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From July 16 to 18, 2024, Dr. Danijela Drakulic, Dr.Mina Peric, and Dr.Natasa Kovacevic Grujicic from IMGGE and Dr. Goran Cuturilo, University Children’s Hospital, Belgrade, attended the 13th Biennial International 22q11.2 Scientific Meeting at Praia D’El Rey Golf and Beach Resort, Obidos, Portugal.

Danijela gave a presentation „Generation of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Carrying 22q11.2 CNVs as a Model System for Studying Neurodevelopmental Disorders” in Session TRANSITION, TRANSCRIPTION, AND iPSCS, and Goran attended Session COORDINATION, INTERVENTIONS, AND OUTCOMES with presentation “An Overview of 22q11.2 Diagnostic and Research Facilities in the Countries of The Western Balkan Region”.

Also, we have organized workshop where members of the STREAMLINE project, Danijela Drakulic, Adrian Harwood, and Janet Harwood, and STREAMLINE Advisory Board member, Goran Cuturilo, presented the project and current results.

The second STREAMLINE school dedicated to the latest research methodologies and approaches for Identification of key genes and novel drug targets for neurodevelopmental disorders was held from 4th to 6th of June at the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH) in Thessaloniki, Greece. This Summer School was organized by CERTH and Maastricht University and gathered 31 PhD students and 8 researchers from Serbia and Bosnia. During this three-days event the young researchers had an opportunity to learn, throughout lectures and hands on trainings, about current state-of-the-art methodologies for identification of key genes and novel drug targets for neurodevelopmental disorders. The attendees got guidelines, from the experts in the field, on the methods of GWAS and imaging genetics, epigenetics and methylation analysis, microRNA analysis, methods and algorithms for in silico screening, pathway modelling, drug-related databases, PRS calculation algorithms and cell-based assays for experimental validation of selected compounds. This Summer School offered an excellent environment for fruitful discussions and new connections. We hope that this experience will be beneficial for their career and for further scientific discoveries.

On Friday, May 31, 2024, the Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković” – an Institute of national importance for the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade celebrated 77 years since the establishment. On this occasion, the Institute organized a traditional celebration. The first part of the celebration was the scientific part comprising of a series of lectures, which was followed by a festive part and awards ceremony. Dr Danijela Drakulić had a great honour to present STREAMLINE project as an esteemed guest during scientific segment of this program.

Dan Instituta 2024 (bg.ac.rs)

U četvrtak 16. maja u Svečanoj Sali Rektorata Univerziteta u Beogradu održan je prvi STREAMLINE „Industry open day“. Učesnici su imali prilike da se kroz seriju predavanja iz oblasti nauke i inovacija upoznaju sa STREAMLINE projektom, radom Sektora za transfer tehnologija Instituta za molekularnu genetiku i genetičko inženjerstvo Univerziteta u Beogradu, primerom nastanka Spin-out kompanije, povezanošću istraživanja i industrije, koracima koji su potrebni od fundamentalnog istraživanja do komercijalne održivosti, strategijom prekliničkih istraživanja potencijalnih terapeutika, preprekama i izazovima za primenu ćelijske terapije u kliničkoj praksi i istraživanjima u dečijoj i adolescentnoj psihijatriji kao preduslov za efikasne rane intervencije. Ovo je bila dobra prilika za umrežavanje, povezivanje, uzajamno druženje i razmenu iskustava između akademskih eksperata, savetnika za komercijalizaciju istraživanja i predstavnika farmaceutskih kuća.

Na ovom događaju svečano je obeleženo formiranje STREAMLINE HUB-a, organizacione jedinice koja za cilj ima da okupi entuzijaziste iz oblasti istraživanja neurorazvojnih poremećaja, a sve u cilju pronalaženja rešenja za ova sve češća oboljenja savremenog sveta.

Hvala svima na učešću. Vidimo se na sledećem STREAMLINE „Industry open day“-u.

We are pleased to announce that our first paper within STREAMLINE Project is now published online in the journal Children (Basel).

22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS), the most frequent microdeletion syndrome in humans, is related to a high risk of developing neurodevelopmental disorders. About 95% of patients with 22q11.2DS have speech and language impairments. Global articulation, story generation, and verbal memory tests were applied to compare articulatory characteristics of speech sounds, spontaneous language abilities, and immediate verbal memory between four groups of Serbian-speaking children: patients with 22q11.2DS, children with clinical presentation of 22q11.2DS that do not have the microdeletion, children with non-syndromic congenital heart defects, and their peers with typical speech–sound development. The obtained results showed that children with this microdeletion have impaired articulation skills and expressive language abilities. However, we did not observe weaker receptive language skills and immediate verbal memory compared to healthy controls. Children with 22q11.2DS should be considered a risk category for the development of speech–sound pathology and expressive language abilities. Since speech intelligibility is an instrument of cognition and adequate peer socialization, and language impairment in school-aged children with 22q11DS might be an indicator of increased risk for later psychotic symptoms, patients with 22q11.2 microdeletion should be included in a program of early stimulation of speech–language development immediately after diagnosis is established.

Ivana Simeunović and Jovana Kostić presented their research within the STREAMLINE project at the Belgrade Neuroscience Next Hub 2024 conference held in Belgrade from April 24 to 25, 2024.

The World Association for Alzheimer’s Disease and AAIC Neuroscience Next organized Hybrid Conference on Neuroscience – Belgrade Neuroscience Next 2024, held on April 24 and 25, 2024 at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Belgrade. This conference aim was to provide a platform for researchers, especially young researchers, to engage in discussion, share research results and foster collaboration in the field of neuroscience. This was a great opportunity for our colleagues to increase the visibility of the STREAMLINE Project outputs among academic public and to socialize with other young researchers who are enthusiast for neuro sciences.