Sci area
Fatty acids and their intermediates and derivatives have been recognized as crucial mediators of brain health. Consequently, disturbances in brain fatty acid metabolism are highly implicated in different aspects of neuronal dysfunction.
The thematic area of FAT4BRAIN is focused on the pivotal and common role of mitochondria-related fatty acid metabolism for the development of neurological disorders, a topic of highest biomedical and societal concern. The concerted research activities aim at deciphering novel mechanisms and developing new treatment strategies against these devastating diseases.
News
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FAT4BRAIN partners participate in a last project symposium organized by LIOS
FAT4BRAIN symposium on Novel drug target and pathway identification, March 20-21, 2023In April 20-21, the FAT4BRAIN project partners from Latvia, Austria, Germany, and Sweden met in Riga for the last meeting of the project, the Symposium on novel drug target and pathway identification. The scientific programme of the symposium included not only project partners, but also invited speakers who are experts in energy metabolism. The first day started with a lecture from invited speaker Prof. Sean Adams (University of California, USA), who shared his experience on the role of myoglobin as a metabolic pathway regulator. Erich Gnaiger, the founder of Oroboros Instruments, and FAT4BRAIN project manager Dr. Edgars Liepinsh gave comprehensive lectures in the field of energy metabolism and, more specifically, on mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation in the brain. In the afternoon, a separate session was dedicated to early-stage researchers where Kārlis Pleiko (University of Latvia,University of Tartu), Kateřina Pospíšilová (Charles University, Czech Republic), Bianca Seminotti (University of Pittsburgh, USA), Mateus Grings (Oroboros Instruments, Austria), Edijs Vavers (University of Tartu, Estonia) and Melita Ozola (LIOS, Riga Stradiņš university) gave talks and discussed their research directions. This session covered a variety of topics, from carnitine and fatty acid oxidation disorders to cancer theranostics and the sigma-1 receptor as a target for seizure control. The participants of the symposium also visited the Laboratory of Pharmaceutical pharmacology of the Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis and got introduced to scientific interests and the research possibilities of the Latvian team.
The next day started with a lecture from Prof. Georg Reiser (Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany) on novel neuronal strategies to protect the brain from lipid-induced toxicity. The next talk was given by PhD Serge Luquet (Paris Cité University, France) on how lipid sensing is important for the dopamine-encoded reward system. The day continued with presentations from FAT4BRAIN project coordinator prof. Maija Dambrova (LIOS) and partners Helgi Schiöth (Uppsala University), Dr. Bianca Besteher (Jena University Hospital), Dr. Luiza Cardoso (Oroboros Instruments, Austria), Dr. Līga Zvejniece (LIOS) about their scientific achievements and future perspectives. The participants acknowledged how the FAT4BRAIN project was successful not only for their own group, but also for everyone involved in the implementation of the project and stressed the benefits for early-stage researches as participants in a project of such high scientific quality. The advisory board expert, prof. Angelo Azzi (Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University) gave inspiring closing words and facilitated discussions in the symposium. The project partners also mentioned additional ongoing collaborations and future project proposals that have emerged as an additional outcome of the FAT4BRAIN project.
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Symposium 'Novel drug target and pathway identification'
FAT4BRAIN symposium, March 20-21, 2023Download the final programm here
