Mice with an animal form of multiple sclerosis (MS) displayed slowed disease progression when scientists blocked the activity of a hormone called leptin, found primarily in fat cells.The Italian team studied experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in mice -- a commonly used animal model for researchers investigating MS."We are the first to report that leptin blockage can alter the EAE symptoms in mice,” said Dr. Giuseppe Matarese, of the Universita di Napoli in Napoli, Italy. He is the lead author of the report, published in the February issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
