Multiple Sclerosis Research Paves Way for a Cure

Did you know that around 2.8 million people around the world have multiple sclerosis – a chronic autoimmune disorder that harms the central nervous system, which represents a real challenge for patients and medical professionals alike?

Ten years ago, people diagnosed with this disease were expected to be bed-bound within 15 years, but recent breakthroughs at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) now offer renewed hope, with experts saying that a cure could soon be developed.

The role of T and B cells

In the past, scientists believed that the white blood cells that function as police to spot intruders within the immune system – the T cells – were the main contributory factor to multiple sclerosis (MS). These cells were blamed for creating a different lymphocyte in the immune system that attacked and destroyed myelin, which is the protective covering of nerve fibers.

However, UCSF's Dr. Stephen Hauser disputed this notion by making a groundbreaking discovery – the real ‘killer’ of the myelin was another lymphocyte, B cells.

This discovery resulted in the creation of treatments that targeted the B cells, which are now established as international norms for MS patients.

Repairing myelin and preventing MS

In 2013, two scientists – Ari Green and Jonah Chan – found that the antihistamine clemastine was able to restore damaged myelin, and some 10 years later, they discovered that it might also positively impact people's brains and reverse years of damage caused by MS.

However, the use of clemastine resulted in too many side effects, which means that it currently cannot be used to treat MS, although the discovery of its potential represents a good starting point for future studies.

Today, UCSF researchers are focusing on reversing the damage caused by MS as well as preventing the disease even before a person begins to experience the first symptoms.

This began with Dr. Hauser’s discovery of the effectiveness of the targeted cancer drug, Rituximab, and he undertook the pioneering trial that resulted in proof of Rituximab's efficacy in slowing MS development.

Genentech, the company co-founded by UCSF professors that funded the early trials of Rituximab, underlines the importance of collaboration between academic institutions and pharmaceutical companies and demonstrates how private sector involvement can accelerate high-risk, high-reward research, which has led to global therapies such as ocrelizumab and ofatumumab being developed to deplete B cells in MS patients.

Genetic insights

Meanwhile, UCSF Neurology Professor Sergio Baranzini’s team managed to find the answer to the question as to why, a decade after being diagnosed with MS, some people are unable to walk while others can run for miles non-stop.

According to a 2023 study, people who had a particular genetic variant from both their parents were likely to require a walking aid approximately four years before those who did not. This discovery could be a new step in precision medicine to treat MS.

“Our findings suggest that resilience and repair in the nervous system determine the course of MS progression and that we should focus on these parts of human biology for better therapies,” stated Adil Harroud, the co-lead author of the research.

A vision for the future

Dr. Hauser and his UCSF colleagues believe the field is on the brink of a transformative era in MS research, and in view of the ongoing advances, the goal of completely suppressing MS in most patients appears to be closer than ever.

Clinical research, such as that carried out by the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, is now looking into new ways to aggressively treat MS earlier using both new and improved drugs.

“I think we can, in the next few years, completely suppress the disease in most people, if the proverbial tea leaves continue to point in the direction that they do today,” commented UCSF neurologist Michael Wilson, MD.

Pharma sector’s progress and the role of expert networks

As the pharmaceutical industry continues to push the boundaries in pursuit of groundbreaking progress, it increasingly relies on cutting-edge technologies and innovative approaches, but, in order to make strategic decisions, companies require reliable and in-depth expertise.

This is where platforms such as Expert Network Calls (ENC) can play a transformative role. ENC is an online platform that provides seamless access to multiple expert networks that are tailored to the pharmaceutical and life sciences sectors, enabling companies to connect with specialists who can offer invaluable insights for research and high-stakes projects.