Magic beans! Coffee may prevent multiple sclerosis
Last updated 01/07/2008 00:46:15
It's long been known for its stimulating benefits and now it seems a cup of coffee might be just the wake-up call scientists need to prevent multiple sclerosis.
A new study co-authored by Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation scientist Linda Thompson found that mice immunised to develop an MS-like condition were protected from the disease by drinking caffeine.
"This is an exciting and unexpected finding, and I think it could be important for the study of MS and other diseases," Ms Thompson said. The research holds potential for lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases - conditions in which the body uses the weapons of its immune system against itself.
In the study, done in collaboration with Cornell University and Finland's University of Turku, researchers followed the progress of mice that normally developed an MS-like condition. But the scientists found that when the rodents consumed the equivalent of six to eight cups of coffee a day, they did not develop of the condition.
The discovery could lead to new ways to prevent and treat MS. The caffeine stopped adenosine (one of the four building blocks in DNA) from binding to an adenosine receptor in mice.