A Diet Mimicking Fasting Promotes Regeneration and Reduces Autoimmunity and Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms

TLDR

Dietary interventions have not proven effective for treating multiple sclerosis. Periodic 3‑day fasting‑mimicking diet cycles reduced clinical severity, reversed symptoms in 20 % of mice, promoted oligodendrocyte precursor regeneration and remyelination in EAE and cuprizone models—likely via increased corticosterone, Treg cells, and decreased pro‑inflammatory cytokines—and preliminary data suggest it is safe, feasible, and potentially effective in relapsing‑remitting MS patients.

Abstract

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).