An already known molecule, studied for a completely different purpose, could change the future of progressive multiple sclerosis.
This is what emerges from research published today in the journal Science Translational Medicine, which demonstrates for the first time the possibility of protecting neurons and repairing myelin in experimental models of the disease.
The molecule is called bavisant and was found to be the most promising of over 1,500 already approved drugs , analyzed using an innovative artificial intelligence-based screening system. This result marks a crucial step forward, especially for progressive forms of multiple sclerosis, which have always been the most difficult to treat.
The work is the result of the international consortium BRAVEinMS, founded in 2017 with the support of the International Progressive MS Alliance, of which the Italian Multiple Sclerosis Association (AISM) and its Foundation (FISM) are founding members and funders.
A scientific alliance that brought together some of the most important research centers in the world , from the University of California in San Francisco to the San Raffaele in Milan, passing through Paris, Montreal, Münster, Mainz and the Istituto Superiore di Sanità.
The starting question was simple: is it possible to reuse existing drugs to fight multiple sclerosis?
Using advanced computational models and AI, the researchers progressively narrowed the number of candidate molecules: from 1,500 to 273, then 32, then 6, until they finally found bavisant, a drug known as an H3 histamine receptor antagonist, already used for sleep and wakefulness disorders.
In experimental models of multiple sclerosis, bavisant has demonstrated a dual action never observed before with such clarity: on the one hand, it stimulates the cells that produce myelin to repair nerve fibers, on the other, it protects neurons from degenerative damage.
"We demonstrated that bavisant promotes both remyelination and neuroprotection," explains Svetlana Bezukladova, lead author of the study . This result was obtained not only in animal models, but also in organoids derived from human cells, both from healthy subjects and from people with multiple sclerosis.
A fundamental step, because it brings research closer to what actually happens in the human brain.
According to Paola Panina, co-senior author of the study , the value of this work goes beyond the single result: "For the first time, we demonstrate that a systematic approach, based on human models, can lead to the identification of molecules capable of regenerating myelin and protecting neurons in progressive multiple sclerosis."
A vision shared by Professor Gianvito Martino, coordinator of BRAVEinMS, who speaks of a true research platform: "We not only have a candidate ready for the final stage of clinical trials, but also over 30 potentially usable new molecules. And above all, a scientific tool capable of transforming knowledge into treatments."
In short, a result that confirms the far-sightedness of investments in basic and translational research .
"We believed in neural stem cells when their potential wasn't fully understood," Martino emphasizes. This choice now allows us to develop experimental models that are much closer to the reality of the disease.
For Mario Alberto Battaglia, president of FISM, the BRAVEinMS data demonstrate that "investing in shared research geared toward the needs of people with progressive multiple sclerosis is a winning strategy."
Work is now moving toward evaluating human clinical trials. The new €700,000 funding announced by the International Progressive MS Alliance also supports this goal.
There's no talk yet of a cure, but something perhaps equally important: a new, concrete possibility, based on solid data, international collaboration, and an innovative approach. For millions of people with progressive multiple sclerosis, this news rekindles hope—without illusions—but with a stronger scientific foundation than ever.
