Patent ID: 7465715

Claim:
A method for treating an individual suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS) comprising administering to said individual an A 3 adenosine receptor agonist (A 3 RAg) wherein said A 3 RAg is a compound within the scope of the general formula (I): wherein, R 1 represents an alkyl, hydroxyalkyl, carboxyalkyl or cyanoalkyl or a group of the following general formula (II): in which: Y represents an oxygen, sulfur or CH 2 ; X 1 represents H, alkyl, R a R b NC(═O)— or HOR c —, wherein R a and R b may be the same or different and are hydrogen, alkyl, amino, haloalkyl, aminoalkyl, BOC-aminoalkyl, or cycloalkyl or are joined together to form a heterocyclic ring containing two to five carbon atoms; and R c is alkyl, amino, haloalkyl, aminoalkyl, BOC-aminoalkyl, or cycloalkyl; X 2 is H, hydroxyl, alkylamino, alkylamido or hydroxyalkyl; X 3 and X 4 represent independently hydrogen, hydroxyl, amino, amido, azido, halo, alkyl, alkoxy, carboxy, nitrilo, nitro, trifluoro, aryl, alkaryl, thio, thioester, thioether, —OCOPh, or —OC(═S)OPh or both X 3 and X 4 are oxygens connected to >C═S to form a 5-membered ring, or X 2 and X 3 form the ring of formula (III): where R′ and R″ represent independently an alkyl group; R 2 is hydrogen, halo, alkylether, amino, hydrazido, alkylamino, alkoxy, thioalkoxy, pyridylthio, alkenyl, alkynyl, thio, or alkylthio; and R 3 is a group of the formula —NR 4 R 5 , wherein R 4 is a hydrogen atom or alkyl, substituted alkyl or aryl-NH—C(Z)—, with Z being O, S, or NR a with R a having the above meanings; with the proviso that when R 4 is hydrogen then R 5 is an R— or S-1-phenylethyl, benzyl, phenylethyl or anilide group, unsubstituted or substituted in one or more positions with a substituent that is alkyl, amino, halo, haloalkyl, nitro, hydroxyl, acetoamido, alkoxy, or sulfonic acid or a salt thereof; benzodioxanemethyl, furfuryl, L-propylalanylaminobenzyl, β-alanylaminobenzyl, T-BOC-β-alanylaminobenzyl, phenylamino, carbamoyl, phenoxy or cycloalkyl; or R 5 is a group of the following formula: and with the further proviso that when R 4 is an alkyl or aryl-NH—C(Z)—, then, R 5 is heteroaryl-NR a —C(Z)—, heteroaryl-C(Z)—, alkaryl-NR a —C(Z)—, alkaryl-C(Z)—, aryl-NR—C(Z)—, or aryl-C(Z)—, Z representing an oxygen, sulfur or imine; or a physiologically acceptable salt of the above compound.