Azathioprine trial shows lesion reduction in MS"Azathioprine (Imuran) is an immunosuppressant that disrupts the synthesis of DNA and RNA; it is used to prevent rejection of kidney transplants and is also used to treat lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and colitis. It has been evaluated in a few studies as a possible MS treatment, most recently in combination with steroids and interferon beta, and has shown encouraging results. However, its efficacy as a monotherapy has not yet been fully explored, in particular its effect on lesion formation.....The authors noted that the lesion suppression results seen were similar to those obtained for different IFN-b drugs using the same study design. They suggest that azathioprine be considered a possible alternative to the currently approved MS disease-modifying drugs."