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DREAMS: a new Horizon Europe project combining AI and stem cells for the treatment of neur...
Xavier Nissan, research director at I-Stem
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DREAMS: a new Horizon Europe project combining AI and stem cells for the treatment of neuromuscular diseases

DREAMS: a new Horizon Europe project combining AI and stem cells
for the treatment of neuromuscular diseases

©ISTEM

In a groundbreaking endeavour set to span five years, the DREAMS consortium is paving the way for a novel approach to treating neuromuscular diseases. This transformative project merges the power of artificial intelligence, pluripotent stem cells, and cutting-edge pharmacological screening techniques to seek out therapeutic solutions for five debilitating conditions affecting more than 400 000 people worldwide. To address these challenges, the European Commission has invested nearly €8 million into the DREAMS consortium (Drug REpurposing and Artificial intelligence for Muscular disorders). The objective is to craft treatments for five rare neuromuscular diseases: Duchenne muscular dystrophy, centronuclear myopathy, Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy, Pompe disease, and Danon disease.

A Dual-Pronged Approach gathering a complementary consortium
The researchers behind DREAMS have devised a two-fold strategy. Firstly, they will identify promising therapies for the five genetic diseases through AI and advanced pharmacological screening. Secondly, their cutting-edge artificial intelligence capabilities will be harnessed to l identify new diseases that could benefit from these treatments. Dr. Xavier Nissan, Project Coordinator and Research Director at I-Stem enthuses: “Artificial intelligence is ushering in an era of unprecedented possibilities. Thanks to Kantify’s AI technology, we are not only aiming to predict therapeutic targets and drugs but also to identify novel therapeutic applications for our most promising treatments. This endeavour marks uncharted territory, and I am profoundly excited about the potential impact. If successful, this project will open a new horizon of possibilities for rare disease drug discovery.” The DREAMS consortium unites a highly skilled and complementary consortium of nine European partners, encompassing clinicians, patients, academic researchers, and private stakeholders. These organizations include: I-Stem (France), Kantify (Belgium), The Institute of Myology (France), Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology – University of Coimbra (Portugal), The Technion – Israel Institute of Technology (Israel), Samsara Therapeutics (UK), Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris (France), AFM-Telethon (France) and Zabala Innovation (Spain)

01/12/2023


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