NG4leuko consortium meeting 10-11 Nov 2022 in Porto

The researchers involved in the NG4leuko consortium organized a face-to-face meeting, hosted by Monica Sousa’s laboratory in Porto, on November 10^th and 11^th, 2022.

Teams’ members presented their progresses and discussed the project’s updates. They shared preliminary observations and the follow up of their work.

Liza Kok from Vivi Heine’s laboratory in Amsterdam, and Elizabeth Mangiameli from Angela Gritti’s lab, in Milan, presented spheroid experiments realized in collaboration by the teams and aiming at exploring neuron-glia interactions in leukodystrophies using human iPSC-based models.

From Monica Sousa’s laboratory in Porto, Sandra Braz described the study of the alterations in the microtubule dynamics, and the alterations in axonal transport and axonal outgrowth of iPSC derived neuronal cells; and Joana Rodrigues summarized the neuronal analysis realized.

Dorien Maas from Maria Cecilia Angulo’s lab in Paris, described the challenges of Optogenetics and DREADD (designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs) experiments in the investigation of the role of in vivo neuronal activity in regulating the maturation of human IPS derived oligodendroglia from controls and leukodystrophy patients grafted into mice, and how chemogenetics would be used to address the question.

Finally, Giovanna Cenini from Oliver Brüstle’s lab in Bonn, concluded the update of the young researcher’s progresses, talking about the iAstrocytes.

The meeting also allowed the principal investigators to discuss project progress, follow-up, and finances. A time was reserved for a visit of the laboratory in Porto and for a consortium dinner.