An antioxidant drug that has been garnering increasing attention from the medical community is showing potential as an effective treatment for Multiple Sclerosis. MitoQ is an orally administered antioxidant agent that is currently under development by the drug company Antipodean Pharmaceuticals. A recent study conducted by researchers at Oregon Health and Science University published in Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) suggests that MitoQ may be a good candidate for the treatment of MS.

Antioxidants and Mitochondrial Damage

Mitochondria are the components in cells that use oxygen to convert fat and carbohydrates into energy. They're also involved in the division of cells as well as in cell death. During the oxidation process, molecules called free radicals can break off from the cell and attach themselves to other cells, altering the cell's DNA. Free radicals are linked to a broad array of diseases and pathologies, including MS. Antioxidants are nutrients that can repair and help prevent oxidative damage.

What is MitoQ?

Developed in 1990s, MitoQ is an antioxidant designed to reduce oxidative damage in mitochondria. While other antioxidants are distributed throughout the cells, MitoQ specifically targets the mitochondria. MitoQ appears to enter the mitochondria, eliminate free radicals, repair oxidative damage and even boost the cell's ability to generate energy. The drug has already been tested in clinical trials as a possible treatment in the prevention of neurodegenerative ailments like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease.

MitoQ as a Potential Treatment for MS

In the Oregon Health and Science University study, researchers looked at mice with a disease known as experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE,) which is the rodent equivalent of human MS. MitoQ was administered to mice exhibiting MS-like symptoms. After two weeks, the mice demonstrated increased neuronal activity in their spinal cords, which is a region of the brain affected by MS. The mice also exhibited:

• A reduced loss of nerve fibers
• Lower neuron inflammation
• Fewer of the neurological disabilities associated with MS

Further research is needed to establish exactly how MitoQ protects mitochondria in brain cells. Because MitoQ has already been tested for safety in multiple human trials, however, it has a distinct advantage over other new drugs. Although human tests are still years away, lead researcher P. Hemachandra Reddy called the results exciting. "This could be a new front in the fight against MS," Reddy said.

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