A recent study found that an experimental compound (a derivative of fullerene) reduced the progression of disease and nerve fiber damage when administered to mice with a progressive disease similar to MS.  The study, partly funded by a National MS Society Research grant, tested the drug ABS-75.  ABS-75 is a fullerene derivative that combines the effect of an anti-oxidant with a compound that has the potential to block the activity of glutamate, a natural nerve transmitter that can cause injury. 

In the past, fullerenes have been shown to protect nerve fibers from injury in some rodent models of stroke.  Additionally, ABS-75 is known for its ability to enter the brain efficiently.  In the recent experiment, a Boston area team administered the ABS-75 to the mice after inducing a chronic form of EAE similar to secondary-progressive MS.

The results showed that ABS-75 inhibited symptom progression, nerve fiber loss, and myelin damage in the spinal cord.  ABS-75 also protected rodent cells from the kind of injury caused by glutamate.  This is of particular importance because glutamate levels are increased in progressive forms of MS, and some doctors believe that this correlation reveals a mechanism by which nerve cell degeneration occurs in MS. Another positive is that ABS-75 does not appear to affect memory functions, unlike many other drugs that block glutamate levels.

The study represents a different mode of approach to preventing the progressive stages of MS.  Although ABS-75 appears promising, much more research is needed to determine whether or not the drug would be safe and successful for treating MS in people.

For further information: “Reversal of axonal loss and disability in a mouse model of progressive multiple sclerosis,” Alexandre Basso, PhD, Howard Weiner, PhD, The Journal of Clinical Investigation, March 2008.