Washington, Nov 23: SUNY Downstate and Maimonides Medical Centre researchers claim to having developed a substance that inhibits the progress of multiple sclerosis (MS) in an animal model.

Reporting their discovery in the Journal of Neuroimmunology, the scientists said that the agent developed by them was a novel calpain inhibitor, which could be administered orally.

Calpains are a family of proteolytic enzymes naturally found in the human body, inappropriate activation of which is associated with a number of neurodegenerative and autoimmune diseases such as MS.

It destroys the myelin sheath that coats and protects the nerves.

During the course of study, the researchers found that the calpain inhibitor produced an almost complete cessation of multiple sclerosis in mice, whether administered by injection or orally.

They believe that the calpain inhibitor have the potential to reduce clinical illness signs and prevent demyelination and inflammatory infiltration.

They say that the inhibitor holds promise in treating both the acute and chronic phases of the disease.

Those suffering from degenerative illnesses like Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s and Parkinson’s disease, may also be benefited by the calpain inhibitor, say the scientists.

Bureau Report
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