This sounds extremely promising for those who suffer from MS.

The therapy targets immune system cells called T-cells. These malfunction in MS patients, producing inflammatory molecules that destroy the myelin sheath. The new treatment, which uses a class of molecules called kynurenines, works by inhibiting the T-cells’ production of inflammatory molecules and prompting them to produce agents that “mop up” the molecules.

snip……But Brophy cautions that the mouse model of MS, while the best animal model available, does show differences to the human disease and drugs that have worked on mice in the past, have not had the same success in humans.

Another advantage kynurenine has over other candidate treatments is that it is has already proved its safety. Not only is it a derivative of an amino acid that occurs naturally in the human body, but it has passed phase I clinical trials in Japan as a
potential treatment for allergy sufferers.

“I expect we will be able to proceed directly to phase II clinical trials in patients in 2006 and start helping people with MS,” Steinman says.

New Scientist Breaking News - New treatment for multiple sclerosis tested

h/t Lucianne