Diabetic Mice Provide a Surprising Breakthrough for Multiple
Sclerosis Research Thursday, January 5, 2012 New laboratory
approach could aid brain recovery, TAU research finds In humans,
active periods of the debilitating disease Multiple Sclerosis
(MS) can last for mere minutes or extend to weeks at a time.
They're caused by lesions in the brain that develop, partly
heal, and then recur. Research into a cure has been difficult,
because to date scientists have not been able to replicate these
brain recurring symptoms in laboratory mice. That's frustrating
because these lab animals, known as animal "models," are the
primary tool for research into the mechanisms and potential
treatments for MS. But now, by using a mouse model for diabetes
instead, Dr. Dan Frenkel of Tel Aviv University's Department of
Neurobiology, working alongside Prof. Yaniv Assaf and Ph.D.
student Hilit Levy, may provide a surprising breakthrough for
research into a cure for MS. The team has discovered that when
mice with Type 1 Diabetes are