About this event

Explore the forefront of neuroscience with the LCSB Neuroscience Lecture Series, featuring scientific presentations from internationally renowned experts in various disciplines of neuroscience.

Meet the speaker! One-on-one meeting opportunities with the speaker can be arranged by emailing Murielle Moes.

Lipid Shifts and Inflammatory Cascades in Brain Aging and Neurodegeneration

This presentation shows how brain and related biological systems can undergo degenerative changes following lipid changes, particularly in glycolipids and cholesterol transport, within neurons and glia. These lipid shifts set off inflammatory cascades, undermining cellular and brain function over a lifetime in an environment. The presentation analyzes our experiments that test how such perturbations and inflammation can interact to simulate pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and Lewy body dementia. Drawing on experiments in cell systems and animal models and targeted genetic manipulations, modulating lysosomal enzymes (GBA1, NPC1) and key lipid-transfer proteins (ApoE and its variants) and enzymes controlling glycolipid composition, the data demonstrate how such systems replicate the processes and vulnerabilities seen in neurodegenerative diseases. In summary, the presentation synthesizes mechanistic insights into how lipid-centric dysfunction primes vulnerable neuronal–glial networks, potentially unlocking new therapeutic strategies targeting lipid metabolism and inflammatory signaling in age-related neurodegeneration.

About the speaker

Professor Ole Isacson is Professor of Neurology and Neuroscience at Harvard Medical School and Founder of the Neuroregeneration Institute at McLean Hospital. His research models Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and related diseases, revealing how lipid, protein, and immune reactions interact in neurodegeneration. Professor Isacson also explores regenerative mechanisms and has devised new treatments in clinical brain repair using cell therapy, now at the clinical trial level.