Derivative of HIV drug could reverse multiple sclerosis symptoms In mice, the new drug led to recovery of motor function and vision by protecting nerve fibers and myelin. Written byAllison Whitten, PhD

Derivative of HIV drug could reverse multiple sclerosis symptoms In mice, the new drug led to recovery of motor function and vision by protecting nerve fibers and myelin. Written byAllison Whitten, PhD https://www.drugdiscoverynews.com/derivative-of-hiv-drug-could-reverse-multiple-sclerosis-symptoms-17556 A new experimental drug could finally turn multiple sclerosis (MS) from a disease that has no cure to one that can be successfully reversed with treatment. Researchers led by Jayakrishna Ambati at the University of Virginia School of Medicine showed that a newly developed chemical derivative of an old HIV drug restored movement and vision in a mouse model of the disease — a feat that no currently approved MS treatment is able to do. The discovery came from an unexpected place. Several years ago, Ambati’s lab began analyzing large health insurance databases and realized that patients taking HIV drugs called nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) were at a much lower risk of developing the eye disease macular degeneration. Digging in to find out why, the scientists revealed that NRTIs block inflammasome activation that could inhibit the evolution of MS and other chronic diseases.