9:00 – 9:45 Registration
9:45 – 10:00 Introduction by the Chair: Dr Alan Wallace
10:00 – 10:30 Nitric oxide in the life and death of neuronal cells - Dr Guy Brown, Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, UK
High levels of NO can be produced by inducible NO synthase expressed in glial cells in inflammatory conditions. But in addition to iNOS expression, NO-induced neuronal death normally requires either (i) hypoxia to enable NO to inhibit mitochondrial respiration, or (ii) superoxide production from microglial NADPH oxidase, reacting with NO to give neurotoxic peroxynitrite.
10:30 – 11:00 Targeting eNOS coupling in human atherosclerosis - Dr. Charalambos Antoniades, University of Athens and University of Oxford-UK
Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), maintains its enzymatic coupling in the presence of its co-factor tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4). Under conditions of increased oxidative stress, BH4 may be oxidized leading to eNOS uncoupling. The uncoupled form of eNOS then becomes a source of superoxide radicals instead of NO. Strategies targeting eNOS coupling are usually focused on increasing BH4 bioavailability, either by increasing its synthesis or by preventing its oxidation. These strategies include antioxidants and especially the administration of 5-methyl-tetrahydrofolate, as well as direct exogenous BH4 administration. The impact of routinely used therapeutic strategies in human atherosclerosis such as statins, needs further investigation
11:00- 11:05 Speakers photo
11:05 – 11:30 Mid-morning break
11:30 – 12:00 The nitrate-nitrite-NO pathway in health and disease - Dr Jon Lundberg, Karolinska, Sweden
Nitric oxide (NO) is generally viewed as an autocrine or paracrine messenger, mostly regulating local intracellular processes or acting on cells in its near vicinity. The major metabolic pathway for NO involves its rapid oxidation into the higher nitrogen oxides nitrite and nitrate. Until recently, these inorganic anions have been generally considered to be inert endproducts of NO metabolism. Although, it is true that the bioactivity of NO is acutely terminated following oxidation to nitrate and nitrite, recent lines of research now suggest that a reverse pathway exists in which nitrate and nitrite are reduced stepwise into bioactive NO again. The nitrate-nitrite-NO pathway is emerging as a likely regulator of physiological functions in the gastrointestinal tract and in the cardiovascular system. In particular, it might serve as a backup system to ensure NO like bioactivity also in situations when the endogenous L-arginine/NO synthase pathway is dysfunctional. In addition, this alternative pathway can be harnessed therapeutically in prevention and treatment of disease. Finally, there is an intriguing nutritional aspect to this, since the major supply of nitrate and nitrite in our bodies comes from our everyday diet.
12:00 – 12:30 Selected Oral Presentations
12:30 – 12:40 Introduction to the Biopark
12:40 – 13:30 Lunch and Poster Viewing
13:30 – 14:00 Nitrite: Can we teach an old dog new tricks? - Dr Alexandra Milsom, William Harvey Institute
14:00 – 15:00 Targeted NO delivery - Dr Ian Megson, UHi Millenium Institute, Inverness
15:00 – 15:30 Afternoon Tea/Coffee and Last Poster Viewing
15:30 - 16:00 S-Nitrosoglutathione Metabolism - Dr Lea-Ann Dailey, King's College, London
16:00 – 16:30 Hydrogen sulfide and the nitric oxide cross-talk: A promising future for two old gas bags?
Dr Matt Whitemann, Peninsula Medical School
16:30 – 17:00 Chairman’s summing up.
18:00 Soiree at *The Best Western Homestead Court Hotel for all the participants
This meeting was organised by Euroscicon (www.euroscicon.com), a team of dedicated professionals working for the continuous improvement of technical knowledge transfer to all scientists. Euroscicon believe that they can make a positive difference to the quality of science by providing cutting edge information on new technological advancements to the scientific community. This is provided via our exceptional services to individual scientists, research institutions and industry. The event was hosted by 'BioPark (www.biopark.co.uk), a research and development centre in Welwyn Garden City providing specialist facilities and support for bioscience and health technology businesses to grow, and to develop new products and technologies
*To book your accommodation at BEST WESTERN HOMESTEAD COURT HOTEL and any travel arrangements please download the booking form or contact us with your requirements to accommodationandtravel@euroscicon.com / + 44 (0) 1926 888027. We will negotiate the best rates for you
About the Chair
Dr Alan Wallace studied Medical Biochemistry at Birmingham before moving to UMIST where his PhD concentrated on cAMP phosphodiesterases. After a postdoctoral fellowship back in Birmingham he moved into the pharmaceutical industry. Here here has worked on a wide range of projects, including a multinational search for novel NO synthase inhibitors, targetting several major diseases and involving research sites in the UK, USA, Sweden and Canada - and a collaboration with the structural biology group of John Tainer and Libby Getzoff at the Scripps Clinic in San Diego. He has presented aspects of this work at several international meetings, and his latest paper, describing how NO synthase inhibitors can achieve selectivity between isoforms, has just been published in Nature Chemical Biology.
About the Speakers
Dr Guy Brown,obtianed his PhD and College Research Fellowship at University of Cambridge and now has a Royal Society Research Fellowship at University College London.
Dr Charalambos Antoniades has qualified Athens University Medical School in 2000, with honors. He was a Research Fellow in the 1st Department of Cardiology during the years 2000-2004 and he received his PhD degree in Cardiology by the same University in 2005. He has been a post-doctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine in the University of Oxford-UK since 2004. He received many Young Investigators Awards including those from the American College of Cardiology 2004, World Congress of Cardiology 2006, European Society of Cardiology (in 2006, 2007 and 2008), International Society of Heart Research 2008, and Hellenic Society of Cardiology. Now he is an independent researcher in Athens University Medical School. His research is focused on the regulation of intracellular inflammatory pathways and endothelial nitric oxide synthase in atherogenesis, and he has more than 100 full length papers in international peer-review journals.