Translation of basic immunology and neuroscience tools to therapies: where are we now?
Organizers:
Department of Clinical and Transplantation Immunology and Molecular Medicine in Rijeka, THE CROATIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES AND ARTS
Department of Biotechnology, UNIVERSITY OF RIJEKA
4th July 2016
University Campus Rijeka, University Departments, Lecture hall O-030,
Radmile Matejčić 2, Rijeka
Preliminary P R O G R A M
9.00 – 9.30
Introduction & Welcome speeches
9.30 – 11.30
I. MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF BRAIN DISORDERS
Dr. Christopher Miller (King’s College London, UK): ER-mitochondria associations in fronto-temporal dementia and ALS
Dr. Miranda Mladinić Pejatović (Department of Biotechnology, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia): Cell death and survival mechanisms after spinal cord injury: insight form in vitro animal models
Dr. Emanuele Buratti (International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Trieste, Italy): Investigating the role of TDP-43 pathology in neurodegenerative and other diseases
11.15 – 12.45
II. INFLAMMATION AS DISEASE TRIGGER
Dr. Jonathan Ashwell (National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA): T cell p38: a therapeutic target in autoimmunity, inflammation, and cancer
Dr. Bojan Polić (Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Croatia): Inflammation of visceral adipose tissue and development of type 2 diabetes
Dr. Ivana Munitić (Department of Biotechnology, University of Rijeka, Croatia): Animal models for elucidating the role of adaptor protein optineurin during inflammation
12.45 - 14.15
Poster session and lunch with a panel of speakers
14.15 – 15.45
III. NEUROIMMUNOLOGY: AN INCREASINGLY COMPLEX AND VIBRANT FIELD
Dr. Stipan Jonjić (Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Croatia): Congenital cytomegalovirus infection and neuroinflammation
Dr. Jasna Križ (University of Laval, Quebec City, Canada): Alterations in microglia immune homeostais drive neurodegeneration
Dr. Elsa Fabbretti (Center for Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, University of Nova Gorica, Slovenia): Molecular requirements for purinergic signaling in the control of pain sensitivity
15.45 – 16.15
Coffee break
16.15 – 18.15
IV. ENTERING THE BRAIN WITH NEW TOOLS: CAN WE SUCCESSFULLY TREAT NEURODEGENERATION?
Dr. Jean Pierre Julien (University of Laval, Quebec City, Canada): Single chain antibodies for treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Dr. Josef Priller (Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany): Therapeutic potential of myeloid cells in neurodegenerative diseases
Dr. Dinko Mitrečić (Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb Zagreb, Croatia): Application of stem cells in brain diseases: lessons from stroke and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Dr. Angela Genge (Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, Montreal, Canada): Clinical evidence for the role of inflammation in ALS and other neurodegenerative disorders
18.15 – 18.30
V. PANEL DISCUSSION AND CLOSING
Dr. Daniel Rukavina, Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Rijeka, Croatia
THE SYMPOSIUM IS IN PART SUPPORTED BY HRZZ GRANT # 7459 to Dr. Ivana Munitić
Laboratory for Molecular Immunology
Our laboratory is interested in understanding the link between immunity and neurodegenerative disease. Neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), are marked by an unusually wide genetic and clinical heterogeneity. Chronic (neuro) inflammation has been singled out as a rare hallmark common to all ALS cases. It triggers neuronal damage and death by enhancing glutamate toxicity, protein aggregation and/or oxidative stress. Nevertheless, various anti-inflammatory approaches have consistently failed to stop or slow down disease progression. For this reason, it is imperative to redefine the role of the immune system in neurodegeneration. In our laboratory we focus the role of the innate immune system in active maintenance of the homeostasis in the central nervous system.
Ongoing collaborations:
Jasna Kriz (CERVO Brain Research Centre, Laval University, Quebec City, Canada)
Emanuele Buratti (ICGEB, Trieste, Italy)
Ervina Bilic (Zagreb ENCALS Center, Clinical hospital center Zagreb, Croatia)
Boris Rogelj (Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia)
Robert Russell and Gordana Apic (Heidelberg University and CellNetworks, Heidelberg, Germany)
Letizia Mazzini and Fabiola De Marchi (Department of Neurology and ALS Centre, University of Piemonte Orientale, Maggiore Della Carità Hospital, Novara, Italy)
Memberships in scientific consortia
2019-2021 COST Action: Biomaterials And Advanced Physical Techniques For Regenerative Cardiology And
Neurology (BIONECA)
2018- Project MinE
Contact information:
Professor Ivana Munitic, principal investigator
Laboratory for Molecular Immunology
Faculty of Biotechnology and Drug Development
University of Rijeka
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Address:
Lab: O-236
Office: O-220
Radmile Matejcic 2
51000 Rijeka
CROATIA
Phone: +385 51 584 579
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5171-9950
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.hr/citations?user=dJOLzf0AAAAJ&hl=en