Augustas Pivoriūnas
Deputy Director for Science and Head of the Department of Stem Cell Biology, Centre for Innovative Medicine, Lithuania
Augustas Pivoriūnas graduated from Vilnius University Medical Faculty in 1998 (M.D.) and received PhD (2004) in Biochemistry from the Institute of Biochemistry in Vilnius. As a holder of Marie Curie fellowship (Contract Nr: HPMT-GH-00-00130-04) he spent 2 years (2002-2004) at the Department of Medical Microbiology, Linköping University, Sweden. He joined the Department of Experimental Medicine at the Institute of Experimental and Clinical Medicine in Vilnius as research scientist in 2005. From 2010 to 2019 he served as a senior research scientist at the State Research Institute Centre for Innovative Medicine (SRICIM) in Vilnius and from 2012 he was appointed as a Head of the Department of Stem Cell Biology. From 2014 to 2020 he served as a Deputy director for Scientific Affairs at the SRICIM and from 2019 holds position of Chief research fellow. From 2014 Augustas Pivoriūnas is the President of the Lithuanian Association of Stem Cell Researchers. Augustas Pivoriūnas is a co-founder and shareholder of the joint stock company Exosomica. Augustas Pivoriūnas leads an active group of scientists and PhD students and his research interests focus primarily on extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from different types of adult stem cells and their applications in basic research and cell-based therapies.
Novel insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of
extracellular vesicles on human microglial cells
Dysregulated microglial response is important for the development and propagation of neurological disorders and therefore targeting of neuroinflammatory microglia is considered as a novel therapeutic strategy. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) containing multiple proteins, RNAs, lipids and metabolites effectively suppress neuroinflammation and induce neuroprotective effects in different pathological conditions. Nevertheless, the mechanisms by which EVs regulate microglial responses remain largely unexplored. During my talk I will present our recent data about the effects of EVs derived from human dental pulp stem cells on the migration, phagocytic activity, autophagy and inflammatory response of human microglial cells. I will also show that EVs interfere with Toll-like receptor 4 signalling, promote lipid raft formation and initiate downstream signalling pathways through milk fat globule-epidermal growth factor VIII (MFG-E8) – αVβ3/αVβ5 integrin – dependent mechanisms.
Extracellular vesicles as a potent therapeutic tool against
neurodegenerative diseases
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) provide a potent tool for intercellular communication by acting as a miniature lipid membranous containers for wide array of signaling molecules. EVs have several advantages from a therapeutic perspective: (1) EVs are safer in comparison to cells, because of reduced risks associated with transplantation; (2) EVs are relatively simple, stable and controllable systems, being thus suitable for the large scale clinical manufacturing; (3) EVs can cross blood brain barrier and therefore can be effectively used for the treatment of different neurological conditions.
We and others have demonstrated that EVs can be successfuly used as a potent therapies against Parkinson‘s disease (PD). During my talk I wil present our data about the therapeutic effects of the intranasal administration of EVs to the Parkinsonian rats. I will also discuss potential neuroprotective mechanisms of the EVs. Finally, I will talk about the challenges that we need to overcome in order to move EV therapies towards clinical application in humans.
We and others have demonstrated that EVs can be successfuly used as a potent therapies against Parkinson‘s disease (PD). During my talk I wil present our data about the therapeutic effects of the intranasal administration of EVs to the Parkinsonian rats. I will also discuss potential neuroprotective mechanisms of the EVs. Finally, I will talk about the challenges that we need to overcome in order to move EV therapies towards clinical application in humans.