**AutMultiple sclerosis (MS) is primarily characterized by demyelination within the central nervous system; however, the sustained clinical deficits associated with progressive forms of the disease are correlated with neuronal degeneration and death. Several mechanisms occurring within the MS lesion environment have been associated with axonal damage, including oxidative stress, hypoxic stress and glutamate excitotoxicity. Currently, there are no therapies preventing the neurodegeneration underlying chronic disability in progressive MS. Accordingly, biomarkers of neuronal damage that may suggest novel therapeutic targets and serve as prognostic indicators of disease progression are of great need. microRNAs (miRNA) are small, non-coding RNA molecules that inhibit translation of messenger RNA. They are often secreted from cells within extracellular vesicles (EVs), which are highly stable in circulation and abundant in human blood samples. Here, we use a reductionist in vitro culture system to profile miRNA expression in EVs released from human iPSC-derived neurons challenged with MS-relevant stimuli. We show that iPSC-derived neurons degenerate upon exposure to toxic stimuli and that EV miRNAs can be reproducibly obtained from degenerating neurons for sequencing. We aim to identify regulated EV miRNAs in our in vitro assays which can then be compared to neuronally-derived EVs isolated from MS patient plasma. We hope to identify a conserved miRNA signature that can be used to monitor neurodegeneration and disease progression in MS, while defining new neuroprotective strategies.

Profiling EV microRNAs from degenerating neurons to identify biomarkers for multiple sclerosis

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[![](https://assets.underline.io/uploads/markdown_image/1/image/11eac27c9accef6840f694c003fd485d.png)](https://gather.town/app/mVxTT37ZAOAyCRIW/CAN-ACN) [![](https://assets.underline.io/uploads/markdown_image/1/image/7a93179b79ec979deb339ab0a83f4ecc.png)](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ur3o1kkB3PL7xs8QcjFfPj-bE8YplClq/view?usp=sharing)

PS-2-C -  Disorders of the Nervous System

poster

Colleagues and Friends:

I am very happy to welcome you to the 14th annual Canadian Neuroscience Meeting, and to the first virtual edition of our meeting. I want to highlight the important work the CAN meeting chair, **Roger Thompson** and co-chair, **Alyson Fournier**, did to put together the great program we are offering this year. Moving to a virtual format required a complete re-design of the program, and both Roger and Alyson did a splendid job in providing us with an appealing and well adapted program for our first virtual event. I wish to thank them for this very important effort.

Highlights of this year’s scientific meeting include invited speakers **Michael Hausser, Franck Polleux, Gwyneth Card, Magdalena Götz**and Brain Prize winner **Huda Zoghbi**. Plenary and parallel symposia, proposed by our members complete our diverse [scientific program.](https://can-acn.org/meeting-2021/program-2021/)

The 2021 Advocacy session, chaired and organized by CAN advocacy committee chair **Karun Singh**, will feature a special lecture and question period with Member of Parliament and past Science Minister **Kirsty Duncan**. This will be followed by a short overview of CAN’s advocacy activities over the last year. We invite you to participate in this session for insight from Dr. Duncan on the workings of Parliament Hill, and to learn more about what CAN has been doing to promote neuroscience research in Canada.

We are also excited to host **Lisa Willis** in the Equity Diversity and Inclusion session, organized by EDI committee chair **Jibran Khokhar**.

A special highlight of our meeting will be the lectures by award-winning young neuroscientists. We are please to host the CAN 2020 Young Investigator Award winner **Mihaela Iordanova**, and CAN 2021 Young Investigator Award winners **Aaron Phillips** and **Tabrez Siddiqui**. Highlights will also include presentation by the top three winners of the CAN-CIHR-INMHA Brain Star Award winners, **Claire Gizowski, Nuria Daviu Abant** and **Lukas Tamayo-Orrego**.

Independently organized satellite symposia complement and complete this exciting program, check them out here: https://can-acn.org/meeting-2021/2021-satellite-symposia/

Some of the most engaging sessions are always the poster sessions featuring the work of our trainees, so make sure to log in to Gather Town during the poster sessions to chat with the presenters.
We hope you enjoy this program, and look forward to welcoming you, virtually.

Shernaz Bamji

President of the Canadian Association for Neuroscience

![](https://assets.underline.io/uploads/markdown_image/1/image/b9aea25343a87d5aac3b9367dc780974.jpg)



Aliyah Zaman

1

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Profiling EV microRNAs from degenerating neurons to identify biomarkers for multiple sclerosis

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