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Institute for
Neurological Research
and Diagnostic

Seminars
Department of Neurosciences
University of Medicine and
Pharmacy “Iuliu Hatieganu”
Cluj-Napoca | Romania

1 MARCH, 2023
VIRTUAL MEETING
Welcome Address

It is a pleasure to welcome you to the 100th edition Seminars - 1 March,

2023. The seminar is hosted by the Department of Neurosciences,
Faculty of Medicine, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and
Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca. This seminar aims to establish itself as a
highly useful framework that will enable local specialists to benefit
from the expertise of our invited speakers who are part of associated
international faculty of our Department of Neurosciences Cluj-Napoca,
Romania and RoNeuro Science network. Our scope is to flourish over
years and set up an educational vector aiming to meet our junior and
senior specialists’ needs.

In contrast to large international conferences, the intention

behind these seminars is to create an informal and intimate
setting, which hopefully will stimulate open discussions.

Due to the uncertainties about the continuing impact of the

COVID-19 pandemic, our events will be held in the virtual space,
for the time being. As organizers, we would therefore be deeply
grateful if you participate and share your time with us.

We are looking forward to your active participation in this

educational event!

With consideration,

Prof. Dr. Dafin F. Muresanu,

Chairman Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine,
“Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy,
Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Program Coordinator

Dafin F. Mureşanu
President of the European Federation of
NeuroRehabilitation Societies (EFNR)

Secretary General AMN

(Academy for Multidisciplinary Neurotraumatology)

Past President of the Romanian Society of Neurology

Professor of Neurology, Chairman Department of

Neurosciences “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine
and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
 Organizers

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SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF
F THE SOCIE

F THE SOCIE
NEUROPROTECTION AND
NEUROPLASTICITY
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Institute for
Neurological Research
and Diagnostic
SPEAKERS
 SPEAKERS

Professor of Neurology, Senior Neurologist, Chairman of the Neurosciences Department,

Faculty of Medicine, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj-
Napoca, President of the European Federation of Neurorehabilitation Societies (EFNR),
Chairman Communication Committee of the European Academy of Neurology (EAN),
Past President of the Romanian Society of Neurology, President of the Society for the
Study of Neuroprotection and Neuroplasticity (SSNN), Chairman “RoNeuro” Institute for
Neurological Research and Diagnostic, Corresponding Member of the Romanian Academy,
Member of the Academy of Medical Sciences, Romania and secretary of its Cluj Branch.
He is member of 17 scientific international societies (being Member of the American
Neurological Association (ANA) - Fellow of ANA (FANA) since 2012) and 10 national ones,
being part of the executive board of most of these societies. Professor Dafin F. Muresanu
is also a specialist in Leadership and Management of Research and Health Care Systems
(specialization in “Management and Leadership, Arthur Anderson Institute, Illinois, USA,
1998”; “MBA – Master of Business Administration - Health Care Systems Management,
The Danube University - Krems, Austria, 2003”). He has performed valuable scientific
Dafin F.
research in high interest fields such as: neurobiology of central nervous system (CNS) lesion Muresanu
mechanisms; neurobiology of neuroprotection and neuroregeneration of CNS; the role of /Romania
the Blood-brain barrier (BBB) in CNS diseases; developing comorbidities in animal models to
be used in testing therapeutic paradigms; nanoparticles neurotoxicity upon CNS; the role
of nanoparticles in enhancing the transportation of pharmacological therapeutic agents
through the BBB; cerebral vascular diseases; neurodegenerative pathology; traumatic
brain injury; neurorehabilitation of the central and peripheral nervous system; clarifying
and thoroughgoing study on the classic concepts of Neurotrophicity, Neuroprotection,
Neuroplasticity and Neurogenesis by bringing up the Endogenous Defense Activity (EDA)
concept, as a continuous nonlinear process, that integrates the four aforementioned
concepts, in a biological inseparable manner.

