Deciphering the potential of the serotonin 5-HT7 receptor and its innovative ligands for therapeutic applications in multiple sclerosis – SerozeroSEP

The SerozeroSEP project aims to study the serotonin 5-HT7 receptor as a new therapeutic target for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS), a disease caused by dysfunction of the immune system, leading to brain damage (demyelination, axonal injury and neuroinflammation). While treatments exist to slow the progression of the disease, there is no treatment to cure patients. The 5-HT7 receptor, already known to be involved in other chronic inflammatory diseases, is present on both immune and brain cells. We have recently identified a biased ligand of this receptor with innovative pharmacological properties, which is able to reduce clinical and pathological signs in an animal model of MS. In this project, we want to understand its therapeutic potential at both the central and peripheral levels through a multidisciplinary approach that relies on complementary skills of the different partners. The consortium brings together synthetic chemists, neuropharmacologists, neurobiologists with strong expertise in MS and neuro-imaging scientists.