Glucosamine is a naturally occurring amino sugar found in the body and in its oral supplementary form is being used as therapy for osteoarthritis.

Glucosamine helps rebuild cartilage and treat arthritis.

Now, a dietary supplement of a glucosamine-like compound has been found to suppress the damaging autoimmune response demonstrated in multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes mellitus.

University of California, Irvine health sciences researchers found in their studies on mice that N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) inhibited the growth and function of abnormal T-cells that incorrectly direct the immune system to attack specific tissues in the body, such as brain myelin in MS and insulin-producing cells of the pancreas in diabetes.

[Autoimmune diseases such as MS and type 1 diabetes mellitus result from poorly understood interactions between inherited genetic risk and environmental exposure. MS results in neurological dysfunction, while uncontrolled blood glucose in type 1 diabetes can lead to damage of multiple organs.]

According to Dr. Michael Demetriou, assistant professor of neurology, microbiology and molecular genetics and lead author of the said study:

"This finding shows the potential of using a dietary supplement to help treat autoimmune diseases. Most importantly, we understand how this sugar-based supplement inhibits the cells that attack the body, making metabolic therapy a rational approach to prevent or treat these debilitating diseases."

Results of the study appear in the online version of the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

Find more details from the full report.