Drosophila Models to Understand Complex Neurological Diseases

Venue: Edificio Povo 2, via Sommarive nr. 9, Povo (Tn) - Room B103
 At 2:00 p.m.

• Fabian Feiguin - Neurobiology Laboratory, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Trieste, Italy

Our Laboratory aims to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration in ALS. To find answers to these questions we utilize the fruit-fly Drosophila melanogaster, a simpler model organism that presents a remarkable genetic conservation with humans, to recreate these pathological processes in flies. Thus, using the genetic and molecular methodologies present in Drosophila we were able to identify that the RNA-binding protein TDP-43 played a critical role in the organization of motoneurons synapses. This talk, will describe how alterations in TDP-43 function would lead to neurodegeneration in ALS and propose original therapeutic interventions to ameliorate the diseases.