Professor Dafin F. Muresanu is coordinator in international educational programs of

European Master (i.e. European Master in Stroke Medicine, University of Krems), organizer
and co-organizer of many educational projects: European and international schools
and courses (International School of Neurology, European Stroke Organisation Summer
School, Danubian Neurological Society Teaching Courses, Seminars - Department
of Neurosciences, European Teaching Courses on Neurorehabilitation) and scientific
events: congresses, conferences, symposia (International Congresses of the Society for
the Study of Neuroprotection and Neuroplasticity (SSNN), International Association of
Neurorestoratology (IANR) & Global College for Neuroprotection and Neuroregeneration
(GCNN) Conferences, Vascular Dementia Congresses (VaD), World Congresses on
Controversies in Neurology (CONy), Danube Society Neurology Congresses, World Academy
for Multidisciplinary Neurotraumatology (AMN) Congresses, Congresses of European
Society for Clinical Neuropharmacology, European Congresses of Neurorehabilitation).
His activity includes involvement in many national and international clinical studies and
research projects, over 500 scientific participations as “invited speaker” in national and
international scientific events, a significant portfolio of scientific articles (260 papers
indexed on Web of Science-ISI, H-index: 25) as well as contributions in monographs and
books published by prestigious international publishing houses. Prof. Dr. Dafin F. Muresanu
has been honoured with: „Dimitrie Cantemir” Medal of the Academy of The Republic of
 SPEAKERS

Moldova in 2018, Ana Aslan Award 2018 - “Performance in the study of active aging and
neuroscience”, for the contribution to the development of Romanian medicine, National
Order “Faithful Service” awarded by the President of Romania in 2017; “Iuliu Hatieganu”
University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj-Napoca, Faculty of Medicine, the “Iuliu
Hatieganu Great Award 2016” for the best educational project in the last five years; the
Academy of Romanian Scientists, “Carol Davila Award for Medical Sciences / 2011”, for the
contribution to the Neurosurgery book “Tratat de Neurochirurgie” (vol.2), Editura Medicala,
Bucuresti, 2011; the Faculty of Medicine, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and
Pharmacy Cluj-Napoca “Octavian Fodor Award” for the best scientific activity of the
year 2010 and the 2009 Romanian Academy “Gheorghe Marinescu Award” for advanced
contributions in Neuroprotection and Neuroplasticity.
 SPEAKERS

Michael Chopp, PhD, is Distinguished Professor of Physics at Oakland University. He has a

joint appointment with Henry Ford Hospital where he is Vice Chairman for Research of the
Department of Neurology, Scientific Director of the Henry Ford Neuroscience Institute,
and is the Zoltan J. Kovacs Chair in Neuroscience Research.

He received his MS and doctorate degrees in Mathematical and Solid State Physics from
New York University. After nearly 10 years of working as a Physicist and as a Professor of
Physics, Dr. Chopp made a career change and turned his interest to translational research
in neuroscience Dr. Chopp’s research has primarily focused on: 1) cellular and molecular
biology of ischemic cell injury, 2) the pathophysiology of stroke, traumatic brain injury,
peripheral neuropathy, multiple sclerosis, and glioma, 3) combination thrombolytic and
neuro and vascular protective therapies for stroke, 4) mechanisms of neuroprotection,
5) cell-based and pharmacological neurorestorative therapies for stroke, traumatic brain
restorative therapies for stroke, traumatic brain injury and neurodegenerative disease,
6) molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying neurogenesis and angiogenesis and the
Michael
induction of brain plasticity leading to functional and behavioral recovery after neural Chopp
injury,7) treatment of glioma and breast cancer, 8) exosomes/microRNA for treatment of /USA
neurological injury and disease, and 9) magnetic resonance imaging. Dr. Chopp has 687
peer reviewed publications (h-index 111), ~ 50 book chapters and has given 459 plenary
lectures and invited presentations. He has chaired National Institutes of Health (NIH)
study sections and has often served as a consultant to government agencies, the U.S.
National Institutes of Health, and the pharmaceutical industry.

Awards include:

2001 Top Ten Research Advances of 2001, “Treatment of Stroke with Bone Marrow
Stromal Cells”, American Heart Association
2005 Distinguished Scientist Award, Henry Ford Medical Group, Board of Governors
2012 Lecture of Excellence and World Stroke Organization (WSO) Award, Remodeling
and rewiring the intact CNS as a treatment for Stroke, 8th World Stroke
Congress, Brasilia, Brazil, October
2014 Abraham White Distinguished Science Award. “For discovery of the role of
thymosin beta 4 in the treatment of brain injuries and neurodegenerative diseases;
4th International Symposium on
Thymosins in Health and Disease, Washington, DC, October
2015 Thomas Willis Lecture Award, International Stroke Conference, Nashville, TN,
February
2015 Doctor Honoris Cause, Universitas Medicinae Et Pharmaceuticae Artium
Napocensis “Iuliu Haieganu”,
5th European Teaching Course of NeuroRehabilitation, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
2016 Lecture of Excellence and Barbro B. Johansson Award, 10th World Stroke
Conference, Hyderabad, India, October
SCIENTIFIC
PROGRAM
 Scientific program

