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Join us to hear two amazing speakers researching different ways of repurposing that could benefit our brains. Can existing cells be reprogrammed into neurons? Can existing drugs be recycled for new diseases? Plus you can build your own neuron and there are prizes to be won!
Engineering new neurons for grown-up brains
Pr. Benedikt Berninger
(Professor of Developmental Neurobiology)
The damaged brain has very limited capacity for self-repair. However, it harbours support cells, called glia, that share features with those cells that generate neurons during development. I will discuss our efforts towards converting these glial cells into new neurons by using master regulators of cell fate. Importantly, in experimental models of brain disease, such as epilepsy, neurons induced by our manipulations can contribute towards improving neural circuit functioning. I will finish by discussing the challenges lying ahead before we can bring such approach to patients of brain diseases.
The potential benefits of recycling in Parkinson’s disease
Pr. Susan Duty
(Professor of Pharmacology & Neuroscience)
People living with Parkinson’s disease have many symptoms, the most well-known being tremor and difficulties moving. These result from the progressive loss of cells in key brain regions. To date, we have no treatments that protect the dying cells. Many drugs have been tested, but all failed to show effective protection. Each failure is a huge blow because the drug discovery process is a long and expensive one. Given there are already thousands of safe drugs that are approved for use in other clinical indications, is it time we followed the lead of refuse companies, and started recycling?
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