Researchers Discover Potential Vitamin-D Based Treatment For MS

U.S. researchers using mouse models have discovered a vitamin D-based treatment that can halt and even reverse the course of multiple sclerosis (MS), a debilitating autoimmune disease that afflicts around 400,000 people nationwide. The researchers gave mice that exhibit MS symptoms a single dose of calcitriol, the active hormone form of vitamin D. They then boosted their diet with vitamin D supplements. Comparing various vitamin D-based treatments to standard MS drugs, the researchers found that in each case, vitamin D-based treatments was more effective. Mice that received vitamin D treatment showed fewer physical symptoms and cellular signs of disease.