CHEMISTRY FOR LIFE SCIENCES
Individuation of the S100B protein as a therapeutic target in multiple sclerosis pathogenic processes - NaEPF 2019-041
Abstract: S100B is a calcium/zinc-binding protein secreted by mature astrocytes, associated, at high levels, with nervous tissue injury in a variety of neuropathological processes, including Multiple Sclerosis in the acute phase. An increased expression of S100B has been observed in acute demyelination and chronic active MS lesions. We propose to test in vivo the hypothesis that S100B is a promoting factor in MS pathogenesis, interfering with its synthesis or action, may have beneficial effects on disease onset and progression. We propose to explore in in vivo model of relapsing remitting experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Inhibition of S100B activity will be obtained by administration of pentamidine, which is known to block the S100B action, an antiprotozoal drug and arundic acid, which inhibits S100B synthesis in astrocytes. We aspect that inhibition of S100B, obtained by antagonizing S100B action may ameliorate the progression of the disease in mice where MS has been induced
Activity : 2019-2022
SCITEC Contact: Elisabetta Clementi e Beatrice Sampaolese Researcher of CNR unit