend, Professor ffrench-Constant said he hoped that the first generation of drugs would be able to slow down and stop the effects of MS, which becomes progressively debilitating. “Ultimately, one would like to reverse it, but that’s a much bigger challenge,” he added.

Tagged as: Brain, Edinburgh University, Harry Potter, MultipleSclerosis, Myelin, Professor ffrench-Constant, Shanghai, University of Cambridge, University of Edinburgh