New approaches for the treatment of multiple sclerosis using biocompatible nanoparticles

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated disease of the central nervous system (CNS) characterized by demyelination and axonal degeneration. Current treatments primarily focus on disease-modifying therapies, but strategies targeting demyelination and repair are emerging as the next frontier in MS management. Recently, a novel approach has been explored using plant-derived exosomes as delivery systems for Clemastine (CLM), a histamine receptor H1 antagonist with demonstrated potential in modulating inflammatory responses and promoting remyelination. Exosomes, naturally occurring extracellular vesicles, offer a promising platform for MS treatment due to their ability to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and deliver therapeutic cargo directly to the CNS. Additionally, the potential for nose-to-brain transport via intranasal administration presents an exciting avenue for targeted delivery. Lemon-derived exosomes have been extracted, loaded with CLM and characterized; their efficacy has been studied in vitro. Furthermore, in the presentation will discuss other alternative strategies for MS treatment, based on biocompatible nanoparticles. This work has been developed within the framework of the project e.INS- Ecosystem of Innovation for Next Generation Sardinia (cod. ECS 00000038) funded by the Italian Ministry for Research and Education (MUR) under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) - MISSION 4 COMPONENT 2, "From research to business" INVESTMENT 1.5, "Creation and strengthening of Ecosystems of innovation" and construction of "Territorial R&D Leaders", CUP J83C21000320007.