Decades-old FDA approved hypertension drug may delay onset and reduce severity of MS

People suffering from multiple sclerosis may benefit if patent-pending research conducted at Purdue University shows that a decades-old drug approved by the FDA to treat hypertension also delays the onset and reduces the severity of MS symptoms.

“We have discovered that this dosage level does not cause a significant blood pressure drop or other side effects associated with using higher dosage levels for extended periods of time. We expect that potential use in human MS patients would be at significantly lower doses than the treatment for hypertension.”

Purdue professor Riyi Shi is examining the effects of hydralazine on acrolein, a compound that can affect the central nervous system and damage nerve cells. Acrolein reacts with proteins and lipids that make up cells, including neurons. Hydralazine sequesters acrolein and acrolein-protein compounds, leading to their expulsion from the body.

Shi's research focuses on discovering the effective dosage levels to combat acrolein.

"Hydralazine usage in pediatric patients is 7.5 mg per kg of body weight, but we began testing at a much lower ratio: 1 mg per kg of body weight, which has turned out to be effective in delaying the onset of symptoms and lowering their severity in an animal model of MS," he said. "We have discovered that this dosage level does not cause a significant blood pressure drop or other side effects associated with using higher dosage levels for extended periods of time. We expect that potential use in human MS patients would be at significantly lower doses than the treatment for hypertension."

Hydralazine therapy for MS is not ready for clinical usage said Shi, a medical doctor and a professor of neuroscience and biomedical engineering in Purdue's Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Center for Paralysis Research and Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering.

Shi's first study, published in the journal Neuroscience, tested hydralazine's effectiveness before MS symptoms developed. He will follow up with studies to identify optimal treatment timing and dosage.

"We currently are testing to see if hydralazine can reduce symptoms if treatment starts after they begin," he said. "If the drug continues to prove effective, we have good reason to think it might be useful in human MS patients."

Shi has applied for a provisional patent on his research through the Purdue Research Foundation's Office of Technology Commercialization, which is looking for a commercialization partner. The research is available for licensing through Joseph Trebley, senior project manager for the Office of Technology Commercialization, at 765-588-3832, [email protected].