Potential oral therapy in MS

A study published in the Journal of Neuro-Ophthalmology claims that oral resveratrol SRT501 significantly lowers neuronal damage, in a model of multiple scelrosis (MS).

It was found that the pharmaceutical grade formulation of SRT501 activated the NAD+ dependent deacetylase SIRT1 and encourages mitochondrial function.

Dr Kenneth S. Shindler, et al., Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, Philladelphia, USA, looked at the effect oral therapy SRT501, a pharmaceutical grade formulation of resveratrol, has on neuronal loss during relapse-remitting experimental autoimmune ancephalomyelititis (EAE). The therapy resveratrol is known to activate the NAD+ dependent deacetylase, SIRTI, which encourages mitochondrial function.

It was found that SRT501 prevented neuronal loss in optic neuritis and suppressed neurological dysfunction during EAE remission. The results also revealed that a SIRTI inhibitor, sirtinol, reduced the neuroprotective effects of SRT501 and other SIRTI activators gave similar results to SRT501.

It was concluded that resveratrol is effective in lowering neuronal damage in EAE through activation of SIRTI so therapies activating this deacetylase have potential as oral therapies in MS.