British researchers have hailed the first clinical trial of a radical new approach to the treatment of multiple sclerosis, which affects some 85,000 people in the UK and as many as 2.5m worldwide.

Scientists from Bristol University and its spin-out company Apitope on Wednesday disclose their analysis of the initial safety tests on six patients of the experimental MS vaccine, code-named ATX-MS-1467, which rebalances the immune system.