Special issue focused on the International Symposium on Biology and Translational Aspects of Neurodegeneration at Venice, Italy, March 2012

摘要

This Special Issue of Priori may seem unusual, as prions are but one of the topics of much discussion; the focus is much wider, and covers the entire spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases. This issue collects some of the papers presented at the International Symposium on Biology and Translational Aspects of Neurodegeneration in March 2012. Once again, the Symposium was held in the beautiful venue of Palazzo Cavalli-Franchetti, which is the seat of the Venetian Institute of Sciences, Letters and Arts on the Grand Canal of Venice. Even if not directly on the forefront of the Symposium, prions were frequently in the background, as the concept of the prion-like behavior of some neurodegeneration-related proteins was extensively discussed. In addition, the idea that the prion protein could mediate the toxic effects of misfolded proteins in pathologies like Alzheimer disease also received considerable attention. The presentations focused on molecular mechanisms, but related topics were also considered, e.g., the clinical implications of the basic science findings made. The scientific content of the presentations was very high and generated intense and fruitful discussions.