A Diet Mimicking Fasting Promotes Regeneration and Reduces Autoimmunity and Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms
In Young Choi,
Laura Piccio,
Patra Childress,
Bryan Bollman,
Arko Ghosh,
Sebastian Brandhorst,
Jorge Suarez,
Andreas Michalsen,
Anne H. Cross,
Todd E. Morgan,
Min Wei,
Friedemann Paul,
Markus Bock,
Valter D. Longo
Affiliations
In Young Choi
Longevity Institute, School of Gerontology, and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
Laura Piccio
Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery and Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
Patra Childress
Global Medicine Program, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
Bryan Bollman
Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery and Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
Arko Ghosh
Department of Neuroscience, Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
Sebastian Brandhorst
Longevity Institute, School of Gerontology, and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
Jorge Suarez
Longevity Institute, School of Gerontology, and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
Andreas Michalsen
Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité University Medicine Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
Anne H. Cross
Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery and Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
Todd E. Morgan
Longevity Institute, School of Gerontology, and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
Min Wei
Longevity Institute, School of Gerontology, and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
Friedemann Paul
NeuroCure Clinical Research Center and Clinical and Experimental Multiple Sclerosis Research Center, Department of Neurology, Charité University Medicine Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
Markus Bock
NeuroCure Clinical Research Center and Clinical and Experimental Multiple Sclerosis Research Center, Department of Neurology, Charité University Medicine Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
Valter D. Longo
Longevity Institute, School of Gerontology, and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
Dietary interventions have not been effective in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). Here, we show that periodic 3-day cycles of a fasting mimicking diet (FMD) are effective in ameliorating demyelination and symptoms in a murine experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model. The FMD reduced clinical severity in all mice and completely reversed symptoms in 20% of animals. These improvements were associated with increased corticosterone levels and regulatory T (Treg) cell numbers and reduced levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, TH1 and TH17 cells, and antigen-presenting cells (APCs). Moreover, the FMD promoted oligodendrocyte precursor cell regeneration and remyelination in axons in both EAE and cuprizone MS models, supporting its effects on both suppression of autoimmunity and remyelination. We also report preliminary data suggesting that an FMD or a chronic ketogenic diet are safe, feasible, and potentially effective in the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients (NCT01538355).
