2nd FRANCE-QUEBEC ALS/FTD WORKSHOP
ALS/FTD: A tale of many diseases
March 20 and 21, 2014
Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital
Montreal, Canada
Goals of the meeting:
1) To follow up on the first workshop held in Paris in 2012
2) To identify and expand on collaborations between scientists/clinicians from France and Quebec
3) To identify and discuss the important issues in ALS/FTD research
PRELIMINARY PROGRAM
March 20, 2014
8:30 – 9:00Arrival & Registration (De Grandpre Communications Centre)
Meeting Co-Chairs: Heather Durham (Quebec) Edor Kabashi (France)
9:00-9:05Welcoming remarks
Guy Rouleau, Director, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hopital
Chair, Department of Neurology/Neurosurgery, McGill University
9:05-9:20Overview of first Quebec-France workshop and goals of this 2nd workshop
Edor Kabashi, ICM/Heather Durham, MNI
9:20-9:45Plenary Presentation: (sponsored by the ALS Society of Quebec)
Update on the ALS/FTD workshop (London ON, 2013) and working group on cognitive assessment in ALS
Michael Strong, Western University, Ontario
1. Clinical and genetic aspects of ALS/FTD
Co-Chairs: Heather Durham (Quebec) Edor Kabashi (France)
9:50-10:05Redefining ALS in the genomic era: from disease definition to the clinical implications of gene discovery
Nicolas Dupré, Université Laval, Canada
10:10-10:25Somatic Mutations in Sporadic ALS
Claire Leblond, Dr. Rouleau lab, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, Canada
10:30-10:50Pause
10:55-11:10 Where is Tau in FTLD-U?
Valerie Buee-Scherrer , Dr. Buee lab, Université Lille, France
11:15-11:30Multiparametric spinal cord MRI in motor neuron diseases
Pierre-Francois Pradat, CRICM, Paris, France
11:35-11:55General Discussion: Sporadic disease - Issues in pathogenesis and diagnosis. How can we contribute?
Helen Penfield Atrium
12:00-1:15Lunch
2. Pathogenic Mechanisms and Drug Discovery
Co-Chairs: (France) – (Quebec)
1:20-1:35ALS toxicity mechanisms and drug discovery in C. elegans
Alex Parker, Université de Montreal, Canada
1:40-1:55TDP-43 and stress response
Christine Vande Velde, Université de Montreal, Canada
2:00-2:15Synaptic abnormalities in mutant TDP-43 and FUS zebrafish models of ALS
Pierre Drapeau, Université de Montreal, Canada
2:20-2:35Mechanisms and consequences of cytoplasmic accumulation of RNA-binding proteins in ALS
Heather Durham, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital
2:40-2:55miRNA regulation of NEFL mRNA stability in ALS
Michael Strong, Western University, Ontario
3:00-3:15Preliminary results on C9ORF72 function and localization
Nicolas-Charlet, IGBMC, Strasbourg / Edor Kabashi, CRICM, Paris, France
3:20-3:45Pause
3:50-4:05Recombinant single chain antibodies for ALS treatment
Jean-Pierre Julien, Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Québec, Canada
3. Pathogenic Mechanisms: The Importance of Glia
Co-Chairs: (France) – (Quebec)
4:10-4:25 Defective glial phenotype in presymptomatic ALS
Jasna Kriz, Université Laval, Canada
4:30-4:45Contribution of the innate immune system in ALS
Severine Boillee, CRICM, Paris, France
4:50-5:05Glial cells at the NMJ in ALS: friends or foe?
Richard Robitaille, Université de Montreal, Canada
5:10-5:30General Discussion of Issues: What does studying ALS/FTD linked genes tell us about sporadic disease?
5:30-7:00Cocktail Reception - Helen Penfield Atrium
March 21, 2014
Jeanne Timmins Amphitheatre
4. Motor neuron development and survival
Co-Chairs: (France) – (Quebec)
9:00-9:15Development and regeneration of respiratory motor neurons
Adele Cantegrel, Dr. Stifani lab, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, Canada
9:20-9:35Spinal Neuron Survival in the Absence of Neurosecretion
Artur Kania, Institute de Recherche Clinique de Montreal, Canada
9:40-9:55Excitability of adult spinal motoneurons in a mouse model of ALS
Marin Manuel / Daniel Zytnicki
Université Paris Descartes, France
10:00-10:15Sensory-motor integrations in ALS
Veronique Marchand (presented by Pierre-Francois Pradat, CRICM, Paris, France)
10:20-10:45 Pause
5. Experimental Models
Co-Chairs: (France) – (Quebec)
10:45-11:00Murine models of FTD/ ALS
Morwena Latouche, Dr. Brice lab, CRICM, Paris, France
Presented by Alexis Brice, Director, Institut du cerveau et de la moelle épinière (ICM)
11:05-11:20Novel murine models of ALS
Frederique Rene, Dr. Loeffler lab, University of Strasbourg, France
11:25-11:40Establishing a novel ALS mouse model with ALS 8 mutation
Hiroshi Tsuda, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, Canada
11:45-12:00Developing and characterizing novel models of ALS in zebrafish
Sorana Ciura, Dr. Kabashi lab, Paris, France
12:05-12:20 Tissue-engineered skin model to study Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
François Gros-Louis, Université de Laval, Canada
12:25-2:00Lunch (Jeanne Timmins foyer)
2:00-3:30 Round Table Discussions/Working Groups
3:30-4:00Pause
4:00-4:50 Reports from the Working Groups and Strategic Discussion
4:50 Closing Remarks
Alexis Brice, Director, Institut du cerveau et de la moelle épinière (ICM), Paris, France
5:00-6:00Closing Reception (Jeanne Timmins foyer)
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