Webinar
From Proteinopathy to Drug Discovery:
The Intertwined Lives of TDP-43 and Alpha-Synuclein in Neurodegenerative Diseases
15 July 2026
7:00 PM CEST / 1:00 PM EDT / 10:00 AM PDT
About the webinar – From Proteinopathy to Drug Discovery: The Intertwined Lives of TDP-43 and Alpha-Synuclein in Neurodegenerative Diseases
Background
TDP-43 and α-synuclein are two of the most important protein targets in neurodegenerative disease research. Protein aggregation and impaired proteostasis are key pathological features of Parkinson’s disease (PD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). While each protein is associated with distinct disease mechanisms, growing evidence suggests that interactions between TDP-43 and α-synuclein may accelerate disease progression, making them attractive targets for multi-target drug discovery strategies.
Webinar Focus
This webinar explores how integrated, human-relevant assay platforms can support TDP-43 and α-synuclein drug discovery from target validation to hit-to-lead optimization.
Using iPSC-derived neurons, transcriptomics, High-Content Imaging (HCI), electrophysiology (including isolated organelles), Multi-Electrode Arrays (MEA), and Cell Painting, Axxam investigates disease mechanisms across multiple biological levels—from molecular dysfunction and protein aggregation to ion channel and organelle biology, neuronal function, and network activity.
Attendees will learn how these complementary technologies can generate mechanistic insights, identify therapeutic opportunities, and accelerate decision-making in neurodegenerative drug discovery programs.
Why Axxam?
Founded in 2001, Axxam is a science-driven CRO supporting pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and academic organizations across the early stages of drug discovery. Our expertise spans target identification and validation, assay development, high-throughput screening (HTS), compound profiling, and early ADME/Tox.
With decades of experience in neurodegenerative diseases, Axxam combines advanced cellular models, phenotypic assays, and functional readouts to help clients identify robust, translatable leads for preclinical development.
Keywords
Neurodegenerative Diseases; Organelles; iPSC-derived Neurons; Drug Discovery; High Content Imaging; Parkinson’s Disease; ALS; α-synuclein; TDP-43; TMEM175; Cell Painting; Drug Discovery; Target ID; Screening Platform
Meet the speakers
Donatella Bardelli –Principal Scientist, Advanced and Cellular Assays Group, Axxam
Alessandro Cinti – Scientific Research Expert, Axxam
Donatella Bardelli is currently Principal Scientist in the Advanced and Cellular Assays Group at Axxam, with more than five years of experience in iPSC-derived models. She has successfully developed several iPSC-based assays, with a focus on scalability to miniaturize formats, suitable for high-throughput screening. Donatella has a Master’s Degree in Biology and Biomedical Applications and a Ph.D. in Molecular and Translational Medicine. She has a background in cellular biology and is also author and co-author of relevant publications.
Alessandro Cinti is a Scientific Research Expert at Axxam with over 15 years of experience spanning international academic research and industrial biotech R&D. He currently specializes in drug discovery and early-stage development, with a focus on small molecules, innovative platforms, and translational science. Prior to joining Axxam, Alessandro conducted postdoctoral research at McGill University, focusing on the molecular biology of HIV-1 and host–pathogen interactions in Ebola infection. He holds a PhD in Translational and Molecular Medicine and is the author and co-author of several scientific publications in the field.