Protein misfolding in disease: molecular processes and translational research toward therapy
Roscoff (Brittany), France, April 13-17, 2013
Deadline for application: January 15, 2013
Chairperson: Louise SERPELL
School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9QJ, United Kingdom
Phone: +44 1273 877363 – Fax : +44 1273 877363
Mail: L.C.Serpell@sussex.ac.uk
Vice-Chairperson: Luc BUÉE
Inserm UMR837 – JPArc, Alzheimer & Tauopathies, Université Lille 2 – Faculté de Médecine, Place de Verdun, 59045 Lille cedex, France
Phone: +33 (0) 3 20 29 88 66 – Fax : +33 3 20 53 85 62
Mail : luc.buee@inserm.fr
Abnormal self-assembling peptides and proteins are associated Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD, Diabetes type 2 and the transmissible encephalopathies (TSEs). The formation of small oligomers seems to be strongly linked to disease pathology and cell death and therefore these intermediates have become a focus for investigation. Whilst mutations can increase the likelihood of developing some amyloid diseases, many are sporadic and there is a very strong connection between ageing and risk of developing disease. Therefore, this raises important questions regarding proteostasis and the efficiency of protein folding and degradation in the ageing organism.
In recent years, the similarities between the previously perceived “non-infectious” protein misfolding diseases and the infectious TSEs/Prion diseases has been highlighted. This stems from the realization that a chance event of protein misfolding in a particular region of an organism can potentially lead to the spread of abnormal aggregation to adjacent areas. This transmission has been linked to the Braak staging model for spreading in diseases such as PD and AD. Exciting new advances have been made in identifying the mechanisms of templated aggregation and cell to cell transmission and this very recent area of research will be a key focus of the conference.
As the understanding of disease processes improves, it follows that major advances are being made in treatments for protein misfolding diseases including advances in gene silencing, immunotherapy and inhibitors of key pathways. Exciting new advances are being made to stabilize natively folded proteins to prevent protein misfolding and aggregation.
This conference aims to address key questions regarding protein misfolding diseases. Namely, the mechanisms that lead to abnormal self-assembly; the pathological effect of the “toxic” oligomer and how its effect is transmitted; the importance of ageing in disease pathology and the potential advances in therapeutic intervention.
Invited speakers
(provisional titles)
ALVES DA COSTA Cristine (Valbonne, France)
Role of p53 in Parkinson’s disease
AGUZZI Adriano (Zurich, Switzerland)
Neuroinvasion in prion diseases
BERTOLLOTI Anne (Cambridge, United Kingdom)
Subcellular environment and the aggregation of expanded polyglutamine and mutated proteins
BROUILLET Emmanuel (Fontenay-aux-Roses, France)
Animal models of neurodegenerative disorders
BUÉE Luc (Lille, France)
Alzheimer and tauopathies
CAUGHEY Byron (Hamilton, USA)
Title to be coming
CORTI Olga (Paris, France)
Molecular basis, physiopathology and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases
CUERVO Ana Maria (Bronx, USA)
Autophagia
DERMAUT Bart (Lille, France)
Neurodegeneration in drosophila
DE STROOPER Bart (Leuven, Belgium)
Alzheimer’s disease
GOEDERT Michel (Cambridge, United Kingdom)
Tauopathies and synucleinopathies
KOPITO Ron (Stanford, USA)
Proteins clearance, aggregation and aggresomes
LANDRIEU Isabelle (Villeneuve d’Ascq, France)
Tau phosphorylation and aggregation by NMR spectroscopy
MELKI Ronald (Gif sur Yvette, France)
Protein folding in vivo and conformational disease
MORIMOTO Rick (Evanston, USA)
Model organisms and proteostasis
NOLLEN Ellen (Groningen, The Netherlands)
Animal models of ageing
RADFORD Sheena (Leeds, United Kingdom)
B2M aggregation and structures of intermediates
SCHYMKOWITZ Joost / ROUSSEAU Fred (Louvain, Belgium)
Protein aggregation and co-aggregation
SADOUL Rémi (Grenoble, France)
Endosomes and exosomes in neurons
SAUDOU Frédéric (Orsay, France)
Huntingtin signaling and neurobiology
SERIO Tricia (Tucson, USA)
Prion inheritance
SERPELL Louise (Falmer, United Kingdom)
Amyloid structure and function
SPILLANTINI Maria (Cambridge, United Kingdom)
Pathology
VILES John (London, United Kingdom)
The importance of copper in protein misfolding diseases
WANKER Erich (Berlin-Buch, Germany)
Therapeutic approaches to amyloid diseases
WESTERMARK Gunilla (Uppsala, Sweden)
Pathology and spreading of amyloid
Deadline for application: January 15, 2013
Registration fee (including board and lodging)
450 € for PhD students
600 € for other participants
Application for registration
The total number of participants is limited to 115 and all participants are expected to attend for the whole duration of the conference. Selection is made on the basis of the affinity of potential participants with the topics of the conference. Scientists and PhD Students interested in the meeting should send:
- their curriculum vitae
- the list of their main publications for the 3 last years
- the abstract of their presentation
to the Chairperson of the conference (L.C.Serpell@sussex.ac.uk) before the deadline. After it, the chairman will select the participants. Except in some particular cases approved by the Chairperson, it is recommended that all selected participants present their work during the conference, either in poster form or by a brief in- session talk. The organizers choose the form in which the presentations are made. No payment will be sent with application. Information on how and when to pay will be mailed in due time to those selected.