MS cure a step closer with new discovery

Researchers believe they may have found a "missing link" in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS).

Scientists say they have discovered a new molecule that could lead to a drug treatment to repair myelin, the fatty material that coats and insulates nerves. Damage to myelin can cause the symptoms of MS but there are currently no treatments to repair it.

The study, published in Nature Neuroscience, was carried out by scientists at the University of California, San Francisco, and the University of Cambridge, and funded by the MS societies of the US and UK.

Dr Doug Brown, head of biomedical research at the MS Society said: "We are excited to see this work moving towards clinical trials and hope it will lead to a new form of treatment for MS sufferers within 10-15 years."