SPRINGER-MS
Investigating the long term impact of remyelination promoting drugs
BACKGROUND
Over the past decade, several clinical trials have demonstrated that repairing myelin - the protective sheath around nerve fibres - is achievable in humans. While these findings represent a major scientific advance, an important question remains: how do these biological effects translate into meaningful, lasting improvements in everyday function?
STUDY OBJECTIVES
SPRINGER-MS addresses this by inviting participants from earlier remyelination trials to return for follow-up assessments several years after their original involvement.
This “recall” approach allows us to examine whether the benefits of myelin repair persist over time and whether they lead to protection of nerve fibres (neuroprotection).
Our central hypothesis is that the true clinical impact of remyelination may take years to become apparent, as restored myelin helps stabilise and preserve damaged nerves rather than producing immediate, visible changes.
THERAPEUTIC REMYELINATION IS DURABLE
We have already completed a pilot phase of the study, which provided encouraging early evidence. Two years after taking part in the CCMR-One trial, participants who received bexarotene showed a sustained improvement in visual evoked potential (VEP) latency - a key measure of myelin function. This suggests that remyelination can produce durable biological effects, supporting the idea that early repair may have long-term protective benefits for the nervous system.
NEXT STEPS
Building on this foundation, we are now expanding SPRINGER by recalling participants from additional myelin repair trials. By combining data across studies and extending follow-up periods, we aim to generate a clearer picture of how remyelination therapies influence disease progression over time. Ultimately, this work will help determine how we should be deploying the remyelination promoting drugs that are increasingly near.