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Drugs that Can Reverse Effects of MS

There are about 400,000 Americans that have Multiple Sclerosis or MS, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Two hundred more people are diagnosed each week with MS. There is no cure, but there is a new drug that can possibly reverse the effects of MS.

  1. Multiple Sclerosis

    • Multiple Sclerosis is a disease of the nervous system that attacks your brain and spinal cord, according to Medline Plus. You have a protective sheath around your spinal cord, and MS destroys this protective barrier.

    Symptoms

    • Multiple Sclerosis interferes with communication between your brain and body, according to the Mayo Clinic. What kind of symptoms you have will depend on the amount of damage, and the particular nerves being affected. Vision problems, muscle weakness, coordination and balance problems, and thinking and memory problems are common symptoms of MS, according to Medline Plus.

    Treating With Medications

    • Medications are one treatment option. Prednisone is for treating inflammation that can occur during relapses. Betaseron is of a class of drugs that slow the rate at which MS progresses, according to the Mayo Clinic. Copaxone is reputed to work by blocking your body's attack on your spine's protective sheath, according to the Mayo Clinic. Tysabri is designed to work by slowing down the movement of harmful cells from your bloodstream and into your brain and spinal cord. These medications don't reverse MS, they just treat some of the debilitating symptoms, according to Nervous System Diseases.com.

    New Treatment Drug

    • Alemtuzumab is an established drug for leukemia treatment. Scientists at Cambridge started investigating it as a drug to treat MS, according to The Independent in London, England. Alemtuzamab has also shown potential to halt or even reverse the debilitating effects of MS, according to CNN. It has been reported that MS patients had fewer attacks, and helped recover functions that were lost, according to CNN.

    Further Study

    • Although the trials associated with this drug look promising, more study and research is needed before it can be approved for the treatment of MS, according to CNN.

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