BN201 (OCS-05, aka BN201) is a peptidomimetic that binds to serum glucocorticoid kinase-2 (SGK2) with neuroprotective activity, activates SGK2, thereby activating FOXO3 pathway.
BN201 promotes the survival of cultured neural cells when subjected to oxidative stress or when deprived of trophic factors.
BN201 promotes neuronal differentiation, the differentiation of precursor cells to mature oligodendrocytes in vitro, and the myelination of new axons, promotes the differentiation of precursor cells to mature oligodendrocytes (EC50 of 6.3 μM) in vitro, and the myelination of new axons (EC50 of 16.6 μM).
BN201 modulates several kinases participating in the insulin growth factor 1 pathway including serum-glucocorticoid kinase and midkine, inducing the phosphorylation of NDRG1 and the translocation of the transcription factor Foxo3 to the cytoplasm.
BN201 prevents axonal and neuronal loss, and it promotes remyelination in models of multiple sclerosis, chemically induced demyelination, and glaucoma.
BN201 has demonstrated neuroprotective properties by reducing the damage in the optic nerve and retina in in vivo models of acute optic neuritis (AON) such as lysolecithin-induced optic nerve demyelination, and in the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis model of MS.