Breakthrough Research Discovers Clemastine’s Potential for MS Brain Repair
Scientists at UC San Francisco (UCSF) have made a groundbreaking discovery in multiple sclerosis (MS) research, uncovering the potential of the antihistamine clemastine to repair the brain. Led by physician-scientist Ari Green, MD, and neuroscientist Jonah Chan, Ph.D., the team developed a new method to evaluate clemastine’s effectiveness in brain repair, paving the way for future MS therapies.
MS is a debilitating neurological disorder characterized by the loss of myelin, a protective covering around nerve fibers. This myelin loss results in delayed nerve signals, leading to symptoms such as weakness, spasticity, vision loss, and cognitive impairment.
Using MRI scans, the researchers examined the brains of 50 participants in a clinical study. They focused on the myelin water fraction, a measurement of the ratio between myelin water and total water content in brain tissue, to assess the effects of clemastine.
The study, published in PNAS on May 8, 2023, revealed that patients with MS who received clemastine experienced modest increases in myelin water, indicating myelin repair. Moreover, the researchers demonstrated the potential of the myelin water fraction technique to track myelin recovery, marking the first instance of documented brain repair for a chronic neurological condition.
The participants were divided into two groups: the first group received clemastine for the initial three months of the study, while the second group received the drug only from months three to five. The myelin water fraction biomarker showed an increase in myelin water for the first group after receiving clemastine, with the effect persisting even after the drug was discontinued. In contrast, the second group exhibited decreases in myelin water during the placebo phase, followed by a rebound after clemastine administration.
The results confirmed earlier findings that clemastine reduced delayed nerve signaling, potentially mitigating MS symptoms. Furthermore, the study highlighted the importance of focusing on myelin repair beyond visible lesions, as significant repair occurred in the corpus callosum, a brain region with high myelin content that connects the hemispheres.
Clemastine stimulates the differentiation of myelin-making stem cells, positioning it as a more advanced treatment option compared to existing MS drugs that primarily target the immune system’s activity and inflammation. However, clemastine’s efficacy is limited at current doses and may cause sedation, which is undesirable for MS patients.
The research team, led by Dr. Green, hopes that better medications will be developed in the future. In the meantime, clemastine serves as a valuable tool to demonstrate the possibility of remyelination. Future studies will explore clemastine’s potential in treating myelin damage in premature infants, a condition that commonly affects their brain development.
The study received support from The Rachleff Family Westridge Foundation, Janet Lustgarten and the Lustgarten Family Whitney Fund, and the Adelson Medical Research Foundation.
In conclusion, the breakthrough research at UCSF has uncovered the potential of clemastine, an antihistamine, in repairing brain damage caused by MS. The study’s novel imaging technique and the documented evidence of myelin repair set the stage for future investigations into remyelinating therapies. While clemastine has its limitations, it represents a significant step forward in understanding brain repair mechanisms and offers hope for the development of better treatments for MS and other neurological conditions.
