Nah, Cary, I am no longer in touch with academics other than close friends whose work I don't understand.
:-)
Presumably these guys???.........
Prog Brain Res. 2009;175:239-51.
Estrogen and testosterone therapies in multiple sclerosis.
Gold SM, Voskuhl RR.
Department of Neurology, Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
It has been known for decades that females are more susceptible than men to inflammatory autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriasis. In addition, female patients with these diseases experience clinical improvements during pregnancy with a temporary "rebound" exacerbation postpartum. These clinical observations indicate an effect of sex hormones on disease and suggest the potential use of the male hormone testosterone and the pregnancy hormone estriol, respectively, for the treatment of MS. A growing number of studies using the MS animal model experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) support a therapeutic effect of these hormones. Both testosterone and estriol have been found to induce anti-inflammatory as well as neuroprotective effects. Findings from two recent pilot studies of transdermal testosterone in male MS patients and oral estriol in female MS patients are encouraging. In this paper, we review the preclinical and clinical evidence for sex hormone treatments in MS and discuss potential mechanisms of action.
J Neurol Sci. 2009 Nov 15;286(1-2):99-103. Epub 2009 Jun 18.
Estrogen treatment in multiple sclerosis.
Gold SM, Voskuhl RR.
Department of Neurology, Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, USA.
Currently available treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS) reduce inflammatory lesions on MRI and decrease clinical relapses but have limited effects on disability. Novel treatment options that target both the inflammatory as well as the neurodegenerative component of the disease are therefore needed. A growing body of evidence from basic science and clinical studies supports the therapeutic potential of estrogens in MS. Mechanisms of action include both immunomodulatory and directly neuroprotective pathways. A first pilot trial of oral estriol treatment showed encouraging results. There are now several phase II trials underway to further determine the efficacy of estrogen treatment in MS. |
