Sainsbury Trust funds MS research

A study funded by the UK-based MS Society that examines the use of a chemical compound of the cannabis plant in people with multiple sclerosis has received a donation of L120,000 ($247,900) from the Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts.

The trial is investigating the effect of tetrahydrocannabinol - the active cannabinoid ingredient in cannabis - on the progression of disability following previous research that indicated THC may help combat nerve fiber damage and loss.

There is currently no treatment to slow down the rate of disability in MS and the Cannabinoid Use in Progressive Inflammatory brain Disease (CUPID) study led by John Zajicek, a professor at Plymouth's Peninsula Medical School, UK, is the only Phase III trial for neuro protection in MS, says the Society. Lee Dunster, head of research and information at the MS Society, said the donation would be offset against the total cost of the five-year study.