Over-the-counter drugs may regrow damaged cells in MS

An artist’s representation of the study.
Scientists found that certain drugs
were able to promote remyelination
in mouse models of multiple sclerosis.
Image courtesy of Case Western
Reserve University;
Illustrator: Megan Kern

MS DIGEST – April 20, 2015 – Two drugs already on the market — an antifungal and a steroid — may potentially treat multiple sclerosis by stimulating myelin growth, according to a study published in Nature today.

Researchers led by Paul J. Tesar, Ph.D., associate professor at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine in Cleveland discovered that the drugs miconazole (an antifungal) and clobetasol (a steroid), activate stem cells in the brain to stimulate myelin producing cells and repair white matter, which is damaged in multiple sclerosis.

Can coffee cut risk of MS?

MS DIGEST – Mar. 5, 2015 – Another cup of coffee may help prevent multiple sclerosis, according to a new study be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 67th Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, April 18 to 25, 2015.

Swedish researchers examining data from 1,629 people with MS and 2,807 healthy people collaborated with US researchers who looked at data on 1,159 people with MS and 1,172 healthy people.

Could sleep aids be making you tired?

Photo by license, copyright : Xavier Gallego Morell 

MS DIGEST – Feb. 20, 2015 – If you are feeling tired and worn out in the middle of the day, you are not alone. Fatigue is one of the most common complaints among MS patients. And just as many have problems with sleep, ranging from sleep apnea to restless leg syndrome, and insomnia. 

In a January 2015 study published in Sleep, researchers led by Tiffany Braley, MD, MS, Assistant Professor of Neurology at the University of Michigan Multiple Sclerosis and Sleep Disorders Centers