Professor Jürgen Götz, UQ : "From basic mechanisms to antibody- and ultrasound-based therapeutic interventions for Alzheimer's disease"
Speaker :
Professor Jürgen Götz
Director of Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research
Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland
Title: "From basic mechanisms to antibody- and ultrasound-based therapeutic interventions for Alzheimer's disease"
Abstract: The brain is considered to be the last frontier, both in terms of understanding how it operates under normal and pathological conditions, and in accessing it for therapeutic intervention. My laboratory works in both spaces: deciphering the role of key molecules and signalling pathways in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and developing therapeutic antibodies and novel ultrasound-based techniques to overcome the blood-brain barrier (BBB). One of the key features of the AD brain is the deposition of the peptide amyloid-beta (Abeta) as plaques and of the protein Tau as tangles, a process that leads to neurodegeneration and dementia.
In the first part of my talk, I will present a mechanism by which A-beta causes local protein translation of tau. Using click chemistry technology, we also revealed that pathological tau (in the absence of A-beta) impairs the translational machinery. Finally, we have been exploring mechanisms by which tau pathology spreads through the brain via exosomes. Together this adds to an increased understanding of how tau impairs neuronal functions.
In the second part of my presentation, I will talk about our tau-based vaccination program and how we use ultrasound to clear Abeta and Tau in AD mouse models to restore memory and motor functions. A challenge is to develop the technology for the application in humans, due to a highly attenuating human skull. To address this and to get ready for clinical trials, we have established a protocol that allows for the safe opening of the BBB in sheep, a large animal species with skull characteristics similar to that of humans.
About Neuroscience Seminars
Neuroscience seminars at the QBI play a major role in the advancement of neuroscience in the Asia-Pacific region. The primary goal of these seminars is to promote excellence in neuroscience through the exchange of ideas, establishing new collaborations and augmenting partnerships already in place.
Seminars in the QBI Auditorium are held on Wednesdays at 12-1pm, which are sometimes simulcast on Zoom (with approval from the speaker). We also occassionally hold seminars from international speakers via Zoom. The days and times of these seminars will vary depending on the time zone of the speaker. Please see each seminar listed below for details.
