Cure and prevention is the ultimate dream of both researchers and sufferers alike. A cure will require two criteria to be met. Firstly, remyelination of demyelinated axons necessary for them to recover their lost functions and secondly, control of the immune system to stop it attacking the new myelin. Although a complete cure may seem a dream, there is much cause for optimism. There are many strategies that are being investigated currently and a breakthrough may come not only from research on MS, but also from research on other related neurological disorders.
Many promising treatments are still in the experimental stages or are undergoing clinical trials.
Then there are attempts to remyelinate the axons. Myelin is produced by highly specialised cells called oligodendrocytes. Unfortunately, an adult brain has a limited supply of these cells and the cells themselves only have a limited life when they are actively producing myelin. In the relapsing-remitting stage of MS, these cells produce myelin for the nerve fibres faster than the cells of the immune system break it down. As the disease advances, the production of myelin cannot keep pace with its destruction.