Canadian Research Team Successfully Reverses Multiple Sclerosis in Mice

A group of Canadian scientists claim to have successfully suppressed the immune system of an experimental group of mice, thereby reversing multiple sclerosis into remission.

With multiple sclerosis, the immune system attacks the patients central nervous system. GIFT15, is a new treatment that composes two fused proteins, GSM-CSF and interleukin-15. Ordinarily, the separate proteins activate the immune system, so when they are fused, the proteins actually suppress immune response. The scientists are able to accomplish this by modifying B-cells, cells typically involved in immune response – to immune suppressive cells.

Jewish General Hospital Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research and Montreal University McGill’s Dr. Galipeau stated in a university news release “GIFT15 can take your normal, run-of-the-mill B-cells and convert them … into these super-powerful B-regulatory cells.”

Galipeau and his fellow colleagues removed normal B-cells from the mice, scattered GIFT15 on the B-cells, and according to Galipeau “ when we gave them back intravenously to mice ill with multiple sclerosis, the disease went away.”

The researchers reported single doses and no known side effects were observed.