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Project

Phloretin: A promising therapeutic strategy to prevent disease progression in multiple sclerosis. (R-12625)

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common disabling neurological condition among young adults. Current therapies reduce disease activity but are unable to stop neurological decline as disease advances. Therefore, there is an urgent need for therapies that are not only effective in the early, relapse-remitting stage of the disease, but also in the chronic stage when endogenous repair mechanisms frequently fail and neurodegeneration prevails. Emerging evidence indicates that fatty acid metabolism controls the inflammatory and regenerative properties of immune and glia cells in MS, and represents a promising therapeutic target that is highly receptive for dietary modulation. Our preliminary data indicate that phloretin, a phytonutrient present in apples and strawberries, possesses both immunomodulatory and reparative properties, and controls fatty acid metabolism. Therefore, we hypothesize that phloretin improves MS pathology by inducing a cellular metabolic phenotype that suppresses neuroinflammation and promotes CNS repair. By using innovative state-of-the-art techniques and pre-clinical MS models, and conducting a human study, we here aim to identify the mode of action of phloretin and assess its potential to slow down or even halt MS disease progression. Findings from this study will pave the way for phloretin as an add-on therapy for MS and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Date:1 Jan 2022 →  Today
Keywords:fatty acid metabolism, immunomodulation, multiple sclerosis, phloretin, remyelination
Disciplines:Adaptive immunology, Autoimmunity, Inflammation, Innate immunity