The Researching the Effectiveness of a nutraceuticaL Intervention for multiplE sclerosis-related Fatigue (RELIEF) Trial

Why is this important?
Fatigue and depression can be a major problem for people with multiple sclerosis. Existing medications mainly aim at immunomodulation but do not target these symptoms. New treatments are needed to improve these symptoms.

One of the most promising possible new treatments is a combined mitochondrial nutraceutical therapy, a nutrient therapy designed to boost the production of mitochondria, the part of our cells responsible for energy production.

The RELIEF Trial is the first trial to assess this therapy and currently recruiting from sites across Australia.

How are we doing this trial?
The RELIEF trial, lead by researchers at the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute and in collaboration with the Food & Mood Centre, is a randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial that is recruiting 150 participants from Australian clinics. Participants will be required to consume the trial capsules (active or placebo) each day for 16-weeks and attend 4 site visits over 20 weeks. During this period, this trial will assess outcomes including fatigue, mood, lifestyle behaviours (e.g. sleep, diet, exercise), quality of life, and cognitive fatigue (via a computerised assessment tool). Blood, urine, and stool samples will also be collected to measure metabolomic, microbiome, genomic, and inflammatory outcomes.

What are we hoping to find?
The RELIEF trial aims to

• Evaluate the extent that a combined mitochondrial nutraceutical therapy improves fatigue in people with MS.
• To identify new metabolomic biomarkers that can be used to monitor multiple sclerosis disease activity more rapidly and precisely than existing routine tests.
• Better understand the role gut-brain axis in symptoms of fatigue in people with MS.

This trial is funded by the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF)