Prof. Neville Vassallo FRSB FRSC (Department of Physiology and Biochemistry) has delivered a seminar at the German Centre for Neurodegenerative Disease Research (DZNE) in Munich, Germany, following an invitation by Prof. Dr med. Jochen W. Herms, Director of the Institute for Neuropathology of the Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich (LMU).
During his talk, which was entitled “Cardiolipin and Mitochondria in Synucleinopathies”, Prof. Vassallo explained how the misfolding and aggregation of the alpha-synuclein, a protein highly expressed in the central nervous system, is considered as the cornerstone event in the pathogenesis of human brain diseases collectively known as ‘synucleinopathies’. The latter includes Parkinson’s disease (PD), the most common motor neurodegenerative disorder, affecting 1-3% of the global population.
Prof. Vassallo then gave an account of his group’s latest research findings, which have allowed a mechanistic dissection of the influence of phospholipids in mitochondria, especially cardiolipin, on alpha-synuclein aggregation and biological toxicity. Uncovering the intricate interplay between mitochondrial lipids and alpha-synuclein will enable the rational design of better therapeutic strategies aimed at slowing down the neurodegenerative process in PD.
Prof. Vassallo’s work at the University in Malta has been carried out in collaboration with Prof. Alfonso de Simone (Dept. of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II) and Prof. Dr Christian Griesinger (Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany).
Prof. Vassallo acknowledged financial support by the Malta Council for Science & Technology, through its Internationalisation Partnership & Awards Scheme Plus (IPAS+) programme (IPAS-2022-034 “MITOPARK”), and by the University of Malta (PHBR06).