Simple Sugar Increases Myelin Repair in Mouse Study

October 9, 2020

A simple sugar found in breast milk, called N-acetylglucosamine, was found to increase the growth and repair of nerve-insulating myelin in lab mice, reported University of California, Irvine researchers. Myelin is damaged in multiple sclerosis, and other experiments showed that low levels of naturally occurring N-acetylglucosamine in the brain were associated with increases in myelin damage in people with MS.

These early findings present a potential therapeutic strategy for boosting myelin repair, but the safety and effectiveness would need to be confirmed in clinical trials in people with MS.

Read more from the University of California at Irvine
View the paper in the Journal of Biologic Chemistry
Read more about research to repair nervous system damage in MS

About Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system. There is currently no cure for MS. Symptoms vary from person to person and range from numbness and tingling, to mobility challenges, blindness and paralysis. An estimated 1 million people live with MS in the United States. Most people are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, and it affects women three times more than men.

About the National Multiple Sclerosis Society

The National MS Society, founded in 1946, funds cutting-edge research, drives change through advocacy, and provides programs and services to help people affected by MS live their best lives. Connect to learn more and get involved: nationalMSsociety.org, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube or 1-800-344-4867.

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