Brain Energy Metabolism Course

On May, 6-13th 2023, our Young Investigator Paweł Hanus attended the course „Brain Energy Metabolism”. Course took place in San Servolo Island in Venice where for one week leaders of the glia research reviewed the most salient features emerging from recent studies on cellular and metabolic bases of neuronal-glia metabolic crosstalk and coupling. Phenomenons such as astrocyte-neuron lactate shuttle discovered by members of the faculty of the course changed perspective on brain energy metabolism and are crucial for understaning link between energy expenditure and fuctional activity of the brain. During the course every speaker gave broad insight into metabolic processes in the brain mainly focuing on one of the major glia cell type – astrocytes. Not only basic science problems were takled, but recent strategies to target some of the neurodegenerative diseases were discussed during the course with scientist cooperating with pharma industry.

Course helped Pawel to understand inventing metabolic pathway based drug targeting, which was shown on impressive blood-brain barrier in vitro model made by Giles Hardingham.