"Proteomic Biomarker Discovery in Huntington’s Disease Using Human Patients Biofluids"

Very welcome to an exciting talk on biomarkers in Huntington disease by Dr. Niels H. Skotte from University of Copenhagen!  

Tuesday May 28, 10-11 am in BMC:E11073 Rådslaget, Forum Medicum.

Title: Proteomic Biomarker Discovery in Huntington’s Disease Using Human Patients Biofluids

Host: Professor Åsa Petersén

Niels H. Skotte is one of the half time reviewers of Sofia Bergh’s PhD thesis on May 28 at 1 pm at BMC D1132C. 

Abstract- Niels H. Skotte’s talk
The genetic nature of Huntington’s Disease allows a precise diagnosis, but the use of biomarkers tracking disease progression as well as biomarkers responsive to treatment are essential to facilitate the development and evaluation of potential therapies for HD. The aims of our biomarker study were to explore several biofluids for novel protein biomarker candidates as well as substantiate previously identified protein changes. In addition, we wanted to identify potential new targets of mechanistic and therapeutic interest for further exploration. Here, we discuss our recent proteomic results and findings from human biofluid from healthy controls and HD gene carriers. We provide an overview of the most interesting protein candidates and their ability to track disease progression. Furthermore, we will discuss the current possibilities and limitations for proteomic-based biomarker discovery as well as the important next steps to validate our findings and create scientific synergy within neurodegenerative research.

Biography
Dr. Niels H Skotte is a research group leader at the Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. He is affiliated Assistant Professor at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research. In 2011, he received his PhD degree in Neuroscience from the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Copenhagen with mentorship from Prof. Anne Nørremølle and Prof. Lis Hasholt. He subsequently worked as a postdoctoral fellow at Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, Canada with mentorship from Prof. Michael Hayden. In 2015, he returned to Denmark with the motivation to become a leading expert in biofluid mass spectrometry. He joined Dr. Matthias Mann’s laboratory, who is an elite researcher and pioneer in modern protein research. Dr. Skotte has been working extensively on Huntington’s disease for close to 15 years and has played a central role in developing allele-selective anti-sense oligonucleotides for Huntington's disease, elucidating strategies to limit huntingtin processing by modulating caspase-6 activity, as well as identifying biomarkers for HD in plasma, saliva, and cerebrospinal fluid. The Skotte Research Group is specialized in molecular and cellular neuropathology and clinical neuroproteomics. The research is focused on identifying novel protein alterations in neurodegenerative disease to define novel drug targets and validate biomarkers in human biofluids.