As of tomorrow, Lleida will be hosting the 19th Congress of the Spanish Society of Neuroscience (SENC). This is a biennial event, which this year will be held from 3 to 5 November in la Llotja, the Lleida Exhibition Centre, with the presence of the Vall d'Hebron Research Institute.

“Our intention and desire have been to arrange an on-site conference, in keeping with the spirit of our meetings with the direct interaction of the members”, states Dr Joan Comella, the current chairman of the SENC and director of the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR).

The conference will comprise four plenary sessions by neuroscientists of international prestige such as Dr Valentina Emiliani, the Institut de la Vision of Paris; Dr Marta Moita, from the Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown of Lisbon; Dr José M. Delgado, from the Pablo de Olavide University; and Dr Michael Heneka, from the University of Bonn, Germany. "The programme of the 19th SENC Convention demonstrates the high scientific level of our society, but has a broad repertoire of current topics in Neuroscience", says Dr Comella.

However, before the start of the convention, today, 2 November between 4.00 p.m. and 6.00 p.m. there will be a satellite symposium at the Cappont Campus of the University of Lleida under the title “The ins and outs of Parkinson’s Disease” with the participation of Dr Ariadna Laguna, lead researcher of the Vall d'Hebron Research Institute Neurodegenerative Diseases research group and which can be followed online via this link: https://www.youtube.com/c/VallHebroncampus.

This satellite event will cover the latest scientific advances in the field and will bring to light the experience of the people who live with Parkinson’s, emphasising the need for a personalised management of PD to provide better care.

This event is aimed at patients of Parkinson’s, family members, researchers/doctors/nurses and other professionals in contact with the patients, and people interested in learning more about this neurodegenerative disease. The speakers include four expert scientists in different aspects of the underlying biology of Parkinson’s Disease and four patients who will explain their experiences and initiatives to raise awareness. Specifically, Dr Ariadna Laguna will speak about the gut brain axis with regard to Parkinson’s disease.

Dr Laguna is investigating a very innovative line of research to discover more about the relationship between the brain and the gut within the context of Parkinson’s disease. In recent years it has been demonstrated that gastrointestinal disorders are one of the more common symptoms in patients with Parkinson’s and are the ones that are the first to appear, even before the onset of motor symptoms. So much so, that researchers from different countries have described that the composition of the gut microbiota is found to be altered in patients with Parkinson’s disease. “We also know that the composition of the gut microbiota can affect many functions of the heart, including the brain, due to the bidirectional communication existing between these two organs. The objective of our research is to determine whether the altered microbiota contributes to the appearance and/or progression of the disease, or whether it is a consequence of the neurodegenerative process”, states Dr Laguna.

Furthermore, the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute will be present during the poster session with 10 posters: 

1. Transcriptomic analysis in a fragile X syndrome mouse model after CB1 receptor targeting reveals treatment-associated changes in RNA splicing machinery. (Entre els autors: Dr. Alba Navarro-Romero).
2. Dysregulation of the autophagic-lysosomal pathway in Parkinson’s disease associated to GBA.  (Entre els autors: Dr Alba Navarro-Romero, Marta Montpeyo, Irene Fernandez-Gonzalez, Jordi Riera, Eddie Pradas, Dr. Marta Martinez-Vicente).
3. Faim knockout leads to gliosis and late-onset neurodegeneration of photoreceptors in the mouse retina. (Entre els autors: Anna Sirés, Mireia Turch-Anguera, Dr. Patricia Bogdanov, Dr. Joel Sampedro, Hugo Ramos, Dr. Joaquín López-Soriano, Dr. María José Pérez-García, Dr. Cristina Hernández, Dr. Rafael Simó, Dr. Montse Solé, Dr. Joan Xavier Comella).
4. Gene therapy with VMAT2 reduces age-dependent neuromelanin accumulation and prevents Parkinson’s disease phenotype in neuromelanin-producing rats. (Entre els autors: Joan Compte Barrón, Dr. Marta González-Sepúlveda, Alba Nicolau Vera, Dr. Thais Cuadros Arasa, Jordi Giménez-Romero, Annabelle Parent, Dr. Ariadna Laguna Tuset, Dr. Miquel Vila Bover).
5. Relationship of FAIM-L and Ovarian Tumor (OTU) Deubiquitinases in synaptic remodelation. (Entre els autors: Mireia Turch-Anguera, Dr. Koen M.O. Galenkamp, Dr. Elena Coccia, Dr. Montse Solé, Dr. Cristina Hernández, Dr. Rafael Simó, Prof. Joan X. Comella).
6. Age-dependent multisystem parkinsonian features in a novel neuromelanin-producing transgenic mouse model. (Entre els autors: Nuria Peñuelas, Dr Ariadna Laguna, Dr Marta Gonzalez-Sepulveda, Dr Helena Xicoy, Joan Compte, Alba Nicolau, Marina Lorente-Picón, Jordi Romero-Giménez, Annabelle Parent, Dr Thais Cuadros, Dr Iria Carballo-Carbajal, Dr Miquel Vila).
7. FAIM-L as a modulator of Tau-pathology in Alzheimer’s disease and other tauopathies. (Entre els autors: Raquel Badillos-Rodríguez, Dr. Montse Solé, Dr. Joan X. Comella).
8. The Gut-Brain Axis in a novel humanized transgenic mouse model for Parkinson ́s disease and brain aging. (Entre els autors: Marina Lorente Picón, Dr. Miquel Vila, Dra. Ariadna Laguna).
9. Male sex bias in Parkinson’s disease is linked to an accelerated agedependent neuromelanin accumulation. (Entre els autors: Camille Guillard Sirieix, Jordi Romero-Giménez, Thais Cuadros, Annabelle Parent, Ariadna Laguna, Miquel Vila).
10. Alpha-synuclein interacts with neuromelanin to enhance Lewy body formation and neurodegeneration in neuromelanin-producing parkinsonian rodents. (Entre els autors: Alba Nicolau-Vera, Thais Cuadros, Jordi Romero-Giménez, Annabelle Parent, Dr. Ariadna Laguna, Dr. Miquel Vila).