Researchers developing new oral Multiple Sclerosis drug
Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 12:23 am
The US Department of Defense (DoD) has awarded SRI International a one-year grant to develop a novel therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS), an autoimmune nervous system disease that affects about 400,000 people in the United States and more than two million people worldwide. There is currently no cure for this disorder, which can impair vision and movement.
The grant, funded through DoD's Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, will support the development of an oral drug that targets miR-326, a molecule recently found to stimulate the production of immune system mediators known as T-helper 17 (Th17) cells. Patients with MS have high levels of miR-326, and Th17 is thought to play a critical role in causing MS and other autoimmune diseases. The new therapy will inhibit miR-326 and block the production of Th17 cells.... Read More - http://www.msrc.co.uk/index.cfm/fuseact ... ageid/1397