Nanoparticles Show Potential for Treating MS
Nanoparticles Show Potential for Treating MS
Nov. 18, 2012 -- Researchers say they've been able to use nanoparticles to stop multiple sclerosis (MS) in mice that are bred to have the disease.
The particles are about 200 times smaller than the thickness of a human hair. They are made from the same material that's used to create dissolving stitches.
When researchers attach specific proteins to the particles, they say they're able to teach the body not to attack its own tissues.
If the approach succeeds in human studies, it may one day lead to more targeted treatments not only for multiple sclerosis but also for other kinds of autoimmune disorders, including type 1 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.
“This technology could be very effective,” says Timothy Coetzee, PhD, chief research officer for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
What remains to be seen is whether the researchers have picked the right proteins that might turn off the disease in humans, he says.
“Will these peptides actually induce tolerance in people? We just don’t know. It’s rational, but we won’t know until we get it into people,” says Coetzee, who was not involved in the research.
The research is published in the journal Nature Biotechnology. The study was funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Myelin Repair Foundation, the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, and the Australian government.
Slideshow: A Visual Guide to Multiple Sclerosis
The particles are about 200 times smaller than the thickness of a human hair. They are made from the same material that's used to create dissolving stitches.
When researchers attach specific proteins to the particles, they say they're able to teach the body not to attack its own tissues.
If the approach succeeds in human studies, it may one day lead to more targeted treatments not only for multiple sclerosis but also for other kinds of autoimmune disorders, including type 1 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.
“This technology could be very effective,” says Timothy Coetzee, PhD, chief research officer for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
What remains to be seen is whether the researchers have picked the right proteins that might turn off the disease in humans, he says.
“Will these peptides actually induce tolerance in people? We just don’t know. It’s rational, but we won’t know until we get it into people,” says Coetzee, who was not involved in the research.
The research is published in the journal Nature Biotechnology. The study was funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Myelin Repair Foundation, the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, and the Australian government.
Slideshow: A Visual Guide to Multiple Sclerosis
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