New project ‘offers hope to MLD sufferers’

New trials planned for the treatment of metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD), a hereditary condition affecting the nerves, could yield hope for its sufferers, according to Dr Belle Humphrey, director of the Myelin Project.

MLD is a genetic disorder whereby the enzyme responsible for removing products harmful to myelin, the material used for the creation of the protective sheaths surrounding the nerves, is deficient. Without the enzyme, sulfatides build up around the nerves and destroy their myelin coating, leaving the nerves without insulation and subsequently impairing their ability to conduct electrical impulses.

This leads to a variety of symptoms including difficulty moving, progressive loss of vision, convulsions, paralysis and comas.

However, a new enzyme replacement therapy has been tested in rats and the Myelin Project intends to raise two million pounds to begin human trials, to help patients like Luke Carthy, a five year-old from Cheadle Hulme.

Dr Belle Humphrey, director of the Myelin project, told BBC One’s North West Tonight: “There?s not been any kind of therapy for MLD so I wouldn?t call it a last ditch attempt. Hopefully it?s the first step of true hope and the light at the end of the tunnel for children like Luke.”

According to experts, MLD affects one in 40,000 Britons.

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