INVENTION NOVELTY
This molecule, through its action on a unique target that is different from current therapeutic treatments for MS, has both immunosuppressive and neuromodulatory properties that will better prevent the progression of MS and repair the neuronal damage caused by the immune cells in MS. Currently, there are no MS drugs in the market that have neuromodulatory property, which in itself makes this compound innovative, and this molecule has additional benefit of immunosuppression that is also vital in treating MS.
VALUE PROPOSITION
This molecule improves the neurological symptoms by increasing the differentiation of OPCs. Treatment of mouse-derived neurospheres, which are clusters of neural stem cells, with the compound resulted in increased levels of O4 (an oligodendrocyte marker) expression. Increase in OPC differentiation can result in increased remyelination of neurons, which is crucial in treating MS, a demyelinating disease.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Johns Hopkins researchers have tested their novel compound in an experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) mouse model for multiple sclerosis. The mice are immunized with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG), which induces demyelination of neurons resulting in muscle weakness and paralysis, which are also observed in human MS, and is therefore a standard mouse model for MS. When the compound was injected into mice with EAE, the neurological symptoms were almost completely abolished. cells have already taken place, and therefore, only the neurological deficits remain with very minor immune activation. Results from this experiment showed that there was an improvement in the neurological symptoms, suggesting that this molecule could also repair the CNS damage created by the immune cells. Publication: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2018 Feb 27;115(9):2186-2191
