Conference Day Two
Thursday 24th August 2023
8:50 am Chair’s Opening Remarks
OVERCOMING PERIPHERAL NOISE & DETECTING CNS BIOMARKER LEVELS WITH SUFFICIENT SENSITIVITY IN FLUID SAMPLES
9:00 am Developing Sensitive Biomarkers in Blood for Neurodegenerative & Neuroinflammatory Measurements
Synopsis
- Overcoming peripheral signal interference and noise-induced fluctuations to enhance biomarker detection levels in blood
- Selecting biomarkers that are present at high enough levels in blood to be picked up
- Considering how confounding factors may affect interpretation of CNS biomarker levels in blood samples
9:30 am Panel Discussion: Comparing Techniques & Methods of Detection for Fluid Biomarkers in Neuroscience
Synopsis
- Assessing the sensitivity levels of different techniques for biomarker measurement, such as aptamer-based proteomics assays, liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)
- Exploring how individual biomarkers are suited to different measurement approaches
10:15 am MORNING BREAK & REFRESHMENTS
11:15 am Population Proteomics as a tool to Identify & Validate Therapeutic Targets for Brain Illnesses
Synopsis
- Multiplex proteomics, the measurement of hundreds to thousands of proteins, can now be applied in high throughput at very large, ‘population-scale’ sample sizes
- Outlining how population-scale proteomic screens can be used to find proteins associated with specific neurological indications
- Providing overviews of recent and upcoming consortia, including the UK Biobank Pharma Proteomics Project and the Global Neurodegeneration Proteomics Consortium
- Discussing the value of combining population proteomics with genetics (proteogenomics)
EXPLORING OPPORTUNITIES TO OVERCOME CRITICAL ROADBLOCKS IN DEVELOPING NOVEL BIOMARKER TARGETS & IMPROVING CLINICAL OUTCOMES
11:45 am Roundtable Discussion: Laying the Groundwork for Future Advancements in CSF, Plasma & Image-Based Biomarkers of Neurological Disorders
Synopsis
More practical and highly interactive breakout roundtables where attendees can crowd-source solutions and share opinions around pre-assigned topic areas.
- What is needed to develop a PET tracer for alpha synuclein to image Parkinson’s in vivo?
- How can we better associate changes in brain image observations over time with clinically meaningful outcomes in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s?
- How can we advance knowledge of cell type specificity in CSF?
Moderator Feedback & Audience Debate
Moderators will be assigned to each roundtable to facilitate discussion and collate the findings. Following the roundtables, they will present back to the entire delegation and open up wider audience debate.
12:30 pm LUNCH & NETWORKING BREAK
1:30 pm Application of Fluid & Imaging Biomarkers to Drug Development in Adult-Onset Leukoencephalopathy
Synopsis
- Demonstration of proof-of-target engagement and pharmacological activity in early clinical development
- Identification and characterization of biomarkers of disease pathophysiology and/or progression
- Application of such biomarkers to proof-of-concept studies
2:00 pm Optimizing PET Ligand Binding Specificity to Distinguish Between Multiple Forms of Parkinson’s Disease
Synopsis
- Improving differential diagnosis of specific synucleinopathies with enhanced molecular imaging approaches
- Understanding how individual imaging markers can improve the understanding of co-pathologies in neurodegenerative diseases
HIGHLIGHTING CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES OF MOLECULAR IMAGING FOR GENERATING SPECIFIC & ACCURATE MEASUREMENTS IN THE CNS
2:30 pm Developing & Optimizing Synuclein PET Ligands for Imaging of Pathological Proteins in Neurodegenerative Disease
Synopsis
- Screening and discovery of small molecule ligands that bind to aggregated alpha-synuclein
- Optimization and in vivo imaging of MK-7337 a novel PET tracer candidate
- Clinical strategy for MK-7337 proof-of-concept studies in Parkinson’s disease patients.
3:00 pm Evaluation of PET Tracers Targeting Neuroinflammation in Preclinical Animal Models
Synopsis
- De-risking clinical imaging strategy
- Role of PET in imaging neuroinflammation
- Evaluating known neuroinflammatory PET tracers across preclinical animal models
- Correlation of imaging endpoints with relevant neuroinflammatory markers