Multiple sclerosis vaccine appears well tolerated
Treatment of multiple sclerosis with a DNA vaccine is safe and well tolerated,
a recent study suggests (Archives of Neurology 2007;64:1407).
Thirty patients with MS who were not taking any other disease modifying
drugs were given an intramuscular injection of a DNA vaccine which encoded
human myelin protein. Researchers found that the vaccine was safe and
well tolerated and, compared with placebo, there were no increases in
clinical relapses, disability, drug-associated laboratory abnormalities
or adverse events or in the number or size of lesions. They also found
evidence that the vaccine reduced inflammatory responses in both the
peripheral and central nervous system.
The authors believe their study is the first to show that treatment of
an autoimmune disease in humans with a DNA vaccine can be safe and well
tolerated. It is an approach that could be used more widely, they say. “If
successful in MS, antigen-specific DNA vaccines can be developed for
prevention or treatment of related diseases, such as type I diabetes
mellitus, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis and myasthenia
gravis.”
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