LDN Update: The Benefits of LDN in Autoimmune Disease

By Elaine Moore

Mounting evidence shows that LDN offers more than a promise. At the 3rd Annual LDN Conference, researchers gathered to share their latest findings.

Evidence that low dose naltrexone (LDN) offers benefits in multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases continues to mount. In October, researchers gathered at the Third Annual LDN Conference at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee to present the latest findings.

Recent Studies and Future Trials

• Jill Smith published the first successful trial of LDN in Crohn’s disease in the American Journal of Gastroenterology in January 2007. At the conference, Dr. Smith described the progress she’s seeing in the Phase II trial of LDN in Crohn’s disease.
• Researchers at University of California San Francisco have reported success with their ongoing trial assessing the benefits of LDN for patients with multiple sclerosis.
• Dr. Pat Crowley from Ireland described the success seen in 50 multiple sclerosis patients he’s currently treating for multiple sclerosis.
• At Dr. Bihari’s office in New York City, six clinical trials are in progress for patients with lymphoma, HIV infections, multiple sclerosis, and other autoimmune diseases.
• Dr. Terry Grossman is successfully using LDN for stage IV renal cancer.
• Dr. Burt Berkson from New Mexico is using LDN for various cancers and autoimmune diseases. His work on lymphoma has been published in the medical journal Integrative Cancer Therapeutics September 2007.
• The Institutional Review Board in Bamako, Mali, has approved plans as of September 2007 for a clinical trial of LDN in HIV-infected citizens of Mali—the first scientific study of LDN for HIV/AIDS, which will be overseen by Dr. Jaquelyn McCandless, who has also seen success in using LDN for children with autism.
• A multi-institutional clinical trial of LDN for MS has begun in Italy by Dr. Maira Gironi.
• A clinical trial of LDN in the treatment of fibromyalgia at Stanford Medical Center was implemented in mid-2007.
• The National MS Society has awarded a small grant for a study at Penn State of naltrexone for an animal model of a disease that mimics MS.
• Animal research on neurodegeneration at NIEHS has suggested a protective role for naltrexone.

Immune Effects of LDN

Low dose naltrexone benefits patients with autoimmune diseases in many ways. The results of studies indicate that LDN has several distinct attributes.

• LDN reduces inflammation
• LDN reduces oxidative stress
• LDN reduces apoptosis of oligodendrocytes in MS
• LDN down regulates but doesn’t eliminate inflammatory cytokines LDN increases beta endorphin levels
• LDN facilitates tissue repair and wound healing
• LDN stimulates the release of neurotrophic factor from astroglia
• LDN restores CD4 levels in HIV infection
• LDN increases levels of NK lymphocytes

© 9 Nov 2007 Copyrighted by Elaine Moore