1 MARCH, 2023
VIRTUAL MEETING

13:00 – 13:35 Physiological and molecular mechanisms mediating tissue

damage after stroke
Michael Chopp/ USA

13:35 – 14:00 Repair and restorative mechanisms after stroke

Michael Chopp/ USA

14:00 – 14:35 Exosomes-biological nanoparticle therapy for stroke

and neural injury
Michael Chopp/ USA

14:35 – 15:00 Neurotrophic factors effective restorative and neurovascular

protective therapy for stroke and traumatic brain injury
Michael Chopp/ USA

ABSTRACTS
 Abstracts
PHYSIOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR MECHANISMS MEDIATING MICHAEL CHOPP
TISSUE DAMAGE AFTER STROKE /USA

This presentation will include discussion of: 1) mechanisms underlying cerebral

damage after experimental thromboembolic stroke, secondary microvascular
hypoperfusion deficits post stroke-basis for no-reflow, 2) brain heart interactions
,-demonstrating secondary cardiac adverse effects of stroke , 3) comorbidity - the
effects of age, gender and diabetes on stroke outcomes, and therapeutic approaches
for the treatment of experimental stroke with diabetes.

MICHAEL CHOPP
REPAIR AND RESTORATIVE MECHANISMS AFTER STROKE
/USA
The following will be discussed: 1) Intrinsic restorative mechanisms activated after
stroke, including stimulation and coupling of neurogenesis, angiogenesis, and axonal
dendritic rewiring throughout the central nervous system; 2) the role of activated
astrocytes in mediating restorative events; 3) molecular and microRNA pathways
that contribute to remodeling of the CNS post stroke, with an emphasis on rtPA as a
potential means to stimulate neurological recovery

MICHAEL CHOPP
EXOSOMES-BIOLOGICAL NANOPARTICLE THERAPY FOR STROKE AND
/USA
NEURAL INJURY

The following will be discussed: 1) Intrinsic restorative mechanisms activated after

stroke, including stimulation and coupling of neurogenesis, angiogenesis, and axonal
dendritic rewiring throughout the central nervous system; 2) the role of activated
astrocytes in mediating restorative events; 3) molecular and microRNA pathways
that contribute to remodeling of the CNS post stroke, with an emphasis on rtPA as a
potential means to stimulate neurological recovery.
 Abstracts
NEUROTROPHIC FACTORS EFFECTIVE RESTORATIVE AND MICHAEL CHOPP
NEUROVASCULAR PROTECTIVE THERAPY FOR STROKE AND /USA
TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

Here, I will summarize our data on prospective, double blinded, placebo controlled
preclinical studies, performed under rigorous clinical trial conditions for the treatment
of stroke and TBI. In addition, I will review and provide new insight into the multiple
mechanisms of action of neurotrophic factors. Data will be shown that neurotrophic
factors evokes expression of Angiopoietin 1 (Ang1), which promotes blood brain
barrier integrity, is anti-inflammatory and mediates axonal outgrowth. neurotrophic
factors also up regulates the expression of the developmental morphogen Sonic
Hedgehog (Shh). Shh stimulates cellular expression of tissue plasminogen activator
(tPA), which acts as both an endogenous thrombolytic agent and plays a pivotal role
in promoting neurite outgrowth and neurological recovery. In addition , I provide novel
insight into how neurotrophic factors stimulates specific sets of microRNAs (miRs).
miRs are small non-coding RNAs which can simultaneously post-transcriptionally
regulate the translation of many genes. Shh acts to up regulate cellular expression
of the miR-17-92 cluster. This cluster of miRs, has potent anti-inflammatory effects
as well as promotes axonal outgrowth. Thus, we demonstrate that neurotrophic
factors has multifactorial neurovascular remodeling effects on tissue which drives
neurological recovery.
 www.ssnn.ro
‘‘RoNeuro’’
Institute for Neurological Research and Diagnostic,
Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Tel.: 0374 46.22.22

str. Mircea Eliade nr. 37, 400364 Cluj-Napoca, România

Fax: 0374.461.674; Email: receptie@roneuro.ro

www.roneuro.ro