Parkinson's drug could prove to be new treatment for multiple sclerosis

October 10, 2013 02:42

A drug used to treat Parkinson's disease may provide an effective new therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS), research suggests. Early tests on mice show that benztropine stimulates the production of nerve-repairing cells.

Scientists hit on the drug after screening 100,000 compounds for their abilitly to trigger the development of cells that rebuild damaged myelin, the protective fatty sheath that surrounds nerve fibres.

MS is an autoimmune disease that causes the body's defences to attack myelin, causing symptoms ranging from mild tingling sensations to full blown paralysis. Cells called oligodendrocytes are able to repair myelin, but their numbers decline sharply in patients with MS.

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