The results of a clinical trial in the United States suggest the possibility of a new treatment for treat multiple sclerosis. This therapy would reprogram the immune system of patients so that the body stops destroying the myelin sheath that surrounds the nerves in the brain and spinal cord. Without this protection, the electrical conduction of the nervous system slows down. The daily life of the patient is therefore difficult, knowing that the symptoms can go as far as paralysis or blindness.
The study in question, published by the American journal Science Translational Medicine, focuses on a phase 1 trial conducted in Germany on nine patients. Researchers successfully introduced myelin antigens into the bodies of study participants to “trick” their bodies and get their immune systems to recognize these molecules as harmless. The final goal is to ensure that the immune system develops tolerance, because current therapies, which deactivate it, make patients more fragile and unarmed in the face of infections.
Despite the positive results of the study, the number of patients in this trial is very low, which does not allow us to have definitive answers, but a phase 2 clinical trial could be set up.
