Invited Speaker

An İnnovative Approach to Functional Recovery after Neurological Damage Based Upon an Hypothesis Driven-Technological Platform and Murine Models
Pierre A. Guertin
Canada

Non-traumatic and traumatic damages to the central nervous system (CNS) lead generally to irreversible losses of sensory and/or motor functions. In most cases, therapeutic approaches that are being developed for damaged CNS indications (e.g., CVA, ALS, spinal cord injury) are based on neuronal tissue repair either using grafting or immunesuppression. Technological advances using these approaches have been rare probably due to the extraordinary complex central neuronal tissue and network organization. Dr. Guertin has developed a unique approach to drug discovery and development adapted to CNS damage and specifically to spinal cord injury. It is a hypothesis-driven platform for drug screening that is designed to efficiently identify small molecule leads, synergistic actions between them, and final candidate products (Guertin, Curr Med Chem 16, 2009). In contrast to most other approaches in development, Dr. Guertin’s technological platform aims at improving functional recovery by specific pharmacological re-activation of spared neuronal tissue and networks (Guertin, J Neurosci Res 86, 2008). This approach has led to the identification of two innovative drug combination technologies for temporary locomotor movement induction and for recovery of reproductive functions in spinal cord injured subjects.