DRONE - Drug Repurposing fOr Neurological disEases

The project aims to develop new and effective treatments for the neurological diseases Parkinson's disease (PD), multiple sclerosis (MS), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Figur som viser medisiner som kan gi ny behandling for nevrologisk sykdom — Photo: https://www.facebook.com/z.rmnwsk

Affiliation

About the research project

The researchers will analyze data from the Norwegian health registries, including the Prescription Register and Patient Register, using an innovative drug repurposing approach based on the history of prescriptions for the entire Norwegian population during last 16 years. The newly developed methodology will help identify drug candidates for new treatment for the diseases.��These candidates will be then validated in experimental studies (both in vitro and in vivo) in collaboration with the excellent researchers at Harvard University in Boston, USA

Apart from securing its own funding via and (The Research Council of Norway), DRONE is also part of the initiative on the treatment of neurological disease,��(Norway's first research center for clinical treatment in neurology) at Haukeland University Hospital / ��ϳԹ��Դ.

About

is a group of rare neurological diseases that mainly involve the nerve cells (neurons) responsible for controlling voluntary muscle movement. Voluntary muscles produce movements like chewing, walking,��and talking. The disease is progressive, meaning the symptoms get worse over time. Currently, there is no cure for ALS and no effective treatment to halt, or reverse, the progression of the disease.

is a brain disorder that leads to shaking, stiffness, and��difficulty with walking, balance, and coordination.��Parkinson's symptoms usually begin gradually and get worse over time. As the disease progresses, people may have difficulty walking and talking. They may also have mental and behavioral changes, sleep problems, depression, memory difficulties, and fatigue.

is a chronic disease affecting the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord).MS occurs when the immune system attacks nerve fibers and myelin sheathing (a fatty substance which surrounds/insulates healthy nerve fibers) in the brain and spinal cord. This attack causes inflammation, which destroys nerve cell processes and myelin – altering electrical messages in the brain.
MS is unpredictable and affects each patient differently – some individuals may be mildly affected, while others may lose their ability to write, speak or walk. There are several courses of multiple sclerosis that have been described

��

is an irreversible, progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, and, eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks.��Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia among older adults.��Dementia��is the loss of cognitive functioning—thinking, remembering, and reasoning—and behavioral abilities to such an extent that it interferes with a person’s daily life and activities. Dementia ranges in severity from the mildest stage, when it is just beginning to affect a person’s functioning, to the most severe stage, when the person must depend completely on others for basic activities of daily living

Publications

Solheim MH, Riise T, Cortese M, Nakken O, Tysnes OB, Igland J, Bjornevik K.Ann Neurol. 2026 Mar 10. doi: 10.1002/ana.78191.

Kapali A, Daltveit AK, Myhr KM, Bjornevik K, Eid K, Bjørk MH, Brantsæter AL, Riise T, Cortese M.J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2025 Nov 28:jnnp-2025-337300.

Tuominen JA, Riise T, Romanowska J, Flores-Torres MH, Cortese M, Scherzer CR, Bjornevik K, Igland J.Neurology. 2025 Aug 12;105(3):e213783.
Editorial July 11, 2025. Neurology 2025 Aug 12;105(3):e213972

Kapali A, Daltveit AK, Myhr KM, Bjornevik K, Baldin E, Pugliatti M, Riise T, Cortese M.J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2023 Dec 14;95(1):8-13.

Romanowska J, Bjornevik K, Cortese M, Tuominen JA, Solheim M, Abolpour Mofrad A, Igland J, Scherzer CR, Riise T.Neurology. 2023 Nov 21;101(21):e2068-e2077.

Tuominen JA, Bjørnevik K, Romanowska J, Solheim MH, Grydeland TB, Cortese M, Scherzer CR, Riise T, Igland J.Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2023 May;110:105389.

Eid K, Torkildsen Ø, Aarseth J, Celius EG, Cortese M, Holmøy T, Kapali A, Myhr KM, Torkildsen CF, Wergeland S, Gilhus NE, Bjørk MH.J Neurol. 2022 Nov;269(11):5901-5909.

News

Congratulations to Julia Tuominen for ! 🎉
Professor will be awarded at a ceremony to be held in the University Aula on May 24^th🎉 His collaboration with the University of Bergen began many years ago when Ascherio was introduced to Professor Trond Riise, and the two began exploring the causes of MS. Connection to Bergen has strengthened over time, largely thanks to and
(Norwegian newspaper) has interviewed Julia Romanowska: "Study: Linking Parkinson's to drug use."
New article with Julia Romanowska first author i Neurology:
NEW article from PhD Candidate :
Master's student passed his master's exam on June 14! DRONE congratulates Muhammad!
NEW article from PhD Candidate :
DRONE group had a one-day long seminar at Augustin Hotel 17th November 2022
DRONE welcome , MSc Global Health student at The University of Bergen!
Asieh Abolpour Mofrad will defend her dissertation on 15.11.2021 for the PhD degree at the University of Bergen with the dissertation .
September 16th 2021 14:00-14:45:
August 2021: Asieh Abolpour Mofrad has started in DRONE - welcome!
April 2021: Hopefully a DRONE seminar will be arranged at 26-27 May!
March 2021: We are looking forward to Asieh Abolpour Mofrad starting with us in August as a postdoctoral fellow!
Sept. 2020: Welcome to two new PhD students, and !
Sept. 2020: We have received extra funding from ALS patients’ association ()! This will help us dedicate a full PhD-position to research on this disease.

Presentations

presented "" at - opening seminar 19th February 2024.
Trond Riise presented at a conference in Italy 16th November 2023: "Use of Artificial Intelligence on registry data to screen for repurposing drugs in neurodegenerative diseases" Conference webpage (italian):
presented "" at "The 29^th Norwegian Epidemiological Association (NOFE) conference in Trondheim (15^th to 16^th November 2023)"
presented MoBa findings at - world’s largest research meeting in multiple sclerosis held 11-13 October at Allianz MiCo in Milan. "Dietary vitamin D and the risk of multiple sclerosis in the Norwegian Mother and Child cohort" (oral presentation)
Multiple Sclerosis Journal. 2023;29(3_suppl):4-136. doi:
:
Julia Axiina Tuominen presented with the title: «Medication use after diagnosis and Parkinson’s disease survival: A target trial approach”. See
Akash Kapali presented with the title: “Dietary vitamin D and the risk of multiple sclerosis in the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child cohort” See .
Muhammad gave two presentations about his master project at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases () and at the Seminar.
Trond was presenting DRONE at Datathon () and will be presenting at
Akash was attending ECTRIMS (26-28 Oct., )
Muhammad and Jannicke were attending NOFE ()
Julia T.: ( 02:48 PM - 03:00 PM PDT Abstract 010 - Selective ß2-Adrenoreceptor Agonists and Long-Term Parkinson’s Disease Risk Julia Axiina Tuominen, MPsych)
Julia T.: Poster: "Definition and Incidence of Parkinson’s Disease Based on Nationwide Prescription- and Diagnostic Data" at (3-7. October 2021)
Trond: Abstract "A reverse translational research project for identifying new treatments for Parkinson’s disease: The Italian/Norwegian drug-screening project" at (24. Sept 2021)
Julia R.: R-Medicine () (Thursday, August 26th 2021)
Julia R.: (18-19. Aug. 2021)
Julia R.: () (1-2. June 2021)