14 Sep 2009
Improved multiple sclerosis (MS) treatments could be developed following a study by researchers at Mayo Clinic, US.
It was discovered that two genes in mice were linked to good central nervous system repair, with the study concentrating why some people do well with the disease while others do poorly.
According to Mayo Clinic neuroscientists Dr Allan Bieber, this differs from the majority of other MS studies, which have tended to look at disease susceptibility.
"It's possible that the identification of these genes may provide the first important clue as to why some patients with MS do well, while others do not," Dr Bieber explained.
"While we're still in the early stages of this research, it could eventually lead to the development of useful therapies that stimulate or inhibit these genetic pathways in patients with MS."
According to the UK MS Trust, over 85,000 people in Britain have MS, although a study conducted this year put the figure as high as 100,000.
It has also been suggested that the disease affects approximately three times as many women as it does men.
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