Blood pressure drugs may offer treatment for multiple sclerosis

Sometimes existing drugs are found to be helpful for other afflictions and a new study suggests just that. German and American researchers report that the conventional blood pressure drugs in the classes known as ACE inhibitors and AT1R blockers can suppress inflammation in mice suffering from an autoimmune disease that mimics multiple sclerosis. Previous research suggests that the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) a set of messengers and receptors that regulates blood pressure also plays a decisive role in immunological processes. As a result of this encouraging data in mice, clinical trials will begin soon to determine the efficacy of ACE inhibitors in MS patients. If these blood pressure medications work to treat MS, it could mean a cheaper, safer alternative to current MS drugs.