The DREAMS project brought its partners together in Coimbra, Portugal, on 19–20 October 2026, for a consortium meeting hosted by the University of Coimbra. The two-day meeting focused on reviewing ongoing research activities and coordinating the next steps in the project’s work on AI-driven drug discovery and drug repurposing for rare neuromuscular diseases.
With DREAMS approaching its third anniversary, the meeting provided an opportunity for researchers from across the consortium to discuss their work and how the different scientific activities fit together.
Connecting AI and experimental research
DREAMS (Drug REpurposing with Artificial intelligence for Muscular disorderS) is investigating how artificial intelligence, patient-derived stem cell models and experimental drug screening can be combined to identify potential therapeutic approaches for rare neuromuscular diseases.
The project focuses on five conditions: Duchenne muscular dystrophy, DNM2-related centronuclear myopathy, LMNA-related Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy, Pompe disease and Danon disease.
Although these diseases have different genetic causes, they share alterations in certain biological processes, particularly autophagy, which allows cells to break down and recycle damaged components.
By studying these common mechanisms, DREAMS aims to identify potential drug targets and investigate whether existing medicines could be repurposed for other conditions. The project is also exploring new molecular entities as possible therapeutic candidates.
This work involves several complementary research activities, from developing induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) models and analysing molecular data to applying machine learning algorithms and evaluating compounds in the laboratory.
The Coimbra meeting brought together the teams working on these different aspects of the project, helping to coordinate research activities as DREAMS approaches its next phase.
What’s next for DREAMS?
Over the coming months, the project’s research programme will continue to focus on identifying shared biological targets, investigating potential therapeutic candidates and generating experimental evidence to evaluate their effects.
AI plays a supporting role in this process, helping researchers analyse complex biological datasets and prioritise compounds for further investigation. Experimental testing remains essential to determine whether computational predictions translate into meaningful biological effects.
Alongside its drug discovery activities, DREAMS is developing an adaptive clinical trial framework designed to address some of the challenges of clinical research involving small and heterogeneous rare disease populations.
These activities are intended to support future therapeutic development, although the project remains focused on research and preclinical investigation rather than delivering clinically validated treatments.
The consortium meeting in Coimbra was an opportunity to review the work underway and maintain coordination between the scientific teams involved.
A special thank you to the University of Coimbra for hosting the meeting and to all DREAMS partners for their participation and contributions.
Follow the latest DREAMS news and research activities at dreamshorizon.eu.
