Ultraviolet light therapy may help reduce inflammation in MS

A small clinical trial has found that narrowband ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) light therapy may help reduce inflammation and disease severity in people living with MS.

Researchers used Octave’s MS Disease Activity scale to measure changes in disease activity. After around three months of NB-UVB therapy, most participants who were originally classed as having high disease severity no longer fell into that group.

The study, published in Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders, analysed blood samples from the PhoCIS trial, which involved 20 people with clinically isolated syndrome, an early form of MS. Half received standard treatment, while the others underwent NB-UVB therapy three times a week for eight weeks.

Results showed that inflammatory protein levels dropped in those who received phototherapy and remained lower for at least a month after treatment ended. Participants also reported less fatigue and better social function.

Researchers say these findings suggest NB-UVB therapy has an anti-inflammatory effect that may help stabilise immune activity in MS. A larger Phase 2 trial is now planned to further test its impact on fatigue and other MS symptoms.