New findings may help reduce side effects of multiple sclerosis drugs

Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center have discovered how a drug for multiple sclerosis interacts with its targets, a discovery that could pave the way for better treatments road

The study, published February 8 in the journal Nature Communications, details the precise molecular structure of the multiple sclerosis drug siponimod as it interacts with its target, human S1P receptor 1 (S1P1) and off-target receptors.

"This discovery will help us improve drugs to treat multiple sclerosis and reduce their side effects," said study co-senior author Xin-Yun Huang, Ph.

In people with multiple sclerosis, a type of immune cell called lymphocyte attacks and destroys the protective sheath around nerve cells, leading to progressive neurological symptoms

The new study reveals the properties of siponimod that binds these two receptor molecules, preventing it from binding to targets such as S1P2, S1P3, and S1P4

"This new structural information will help us develop the next generation of multiple sclerosis drugs," said Dr.

The research also helps explain how naturally occurring lipids regulate the immune system, nervous system and lung function

"Lipids are highly plastic molecules, and their structures reveal how receptors use subtle differences in lipid structure to distinguish them

"This explains why lipids with very similar chemical structures can play very different roles in the body," Dr Huang said

This finding underscores the importance of carefully designing lipid drugs to prevent them from missing their targets

The new findings may help scientists develop improved treatments for other autoimmune diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease, psoriasis and systemic lupus erythematosus