MS Society Statement - Molecule Found in Brain May Protect From Damage Caused by MS

LONDON - The MS Society, the UK’s largest charity dedicated to supporting everyone affected by multiple sclerosis (MS), has responded to the news issued by the University of Bristol concerning the study of Galanin in MS.

The exact role of galanin in MS, and its potential as a treatment for MS, is still not certain but further research should clarify this. The researchers indicate that the next step will be to develop galanin into a drug that could be tested in clinical trials, but admit that this is some years off.

Dr Doug Brown, Research Manager at the MS Society, said: “This is an early study and there’s a long way to go before we understand what this means for people with MS, but any insight into how MS might be treated is valuable to researchers. This is worth further investigation.”

Notes to Editors:

- The MS Society (www.mssociety.org.uk) is the UK’s largest charity dedicated to supporting everyone whose life is touched by multiple sclerosis (MS), providing respite care, an award-winning freephone helpline (+44(0)808-800-8000), specialist MS nurses and funding more than 80 vital MS research projects in the UK. - MS is the most common disabling neurological condition affecting young adults and an estimated 100,000 people in the UK have MS. - MS is the result of damage to myelin - the protective sheath surrounding nerve fibres of the central nervous system - which interferes with messages between the brain and the body. - For some people, MS is characterised by periods of relapse and remission while for others it has a progressive pattern. - Symptoms range from loss of sight and mobility, fatigue, depression and cognitive problems. There is no cure and few effective treatments.

Source: Multiple Sclerosis Society

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