The Adams Lab
Drug discovery for diseases of myelin
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Welcome!
The Adams Lab works at the interface of chemistry and biology to uncover new drug candidates and biological mechanisms for promoting the repair of myelin. Myelin is the protective coating that surrounds nerve cells much like the insulating coating of an electrical wire. In several debilitating diseases, including multiple sclerosis, loss of myelin leads to deficits in nervous system function. Recently, we identified a new mechanism leveraged by dozens of small molecules to promote the formation of new myelin in the lab and in animal models of multiple sclerosis. Our work, which was recently published in Nature, provides a new mechanistic paradigm, as well as new drug candidates and biomarkers, to propel the development of the first remyelinating therapeutics.
Recent News
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Drew discusses remyelinating therapies at the American Society for Neurochemistry Annual Meeting
In his presentation, Drew discusses how our lab arrived at the key insight of sterol landscape modulation as a unifying mechanism for small molecules to enhance remyelination. This work was pioneered by Zita in close collaboration with our colleague Paul Tesar. Check out the presentation here. July 2021 |
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Joel's Sterol Screen is published in ACS Chemical Biology!
Joel's small molecule screening efforts identified sterol derivatives that hint at how the physiology of oligodendrocyte progenitors can be modulated to achieve divergent outcomes. Check out the paper here! July 2021 |
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Drew Adams promoted to Associate Professor!
Congratulations to Drew on his promotion to Associate Professor with tenure! July 2021 
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Zita's 3rd Paper is Published in Cell Chemical Biology!
"Modulation of lanosterol synthase drives 24,25-epoxycholesterol synthesis and oligodendrocyte formation" forms the final part of Zita's prolific research record, expanding on our model of modulating sterol landscapes to drive oligodendrocyte differentiation. Check out her paper here! February 2021 |
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Adams Lab Awarded NIH R01
This grant will support our work to understand how we can alter sterol signaling in order to promote remyelination in patients with demyelinating diseases. Many congrats to Drew!
April 2020 |
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Adams Lab Receives Support from the Dr. Ralph and Marian Falk Research Trust
This grant, in close collaboration with associate professor Xin Qi in the department of physiology, will accelerate drug discovery efforts to enhance mitochondrial function and survival in Huntington's Disease.
January 2020 |
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Drew wins the Folch Pi Prize of the American Society for NeurochemistryCongrats to Drew on being honored as the 2019 recipient of the Folch Pi Travel Prize! This award is given by the American Society for Neurochemistry to honor a junior investigator with extraordinary promise in neurochemistry. The award is named after Jordi Folch Pi, the founding President of ASN who, fittingly enough, pioneered methods for extracting sterols and other lipids from the brain.
August 2019 |
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Convelo enters collaboration with Genentech
Congrats to Convelo Therapeutics, co-founded by Drew and colleague Paul Tesar, on entering into a collaboration and option-to-acquire deal with Genentech! This deal allows Convelo to accelerate its efforts to identify the first remyelinating therapeutics.
July 2019 |
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The Adams Lab Received a Grant from the Mathers Foundation!This multi-year award is allowing us to accelerate our work to understand how altered sterol signaling may impact diseases of myelin. We’re hugely grateful for the support of the Foundation and all our supporters!
June 2019 |
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Dharma and Zita's paper is published in Cell Chemical Biology!"Diverse Chemical Scaffolds Enhance Oligodendrocyte Formation by Inhibiting CYP51, TM7SF2, or EBP" Cell Chemical Biology, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chembiol.2019.01.004
14 February 2019 |
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The Adams Lab received a Pilot Research Grant from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society!This award is helping us generate new data to understand how sterol signaling contributes to myelin repair in MS.
January 2019 |
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Dharma departs the Adams lab to establish the Dharmaraja Lab at IITK!We are thrilled to announce that Dharma has accepted a faculty position at Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur in the department of Chemistry! Best of luck to Dharma!
November 2018 |
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Zita and Dharma's paper is published in Nature!"Accumulation of 8,9-unsaturated sterols drives oligodendrocyte formation and remyelination" Nature, 2018, http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41586-018-0360-3
Our work provides a new roadmap for promoting myelin repair in multiple sclerosis and other diseases. Huge thanks to everyone who helped us out along the way, whether across the hall (that's you, Tesar Lab) or across the globe! Check out the press release for more info: http://casemed.case.edu/cwrumed360/news-releases/release.cfm?news_id=1375&news_category=8 25 July 2018 |
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Drew and Paul co-found Convelo Therapeutics!Convelo Therapeutics, Inc. disclosed today that it has raised $7.8 million to develop new therapeutics for diseases of myelin. Co-founded by Drew and close collaborator Paul Tesar, Convelo is located in Cleveland and led by a team of Boston-based biotech pioneers: CEO Derrick Rossi (co-founder of Moderna, Intellia, and Magenta) and Chief Development Officer Steve Landau (Shape, Tensha).
Check out the press release for more details! https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180725005491/en/Convelo-Therapeutics-Develop-New-Regenerative-Medicines-Neurological 25 July 2018 |
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Drew is now the Thomas F. Peterson, Jr. Professor of Cancer and Energy Research!At a ceremony led by Dean Davis, Drew was honored as the Thomas F. Peterson, Jr. Professor of Cancer and Energy Research. Tom's generous support has accelerated the research of several Case Western Reserve scientists, including two endowed chairs, and it was a pleasure to have him join the ceremony. Thanks Tom!
28 June 2018 |