Promise of Myelin Repair
Myelin Repair Foundation funds research focused on repairing the damage to myelin caused by multiple sclerosis.
Myelin repair as a treatment for multiple sclerosis holds great promise as the next generation of MS therapies. While the diagnoses and symptoms of MS vary widely among patients, what all MS patients share in common is damage to their myelin. This damage interferes with the transmission of nerve signals, slowing — and in some cases stopping — that transmission. This in turn triggers the wide ranging symptoms of multiple sclerosis including paralysis, visual and cognitive disorders, and tremors.
Myelin Repair Foundation funds research focused on repairing the damage to myelin caused by multiple sclerosis.
Myelin repair as a treatment for multiple sclerosis holds great promise as the next generation of MS therapies. While the diagnoses and symptoms of MS vary widely among patients, what all MS patients share in common is damage to their myelin. This damage interferes with the transmission of nerve signals, slowing — and in some cases stopping — that transmission. This in turn triggers the wide ranging symptoms of multiple sclerosis including paralysis, visual and cognitive disorders, and tremors.
Opening the Door to Repairing Myelin
Until 2001, there was no biological evidence that myelin could be repaired. Then Yale University professor Jeffrey D. Kocsis successfully used frozen human cells to restore nerve conduction in mice with multiple sclerosis. The door to investigations into myelin repair was thrown wide open.
Until 2001, there was no biological evidence that myelin could be repaired. Then Yale University professor Jeffrey D. Kocsis successfully used frozen human cells to restore nerve conduction in mice with multiple sclerosis. The door to investigations into myelin repair was thrown wide open.
It now appears that in the early stages of multiple sclerosis, spontaneous myelin repair does take place but that eventually the disease overwhelms the body’s capacity for repair. The result: the formation of chronic lesions that can result in permanent disability.
Myelin Repair Foundation: Making Progress
While most of today’s treatment options for multiple sclerosis focus on reducing the immune system’s inflammatory response, myelin repair is the only current research area that has the potential to actually repair nerve damage and essentially halt the progress of MS.
While most of today’s treatment options for multiple sclerosis focus on reducing the immune system’s inflammatory response, myelin repair is the only current research area that has the potential to actually repair nerve damage and essentially halt the progress of MS.
The Myelin Repair Foundation has made identifying myelin repair drug targets that will lead to treatments for multiple sclerosis its sole focus – and has made great inroads as a result. We have set aggressive goals, raised $35 million to date, and identified 19 new potential myelin repair drug targets. – in just five short years. Learn more about our progress to date.
From the Myelin Repair Foundation
From the Myelin Repair Foundation
