I-Stem, coordinator of an innovative research consortium

Identifying treatments for five muscle diseases over the next five years, thanks to an innovative methodology combining artificial intelligence, stem cells and pharmacological screening: this is the ambitious goal set by the DREAMS European research consortium.

The first 5 diseases to be researched by this consortium are Duchenne muscular dystrophy, centronuclear muscular dystrophy, Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy, Pompe disease and Danon disease. The researchers have devised two approaches: one using pharmacological screening to identify chemical treatments for these 5 genetic diseases, and the other using artificial intelligence to predict new diseases for which these treatments would also be effective.

"With artificial intelligence, we're currently experiencing a revolution. We will be using this technology to predict both therapeutic targets, the effect of drugs and even new therapeutic indications, something that has never been done by anyone. I'm very enthusiastic because, in the long term, our work can have an impact that goes far beyond the target diseases," says Dr. Xavier Nissan, coordinator of the DREAMS project and Director of Research at I-Stem.

Funded by the European Union and UK research under the Horizon Europe call for proposals to the tune of €8 million, DREAMS is coordinated by I-Stem, a European leader in stem cell research, and Kantify, a biotech company specializing in artificial intelligence-based drug development, and brings together 9 European partners - clinicians, patients, academic researchers, and private partners.