Autophagy and Neurodegeneration: Mechanisms to Therapies

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ABSTRACT Support is requested for a Keystone Symposia conference entitled Autophagy and Neurodegeneration: Mechanisms to Therapies, organized by Drs. Ralph Nixon, Ana Maria Cuervo and Gilbert Di Paolo. The conference will be held in Snowbird, Utah from March 26-29, 2023. Autophagy is an essential cellular process required for cellular homeostasis and adaptation to stress. Autophagy malfunction is a common mechanism in the pathogenesis of multiple human diseases including neurodegenerative conditions. The autophagy field has now matured to support expanding initiatives aimed at targeting autophagy with therapeutic purpose. This Keystone Symposia conference will highlight the field’s evolution from an exclusively molecular cell biological focus to one that now also addresses expanding biological functions and etiological roles in specific neurodegenerative disease states. The program will also offer initial glimpses of promising clinical translation originating from surging industry interest in autophagy modulation as therapy in the field of neurodegeneration. This program is designed to be particularly innovative as the goal was to capture the bench to bedside scope of autophagy research by featuring new findings from a multidisciplinary panel of academic and industry speakers with a combination of conceptual themes spanning from basic biology of neuronal and glial autophagy to translational medicine and therapeutics. Appreciation of the brain’s special vulnerabilities to autophagy dysfunction has grown in the research community. Additionally, there are promising therapeutic responses to autophagy modulation in major neurodegenerative disorders that are emerging from preclinical studies, which is a novel concept to address at this conference. Finally, there are two workshops being developed that will address critical knowledge gaps in the clinical translation of autophagy fundamental: “Integrated Modulation of Organism Autophagy” and “Monitoring Autophagy: Biomarkers and Disease-Precision “Omics.” The informal workshop setting will encourage audience participation along with providing an avenue to brainstorm ideas in these emerging areas.