Could HIV drugs help treat multiple sclerosis?
"Could MS patients be treated with HIV drugs?" ask the Mail Online and The Independent, after a new study discovered people with HIV were almost two-thirds less likely (62%) to develop multiple sclerosis (MS) than those who did not have the virus.
The study was prompted by the case of a patient who had HIV and MS, but stayed clear of any MS symptoms for more than 12 years.
Data from the medical records of about 21,000 people with HIV in the UK was analysed to see how many developed the condition, which affects the brain and spinal cord.
Researchers suggest the HIV infection itself and the antiretroviral drugs used to treat it may protect the body's immune system from developing MS.
Their two theories are:
immunodeficiency caused by HIV may stop the body attacking itself
antiretroviral therapy may suppress other viruses in the body, such as those suggested as being responsible for causing MS
This is a well-conducted study, with a large sample size and very large number of controls. But as it is a
cohort study, it can only show an association and cannot prove cause and effect.
The authors acknowledge their findings "should be regarded as speculative rather than definitive".
Overall, this interesting study paves the way for clinical trials to be conducted on the use of antiretroviral medication for people with MS.
