Preventive vaccine against multiple sclerosis?

Preventive vaccine against multiple sclerosis: Scientists at the TU Dresden are on the verge of a decisive breakthrough in MS therapy: Apparently, it has been possible to find a way to develop a vaccine for the prevention of multiple sclerosis. The treatment of autoimmune disease is similar to an anti-allergy therapy work, the overreaction of the immune system is reduced by a vaccine.

Around 120,000 people in Germany suffer from incurable multiple sclerosis (MS). Multiple sclerosis is the most common chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system in Central Europe. Women are twice as likely to be affected as men. The life expectancy of patients with MS is six to ten years lower than that of non-ill people. Despite extensive research, it has not yet been possible to find the actual cause of the serious illness. However, it is known that MS is an autoimmune disease in which the body's own defense attacks the protective sheath of the nerve fibers. The immune system is no longer able to distinguish between endogenous and foreign proteins. For this reason, the body's defense produces antibodies against its own tissues. The first symptoms of MS usually occur in the form of a thrust between the ages of 15 and 40. With the attacks, the symptoms usually get worse.

Overreaction of the immune system should be deactivated
Researchers from the DFG Research Center for Regenerative Therapies at the TU Dresden and the US Harvard University in Boston have now reported in the scientific journal "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences" that it is possible to deactivate the overreaction of the immune system to the to stop destructive immune cells. In doing so, the scientists based their research on the therapeutic approach for the treatment of allergies. In the case of allergy therapy, the organism becomes hyposensitized, which means that the body gets accustomed to the trigger of the allergy step by step.

The researchers led by Jack Strominger administered during the course of studies mice body proteins, called antigens. The injection normalizes the tolerance of the immune system to the body's own proteins. Some successes have already been achieved during the trial runs. So far, studies have failed in which patients were given the body's own proteins to sensitize the immune system de. But now, according to the study director of the TU Dresden, Karsten Kretschmer, a decisive breakthrough has succeeded. The researchers differentiated the previous method, in which they did not simply administer the body's own proteins, but coupled the proteins targeted with the help of antibodies to MS-triggering cells. "We think that we have found the right trick," says Kretschmer. "One needs only the smallest amounts of antigens, the one-time dose enough".

Preventive vaccination for children diagnosed with a possible outbreak
Benefiting from the novel therapeutic approach are primarily children who have been diagnosed with an outbreak of multiple sclerosis. However, a very long time is likely to pass before such preventive therapy can be offered. The vaccine can be available for a maximum of 10 to 15 years, the researchers said. The next step should be a therapeutic approach for people with MS.

New MS drug approved in the US
Another glimmer of hope could be the active ingredient fingolimod. A few days ago, the US Food and Drug Administration approved a drug to treat MS. Studies have shown that the drug can reduce the number of relapses and work better than the previous treatment with beta-interferons. Authorization for the medicinal product has also been requested for the EU. Until the drug is approved in the European Union, is still open. First, benefits and side effects need to be checked. (sb, 08.10.2010)

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