Our time in Washington, DC, for Neuroscience 2023 was very well spent. In addition to members of our scientific team presenting multiple posters (you can find details and a download link for these below), they had ample time to interact with peers from around the world and contribute to detailed discussions about promising trends in neuroscience research. Here are a few of the topics that stood out at the conference.
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The field is moving towards more complex and biologically relevant in vitro models – 2D, 3D, human iPSC-derived cells, co-cultures containing the most relevant brain cells (neurons, astrocytes, microglia, and oligodendrocytes) and major efforts to develop techniques or devices able to factor the vascularization of the cell systems (microfluidics).
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There is an emphasis on genetic therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases; promising candidates are moving quickly towards clinical trials. This topic was also the theme of a thought-provoking Presidential Special Lecture focused on Huntington’s Disease, given by Sarah J. Tabrizi, MD, PhD.
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Remarkable and ongoing advances are being made in development of translational models across a range of conditions, including neurodegenerative diseases, neurodevelopmental disorders, cognition and memory issues, and pain.
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Attention is also being paid to the identification and relevance of clinical biomarkers that can be used as benchmarks in the development of better pre-clinical predictive models.
Given the focus of the conference, this was the ideal place for us to introduce a new service to support drug discovery for proteinopathies. Ncardia’s Proteinopathy Exploration Package provides a holistic view on the efficacy of drug candidates to combat Tau, α-Syn and TDP-43 aggregation. Find out more here.
How does this match up with what you’re seeing and hearing? How will these developments impact your discovery programs? Tell us what you think, and let’s talk about how we can work together to unlock future innovations.
Ncardia Posters at Neuroscience 2023
Ncardia shared several posters on recent neuroscience research conducted by our scientists. You can download them here.
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Neuroinflammation
Evaluation of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived tri-culture as in vitro model for neuroinflammation
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ASOs
Development of robust iPSC platforms for accurate predictions of efficacy and toxicity of new treatment modalities early in the development pipeline
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Proteinopathies
Development of robust iPSC-based α-synuclein, TAU and TDP-43 aggregation pathology in vitro models for drug discovery
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3D Neurospheres
Development and characterization of human iPSC-derived 3D neurospheres for drug discovery
And if any of this sparks ideas or questions about your own work, don't hesitate to contact us.