"Multiple sclerosis patients may eventually benefit from a novel treatment that takes aim at the abnormal behavior of a specific type of immune cell preliminary research suggests. The errant behavior of the cells in question  known as B cells  is viewed as key to the development of this chronic and disabling nervous system disease commonly called MS. The new therapys potential is only in the early stages of exploration cautions an international study team comprised of researchers from the United States Canada Switzerland and the Netherlands in the report published in the Nov.  online edition of The Lancet. But initial indications suggest that the new antibody drug called ocrelizumab successfully targets these renegade cells with hopeful results a significant reduction in diseaserelated inflammatory brain lesions. Our findings show that ocrelizumab rapidly suppresses inflammatory activity noted the study authors led by Dr. Ludwig Kappos from the University Hospital Basel Switzerland in a journal news release. Describing the targeting of B cells as an innovative therapeutic approach Kappos and his colleagues reported that in testing among  patients the drugs impact on lesions was rapid and pronounced. Whats more to date the treatment appears to be safe. The study authors noted that MS is a progressively debilitating disease that attacks an individuals central nervous system disrupting the normal brain spinal cord and optic nerve function. A classic characteristic of the disease is inflammation which takes the form of brain lesions. The immune systems T cells have long been implicated in disease progression but the notion that B cells may also play a major role is relatively new. With this new potential target in mind researchers configured ocrelizumab to specifically focus on a protein CD found on the surface of certain B cells. To test the drug Kappos and his team recruited patients aged  to  seeking MS treatment in  centers in  countries. The patients were divided into four groups treated with a low dose of ocrelizumab  milligrams a high dose of ocrelizumab  mg a wellknown MS inflammation treatment known as intramuscular interferon betaa or a sugar pill placebo. After  weeks some of the doses were adjusted. The result at week  all of the patients receiving either dose of ocrelizumab fared better in terms of lesion count than either the placebo or standard treatment groups. The number of active lesions had dropped  percent more among the mg group compared with those getting a placebo. Similarly those in the mg group experienced a  percent bigger drop in lesions. Whats more relapse rates were much lower among those taking the new drug in contrast to those taking a placebo. The investigators further noted that even eight months after treatment launch no serious adverse effects were directly attributable to the new drug. That said Dr. Moses Rodriguez a professor of neurology and immunology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minn. disputed the premise that ocrelizumab is shaping up as anything new and innovative. In fact theres nothing novel about this at all he said. There is another drug called rituximab thats been in early trials for MS for years. And all this new drug is attempting to do is replicate the same that rituximab already does. And I see no major advantage of this drug versus that older drug. Its not better or worse. Its the same Rodriguez noted. So bottomline I would not sell this as a major breakthrough in MS cautioned Rodriguez. Its not. Funding for the study was provided by F. HoffmannLa Roche and Biogen Idec. Inc. More information For more on multiple sclerosis visit the U.S. National Library of Medicine http SOURCES The Lancet news release Oct.   Moses Rodriguez M.D. professor neurology and immunology Mayo Clinic Rochester Minn."