
Using human brain tissue to test myelin repair drugs
In MS, the immune system attacks the protective coating around nerves, called myelin. Thanks to research, we now have over 20 drugs that can dampen down this immune attack. But so far, trials searching for a myelin repair treatment haven’t been successful.
Before a myelin repair drug is tested in people with MS, it’s usually tested in rodents with an MS-like condition. But animal brain tissue isn’t exactly the same as human tissue. So it can’t fully replicate how we’ll respond to a drug. For example, there could be different side effects, or myelin repair might not work as well. This could be why remyelination trials haven’t been successful so far. The team will test a new screening process for potential myelin treatments that could solve this.
About the project
Joanne’s team will collect human brain tissue that’s been removed and discarded during brain surgery for other conditions. They’ll prepare the tissue and apply a special chemical to cause myelin damage. Then they’ll test whether the drug clemastine, which has been shown to repair myelin in mice, does the same in human tissue.
If successful, the model could be used to screen other potential drugs. The team hope using human brain tissue instead of animals will give a much more reliable prediction of how the drugs could perform in clinical trials.
How will it help people with MS?
If effective, this method of screening drugs could help us find a myelin repair treatment sooner. It could also mean people with MS taking part in trials are less likely to be exposed to ineffective drugs.