The Role of Notch Signaling in CNS Disorders
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Presented By
Presented by the Biochemical Pharmacology Discussion Group and the American Chemical Society's New York section
Organizers: Robert Martone, Wyeth, & Barbara Osborne, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
The Notch signaling pathway plays a key role in cell fate determination throughout development. The study of Notch signaling gained urgency when it became clear that Notch signaling was dependent upon the activity of a key therapeutic target for Alzheimer's Disease, the APP gamma secretase. There is increasing evidence that aberrant Notch signaling plays a role in the pathogenesis of a number of neurological disorders, including multiple sclerosis, prion disease and brain tumors, and this evidence suggests that Notch may itself be a potential therapeutic target. This symposium will provide an overview of Notch biology, and will also review the possible utility of gamma secreatse inhibitors in MS, the dependence of Prion induced dendritic atrophy on Notch signaling, and the importance of Notch balance in CNS tumorigenesis.
1:00—2:00
Rafael Kopan, Washington University, St Louis, "Visualizing Notch Signaling In Vivo and In Vitro: How do Vertebrates Use Their 4 Notch Genes?"
2:00—2:50
Charles Eberhart, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, "The Role of Notch Signaling in the Initiation and Growth of Brain Tumors."
2:50 pm—3:20
Break
3:20—4:10
Stephen DeArmond, University of California, San Francisco, "Notch Signaling in Prion Disease."
4:10—5:00
Barbara Osborne, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, "The Regulation of Inflammatory Responses by Notch Signaling."