Context:
- Increasing evidence suggests that the gut-brain axis plays a key role in the pathogenesis of MS.
- MS is associated with an altered gut microbiome and increased intestinal permeability, potentially allowing pathogens to stimulate an immune response that affects the central nervous system.
- Microbiome-targeted therapies such as probiotics, have the potential to offer an alternative therapeutic approach to drug-based symptom management.
Aim: To assess the feasibility, acceptability, safety and potential efficacy of a probiotic (SymproveTM, UK) intervention for pwMS.
Design and methods:
- Mixed-methods, single-arm feasibility trial, recruited through online MS groups and using remote data collection.
- Data collected pre and post a 12-week probiotic intervention, with focus groups conducted after 12-weeks.
- Primary outcomes were recruitment, retention, adherence, acceptability and safety.
- Secondary outcomes included quality-of-life and MS symptoms.
Results:
- Out of 32 eligible participants, 29 were recruited (90.6%), adherence to the intervention was excellent (98.8%), with 26 (89.7) participants retained at 12-week follow-up.
- Mild gastrointestinal symptoms were expected and transient.
- Taking the probiotic was reported as acceptable, scoring highly in all 7 acceptability domains, this was further reflected in the qualitative data.
- Self-report questionnaire data for overall quality-of-life and cognitive function scores were
significantly improved (p=0.007) at 12-weeks.
Conclusion:
- 12-week probiotic intervention was feasible, safe and acceptable to pwMS.
- Improvements in health-related outcomes suggest probiotics could play a role in symptom
management. - Further research is recommended to verify these findings.
View the conference poster at: https://mstrust.org.uk/sites/default/files/2025-04/conference_2025_feasibility_acceptability_probiotics_ms_carter.pdf
