Grant will fund study into hormone's effect on brain cells to fight MS and ALS
Robert Lisak, M.D.
The $318,808 grant from Questcor will fund the two-year investigation of an adrenocorticotropic hormone, or ACTH, and its effects on the function of glial cells in the central nervous system, including its ability to modify the effects of inflammatory mediators on those cells.
ACTH is a naturally occurring hormone that has been used to treat Multiple Sclerosis relapses. Questcor, a pharmaceutical company based in San Francisco, Calif., produces H.P. Actha, a derivation of ACTH. The product is used to treat a variety of disorders that include inflammation, like MS.
“We will study ACTH’s effect on certain population of brain cells, to see whether the hormone is able to directly effect various functions of these cells,” Dr. Lisak explained. “We will also see whether ACTH is able to modify the deleterious effects of certain mediators of inflammation on these brain cells since these mediators are responsible for much of the damage to the nervous system in Multiple Sclerosis and are recognized as contributing to brain cell damage in other neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (also known as Lou Gehrig's disease).
“It is widely assumed that the beneficial effect of ACTH in shortening the period of disability from relapes of MS is entirely due to ACTH stimulating the body to increase the amount of corticosteroid hormones, which in turn inhibit the inflammatory cytokines,” he added. “Our study is designed to determine whether ACTH could have a beneficial direct effect on brain cells that is independent of the increased amount of corticosteroids that a patient makes when responding.”
Joyce Benjamins, Ph.D., associate chair of Research in the Department of Neurology, will serve as co-principal investigator in the study.
