Recent developments in multiple sclerosis therapeutics

Table 3 Oral and parenteral neuroprotective and neurorestorative agents for primary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) and secondary progressive MS.

Strategy	Drug class	Agents *
Protection of oligodendrocytes/axons from oxidative injury	Antioxidants	Lipoic acid
Protection of demyelinated axons from injury	Glutamate receptor antagonists
	NMDA:	Riluzole
	AMPA/Kainate:	NBQX
		GYKI-52466
	Sodium channel blockers	Phenytoin Topiramate Lamotrigine
Promotion of remyelination	Stem cells	Embryonic, autologous
	LINGO-1	Anti-LINGO-1 antibodies
	Pregnancy hormones	Estriol
Neurotrophic factors to help restore neuronal function	Neurotrophic factors
	Glial-derived:	GDNF, IGF, CNTF, neurturin, artemin, persephin
	AMPA/Kainate:	NGF, BDNF, NT3/4

*oral agents are indicated in italics
AMPA, α-amino-3-hydroxyl-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionate; BDNF, brain-derived neurotrophic factor; CNTF, ciliary neurotrophic factor; GDNF, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor; GYKI-52466, a 2, 3-benzodiazepine; IGF, insulin-like growth factor; LINGO-1, leucine rich repeat and Ig domain-containing, Nogo Receptor-interacting protein 1; NBXX, 2, 3-dihydroxy-6-nitro-7-sulfamoyl-benzo[f]quinoxaline-2,3-dione; NMDA, N-methyl-D-aspartic acid; NGF, nerve growth factor; NT3/4, neurotrophin 3 and 4.

ISSN: 1741-7015