title: The potential role for statins in the treatment of multiple sclerosis.
abstract: In 1995, it was observed that the administration of statins to heart transplant patients resulted in fewer episodes of rejection, thus a role for statins in the treatment of inflammatory disease was suggested. To date, the results of a single, open-label trial in multiple sclerosis patients have demonstrated that treatment with one of the statins, simvastatin, reduced the number and volume of lesions, as observed using gadolinium-enhancing magnetic resonance imaging. While the results of this first study seem promising, the rationale for using a cholesterol-lowering drug in a demyelinating disease must be addressed, in addition to the potential problems that the side effects of statins may produce in multiple sclerosis patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Otago Medical School, Dunedin, New Zealand. cynthia.darlington@stonebow.otago.ac.nz
authors.forename: Cynthia L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Darlington
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D019821:Simvastatin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D019821:Simvastatin