The translocator protein ligand XBD173 improves clinical symptoms and neuropathological markers in the SJL/J mouse model of multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a severe autoimmune disease characterized by inflammatory, demyelinating and neurodegenerative components causing motor, sensory, visual and/or cognitive symptoms. The relapsing-remitting MS affecting 85% of patients is reliably mimicked by the proteolipid-protein (PLP)-induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) SJL/J-mouse model. Significant progress was made for MS treatment but the development of effective therapies devoid of severe side-effects remains a great challenge.

γ-Hydroxybutyrate (Xyrem) ameliorates clinical symptoms and neuropathology in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

The chronic decrease of brain amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides is an emerging therapeutic for Alzheimer's disease, but no such treatment has achieved clinical validation yet. In vivo, some brain proteases, including neprilysin, possess the ability of degrading Aβ and experimental data suggest their exploitation in strategies to reduce cerebral Aβ concentration. Previous studies have shown that pharmacologic doses of gamma-hydroxybutyrate (sodium oxybate or Xyrem) induce histone deacetylases (HDACs) inhibition and neprilysin gene expression.