In experiments with mice, researchers in California found that Lipitor and Copaxone, an MS drug currently on the market, may work in concert to halt paralysis and reduce inflammation of the central nervous system.

Blocking T-Helper Cells

"At a time and age where we're worried about toxicity of drugs, we have two relatively safe drugs that may be used together to provide added benefit," said corresponding author Dr. Scott S. Zamvil, an associate professor in the Department of Neurology and a faculty member at the University of California, San Francisco.

The paper appears Thursday in the online edition of The Journal of Clinical Investigation. The lead authors are Olaf Stuve and Sawsan Youssef.

MS, a chronic disease of the central nervous system, most likely occurs when the immune system attacks the brain's nervous tissue, slowly destroying the brain's protective myelin sheath. A type of immune cell, the T-helper cell, is thought to orchestrate the damage by secreting toxic, inflammatory molecules into the immune system.

Previous research suggests statins block the T-cells' toxic emissions by secreting protective molecules, Zamvil says.

Lack of Effectual Treatment

MS has no cure; it is characterized by relapses of neurological symptoms, such as paralysis or vision loss, that vary from person to person. About 400,000 people in the United States have the disease, and it probably affects 2.5 million worldwide, according to the National MS Society.

"Current treatments are only partially effective and come with possible side effects. A lack of effectual treatment is therefore a major problem," Zamvil said.

The impetus for Zamvil's current research came in part from a 2002 study, when he revealed that Lipitor alone reverses paralysis and reduces brain inflammation in animals.

With this in mind, Zamvil wanted to test whether using a combination therapy of Lipitor and Copaxone, a protein that boosts the immune system's anti-inflammatory response, could be effective.

Emerging Body of Data

Zamvil first gave a group of mice a disease called experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, which mimics multiple sclerosis. He then gave these EAE mice lower-than-normal doses of Copaxone and Lipitor, in order to test their cumulative effect.

When the EAE mice received this combination therapy, many of their symptoms subsided. The drugs seemed to also halt the destruction of their myelin sheaths.

Zamvil admits using an animal model of paralysis is not ideal for research on MS, but he says it's a good testing ground for evaluating new drugs.

The animal model is a drawback, concurs Jeff Cohen, a neurologist at the Cleveland Clinic's Mellen Center for MS Treatment. But he said the study strengthens an emerging body of data that statins bolster the immune system.

Reversal of Damage to Myelin Sheath Possible?

"What's nice about statins is that millions of people been on them for other things, and there are very few surprises. So if we could get them to work for MS, it would be a big deal," Cohen said.

Around 25 million people take Lipitor worldwide, Zamvil said.

Zamvil is looking ahead to an 18-month human clinical trial, now recruiting participants. The first trial to test the effectiveness of Lipitor on MS in people, it is designed to test Lipitor's ability to protect against relapses in the beginning stages of the disease.

Although current MS treatments focus on preventing the next relapse, scientists hope to get to the point where they can reverse damage to the brain's myelin sheath entirely.

"It's an exciting climate right now," Zamvil said.