TB vaccine may help prevent multiple sclerosis

A vaccine used to prevent tuberculosis in other parts of the world may help prevent multiple sclerosis (MS) in people who show the beginning signs of the disease, according to a new study published in the December 4, 2013, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study involved 73 people who had a first episode that was suggestive of MS, such as numbness, vision problems or problems with balance, and an MRI that showed signs of possible MS. About half of all people in this situation, called clinically isolated syndrome, develop definite MS within two years, while 10 percent have no more MS-related problems. For the study, 33 of the participants received one injection of a live vaccine called Bacille Calmette-Guérin, which is used in other countries to prevent tuberculosis, but is not used for that in the United States. The other participants received a...