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Can bexarotene boost myelin repair in MS?

a photo of  Alasdair Coles
Lead researcher:
Professor Alasdair Coles
Based at:
University of Cambridge
MS Society funding:
£251,210
Status:
Complete

To stop MS we need to find treatments that repair the damage to the protective myelin coating around nerves.

This phase 2 trial will test if a drug called bexarotene can help the brain regenerate myelin in people with MS.

Infographic introducing the Bexarotene Trial

What happens in this project?

It will involve 50 people with relapsing MS who are taking a disease modifying therapy (DMT).

Bexarotene is already used to treat some types of cancer. And researchers at our centres in Cambridge and Edinburgh discovered that the drug might help people with MS. Together they showed that a protein in the brain targeted by bexoratene encourages myelin repair.

> Read more about the trial

How will it help people with MS?

Right now there are no treatments that can boost myelin repair in MS. This trial will help us to understand if bexoratene has potential as an MS treatment.

The difference you can make

The race is on to find therapies that will slow progression. You can help speed up the process by supporting projects like this.