From bench to bedside: mechanisms of long-term memory inform the development of novel treatments for neurodevelopmental disorders and neurodegenerative diseases

Sep

2026

3:00 pm – 4:00 pm

In Person (view details)

2026-27 Neuroscience Seminar Series

Description

Dr. Christina Alberini is a Professor of Neural Science at New York University.

Insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2), a growth factor important for development, has emerged as a critical mechanism of synaptic plasticity and learning and memory. In the stroma of brain regions important for learning and memory, IGF2 is expressed at the highest levels in pericytes, the multi-functional mural cells of the microvessels that regulate blood flow, vessel formation, the blood-brain barrier, and immune cell entry into the central nervous system. Learning and neuronal activity increase IGF2 expression in pericytes, which in turn regulates neuronal changes. Pericytic IGF2 expression induced by learning is required for long-term memory formation, underscoring the important role of the neurovascular unit in learning and memory. Deficits in IGF2 in the brain, serum, or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are associated with aging, neurodegenerative diseases, and neurodevelopmental disorders. A common problem of these diseases is impaired protein metabolism, leading to protein overaccumulation in the brain. We will discuss data on the effects and mechanisms of action of IGF2R agonists, which enhance memory in healthy animals and reverse several core symptoms in models of diseases characterized by brain protein accumulation.

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Hosted by Dr. Alison Preston

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