Prioritizing Clinical Candidates for Motor Recovery in Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis (also referred to as MS) is a chronic immune disorder of unknown cause commonly characterized by blurred vision or a loss of vision, problems with balance, and difficulties with brain function. The disease has no known cure and Canada has one of the highest prevalence rates amongst the increasing world rate. The drug pioglitazone has shown the ability to improve the tissue damage that occurs in the brain and spinal cord and the resulting common symptoms of multiple sclerosis. Olesoxime and IRX4204 are new and safe compounds that have shown similar promising characteristics to pioglitazone in their ability to improve both tissue damage and symptoms in multiple sclerosis. Olesoxime and IRX4204 will be tested and compared to pioglitazone's ability to improve multiple sclerosis symptoms. Common symptoms of multiple sclerosis lead to abnormal gait allowing it to be used as a sensitive measure of disease severity. As such, we will use an analysis of gait to compare the efficacy of pioglitazone, olesoxime and IRX4204 in mice affected by a multiple sclerosis-like disease. We will also compare how much repair occurred in the damaged brain tissue and brain cells. It is anticipated that olesoxime and IRX4204 will be as effective as pioglitazone in improving gait in mice with a multiple sclerosis-like disease. Assessing which compounds are as effective at improving gait as pioglitazone will allow us to determine which of these have a high potential to be used as treatments for multiple sclerosis.