A Greek research team led by Giorgos Skretas has developed an innovative drug molecule that, in preclinical tests, restored the ability to learn and remember in animals displaying characteristics of Alzheimer’s disease. The molecule, RSQ-020, acts on the Tau protein, which is linked to the onset and progression of serious neurodegenerative disorders when it misfolds and forms aggregates.
A collaboration between Greek research institutions
The discovery is the result of a collaboration between scientists at the Biomedical Sciences Research Center “Alexander Fleming”, the National Hellenic Research Foundation and the spin-off company ResQ Biotech.
Greek Researchers Develop Promising Drug for Alzheimers Greek researchers have developed RSQ-020, a Tau-targeting drug candidate that restored learning and memory in preclinical Alzheimer’s models. https://t.co/o7UKsNBdDg https://t.co/kRSsjXPwNk
— Greek City Times (@greekcitytimes) October 4, 2026
A new technology platform
RSQ-020 was developed using a new technology platform created by the same research team.
The method uses modified bacteria that can produce a vast number of different candidate molecules, while at the same time indicating which of them have genuine biological activity. The aim is to identify substances capable of restoring the function of proteins that have lost their normal structure.
Moving beyond the lock-and-key model
The approach differs significantly from the traditional drug discovery process, according to Skretas, who is director of the Institute of Bioinnovation at the Alexander Fleming centre and a collaborating researcher at the Institute of Chemical Biology of the National Hellenic Research Foundation.
He explained that conventional drug development relies on finding a molecule that “fits” a specific protein target, like a key in a lock. However, the proteins involved in diseases caused by misfolding do not have a fixed shape. They change constantly, which makes developing effective treatments particularly difficult.
“Instead of simply looking for a molecule that will bind to a specific site on the protein, we look directly for a molecule that produces the desired effect. Our technology allows us to see when a defective protein is restored, because the bacteria we use emit a green signal when this happens,” he said.
How the method works
In practice, the scientists introduced the human protein they are studying into a bacterium. They then programmed it to light up only when the protein returns to a more normal state.
At the same time, the same cells produce billions of different small molecules, each of which represents a possible solution to the problem of misfolding.
When a bacterium emits light, this indicates that it contains a molecule that has achieved the desired goal.
In this way, rather than relying on time-consuming tests carried out solely under laboratory conditions, researchers can quickly identify molecules that already work inside living cells. That environment more closely resembles the real conditions of a human disease.
Applications beyond Alzheimer’s
The technology was initially developed with a focus on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and the SOD1 protein. Its potential applications, however, extend to many other neurodegenerative conditions.
Protein misfolding is a common feature of diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other serious disorders of the nervous system.
With information from Euronews
