Highlights from Symposium on Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Movement Disorders held at the 4th National Congress with Foreign Guest Speakers on Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders

The 4th National Congress with Foreign Guest Speakers on Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders took place in Moscow, September 11-13. Materia Medica Holding representatives attended a symposium on Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Movement Disorders, held as part of the congress.

The symposium was opened by welcome remarks delivered by the Co-chairs – RAS academician Prof. Mikhail V. Ugryumov, ScD (Head of the Laboratory of Nervous System and Neuroendocrine Regulation at the Koltsov Institute of Developmental Biology of RAS) and winner of the Russian Government Award Prof. Igor A. Grivennikov, ScD (Head of the Laboratory of Somatic Cell Molecular Genetics at the Institute of Molecular Genetics of RAS).

Prof. Ugryumov discussed Parkinson’s disease modeling as a tool for translational drug discovery. He underscored the importance of developing the models of preclinical and early clinical stages of Parkinson’s disease consistent with the key pathogenesis criteria.

The next speaker, Prof. Grivennikov, focused on an experimental platform based on induced pluripotent stem cells derived from patients with Parkinson’s disease, which has been designed to study its cellular and molecular pathogenesis. The cells, if co-cultured with dopaminergic neurons to sufficient quantities, provide prospects for their use in personalized cell replacement therapy.

Andrey K. Yemelyanov from the Konstantinov St. Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute and the St. Petersburg National Research Academic University of RAS was next to speak. He presented his findings on the effect of dopamine on in vitro alpha-synuclein expression in Parkinson’s disease.

The meeting proceeded with a talk by MMH Medical Adviser Victoria V. Fateyeva, a postgraduate student in the Department of Nervous Diseases at the Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the RF. She pointed out a crucial role that Nox2-induced oxidative stress occurring in the neurovascular endothelium involved in endothelial dysfunction plays in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease. Endothelial cell protectors, antioxidants and released-active drugs are the main clinically available treatment options with effects on endothelial dysfunction and oxidative stress. Ms Fateyeva especially emphasized that the novel drug Divaza has nootropic, vascular and antioxidative actions. These actions are produced by its ingredients – the released-active form of antibodies to S100 (a protein essential for numerous nervous system regulations and neuronal membrane stability) and released-active antibodies to endothelial NO synthase (an enzyme involved in the mechanisms underlying endothelial function, and endothelial cell protection). The data collected in clinical trials and experimental studies suggest that Divaza is a potential option for treating impaired endothelial function. 

Rounding off the symposium, the last speaker, Kamila R. Valetdinova from the Cytology and Genetics Institute (RAS Siberian Branch) and the Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine (RAS Siberian Branch), discussed the latest strategies for treating motor neuron disorders. More recent models of human motor neuron disorders, which include patient-specific cells and pluripotent stem cells, could assist with research into cellular and molecular features of these diseases and contribute to the development of highly effective and safe methods for reversing the mutations that induce motor neuron disorders.

Prof. Ugryumov pointed out in his closing remarks that pathologies accompanied by impaired movement are particularly conspicuous in terms of the success achieved in design and implementation of innovative treatment strategies through discovery of important pathogenesis mechanisms and identification of adequate drug-sensitive targets.