Sugar molecule supplement may improve MS symptoms

In a small clinical trial involving 34 adults with multiple sclerosis (MS), the supplementation of the sugar molecule N-acetylglucosamine, or GlcNAc, was observed to reduce markers of inflammation.

Additionally, nearly one-third of the trial participants reported a decrease in the severity of disability after a month of daily GlcNAc supplements. However, it’s important to note that this study lacked a control group, as all patients received GlcNAc treatment, prompting researchers to call for further placebo-controlled trials to assess GlcNAc’s effects on MS treatment.

GlcNAc is a naturally occurring sugar in the body that plays a role in glycosylation, a molecular process involving the attachment of sugar molecules to specific proteins. Preclinical studies in models of MS suggested that GlcNAc supplementation could mitigate inflammation and support myelin repair.

To investigate GlcNAc’s impact on people with MS, researchers conducted this small clinical trial, which included participants with various forms of MS, such as relapsing-remitting, primary progressive, and secondary progressive disease. However, participants couldn’t have experienced a relapse in the three months before enrolling, and most were female, with an average age of 54.3 years.

The trial began with three weeks of screening, followed by four weeks during which participants received GlcNAc supplements at either 6 or 12 grams per day. An additional four-week safety screening period concluded the study.

Safety data indicated that GlcNAc supplements were generally well-tolerated, with no reports of serious side effects. Half of the patients receiving the higher GlcNAc dose reported mild digestive symptoms like bloating, flatulence, or loose stools, but these issues did not prevent participants from completing the trial.

Biomarker data revealed that patients receiving the higher GlcNAc dose experienced a significant reduction in levels of several pro-inflammatory signaling molecules implicated in MS, including IFN-gamma, IL-6, and IL-17. Levels of IL-10, an anti-inflammatory molecule, were also reduced among patients receiving the higher dose. Additionally, the higher supplement dose led to decreases in levels of neurofilament light chain (NfL), a marker of nerve damage.

Several patients reported a reduction in disability following GlcNAc supplementation, as evidenced by lower scores on the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). Specifically, 28% of patients receiving the lower dose and 31% of those receiving the higher dose reported improved EDSS scores, indicating less severe disability. One patient in each group experienced an increase in EDSS scores, indicating worsened disability.

After excluding one participant who did not follow the protocol due to a lung infection and subsequent relapse, the analysis revealed that 30% of patients experienced disability improvements, while 3% experienced worsening. Among the 10 patients with confirmed disability improvements, the average reduction in EDSS scores was 0.52 points.

The researchers stressed that this was a small, short study with no placebo group, so further research will be needed to confirm whether GlcNAc supplements can in fact provide benefits for people with MS.