Discovery of novel drug molecules to promote remyelination in MS

Myelin is a key player in the correct functioning of nerve transmission. It surrounds nerve fibres like a sheath, protecting them and allowing the transmission of nerve messages between the brain, the spinal cord and the rest of the body. In MS, the myelin and the cells that produce it become damaged, causing the symptoms of MS.

Current disease modifying therapies (DMTs) do not directly repair myelin and are ineffective in treating progressive MS. Recently, a protein called GPR17 was found in brain cells responsible for generating the myelin sheath. GPR17 plays a critical role in the maturation and formation of myelin and activating GPR17 can stop the formation of myelin. Thus, blocking GPR17 is a new strategy to promote myelination in MS. However, current blocking molecules fall short as they only weakly block GPR17 and they also unintentionally block the activity of another protein, limiting their utility.

Dr Sheng Yu Ang and Dr Rocio de la Fuente Gonzalez aim to discover new molecules that will lay the foundation for the development of superior GPR17 blockers. They will run experiments on a chemical library to identify GPR17 blockers that can be developed into therapies to promote remyelination in people with MS.