Could a chance discovery—ingredients in sunscreen!?—be a key to unlocking MS secrets?

[ActiveMSers]

BREAKING: Could a chance discovery—ingredients in sunscreen!?—be a key to unlocking multiple sclerosis secrets? In an EAE experiment (i.e., in mice) "sunscreen served to suppress the disease’s progression." Whoa. I might have to start slathering on the Coppertone if this success translates to humans. Interesting find. Read the article in The Economist:

https://www.economist.com/news/scien...nding-may-lead

[Suebee]

Loss of tail tone!

First, lets have chuckle about the "loss of tail tone" from MS. Yah, I hate when that happens!!!


Dave this is an AWESOME accidental discovery! Thanks for posting this. I put coopertone on my grocery list. No brainer here in Texas anyway. But, I'm not in the science field so can anyone chime in about how this came about....
It looks like from article that scientists worked from premise that people in southern latitudes have more exposure to sun and less MS in population ....
which leads to idea that sun gives vit D (which MSers often lack) and helps immune system...
which lead to known fact that sunscreen blocks UV and will decrease sun absorbing on skin ...
therefore, these scientists hypothesis (which was proven wrong) was that sunscreen will allow MS to progress ...
But the trial showed sunscreen slowed MS,...
Thus as I understand the article, scientists were surprised and determined that active ingredients in Coppertone and some other sunscreens "homosalate and octisalate" kept the loss of tail tone (rodent version of multiple sclerosis) in check....
Wow, scientists don't know why but suspect it is because these substances
" inhibit production of cyclooxygenase, an enzyme commonly found in the lesions characteristic of multiple sclerosis"

So, other than leaving all us MSers smelling like coconut sunscreen, where does this leave our understanding about UV light, the sun, and vitamin D on the immune system.???
:confused

[Suebee]

I bought my Coppertone. At worst Im protected from bad effects from sun. The article listed Coppertone spray but Coppertone Ultra guard 50 had identicle ingrediants and strengtg. It had a light suncreen smell and is called "non-greasy". A quick internet search shows some scientists are skeptical that the ingrediants which slowed progression of induced MS like disease in mice does not translate to slowing MS disease immune disease progression in humans. I had difficulty figuring out the scientific difference between induced MS like disease and the real mccoy so maybe someone else with a science background can shed light on why or why not sunscreen might slow MS