Wei Hao, MD from the Mental Health Institute of Central South University, National Clinical Research Center on Mental Disorders, China will held a talk about “Addiction Medicine in China: Challenges, Achievements, and Strategic Outlook” during the MBExC Lecture on 28 May, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. at the lecture hall, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Hermann-Rein-Str. 3.

Abstract

This presentation provides a comprehensive review and outlook on addiction research in China over the past decade. It highlights advancements in understanding addiction behaviors through clinical research. Significant achievements such as the creation of China’s first addiction-related clinical cohort, the introduction of innovative treatments (e.g., naltrexone implants, deep brain stimulation, digital therapies), and advancements in diagnostic standards for gaming disorder (ICD-11) are emphasized.
The talk outlines major challenges, including the shrinking number of voluntary treatment institutions due to the decline in the number of drug users, difficulties in social reintegration, and fragmented addiction treatment system.
The presentation concludes with recommendations for policy reforms and increased interdisciplinary cooperation.

Hosts: Prof. Dr. Valentin Nägerl, UMG & Prof. Dr. Erwin Neher, MPI-NAT

Poster of the talk:

Yingjie Zhu, Ph.D. from the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences will held a talk about “Neural circuit and social mechanism of drug addiction” during the MBExC Lecture on 28 May, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. at the lecture hall, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Hermann-Rein-Str. 3.

Abstract

Drug addiction is characterized by compulsive drug-seeking behavior despite adverse consequences. Addictive substances produce euphoria by acting on the brain’s reward system, inducing persistent changes in neural circuits that drive the progression of addiction. The vulnerability to addiction is influenced by a complex interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors. In this talk, I will present our latest findings on the cellular and circuit architecture of the lateral septum in reward processing and how maladaptive changes in this circuit contribute to methamphetamine sensitization. I will also discuss how social factors impact addiction susceptibility by remodeling the mesocortical and mesolimbic dopaminergic pathways, and explore potential therapeutic strategies that could be developed based on these insights.

Hosts: Prof. Dr. Valentin Nägerl, UMG & Prof. Dr. Erwin Neher, MPI-NAT

Poster of the talk:

Host: Jörg Enderlein (U GOE), MBExC
Local organizer: Alexander Egner (IFNANO)

Speaker: Maciej Wojtkowski, International Center for Translational Eye Research (ICTER) and Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland

Spatio-temporal optical imaging – new method for in vivo imaging

Abstract:
In vivo optical microscopy with quality comparable to fixed samples remains challenging. We developed Spatio-Temporal Optical Coherence (STOC) Imaging, which dynamically adjusts spatial phase relationships in illuminating light to improve imaging quality. Applied to 3-D imaging as Spatio-Temporal Optical Coherence Tomography (STOC-T), this method uses hundreds of uncorrelated spectral interferograms to amplify ballistic photon signals while attenuating scattered photons. STOC-T provides fast, high-contrast imaging, maintaining high resolution at significant depths without repeated measurements. When applied to eye imaging, STOC-T supports functional imaging techniques like Optoretinography (ORG), which measures photoreceptor responses to light stimuli. We introduced Flicker Optoretinography (f-ORG) for measuring rapid optical path length changes under photopic conditions, achieving reproducible, single-nanometer sensitivity in light-adapted eyes. This approach enhances understanding of retinal responses and photopigment photoactivation processes.

Please find here the PDF of the announcement:

The MBExC Research Alliance 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3 will meet in the lecture hall of the MPI-NAT City Campus, Hermann-Rein-Str. 3.

Moderators: Stephan Lehnart, Tobias Moser and Silvio Rizzoli

Prof. Dr. Walter Nickel from the Heidelberg University Biochemistry Center will held a talk about “Molecular mechanism and machinery driving unconventional secretion of Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 from tumor cells” during the MBExC Lecture on 7 July, 2025 at 3:00 p.m. at the library of the Humboldtallee 23, room 1.122.

Abstract:
The vast majority of secretory proteins contain N-terminal signal peptides for ER/Golgi-dependent transport into the extracellular space. Exceptions from this general mode of protein secretion from mammalian cells have been discovered more than 30 years ago, yet the molecular mechanisms underlying these alternative secretory pathways have remained elusive until recently. Proteins following such secretory routes have fundamental physiological functions in both health and disease, with Interleukin 1β and Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 being prime examples. The discoveries revealing the molecular mechanisms driving unconventional protein secretion did not only solve long-standing problems in molecular cell biology but also paved the way for new strategies for the treatment of for example inflammatory diseases and cancer.

Host: Prof. Dr. Peter Rehling, University Medical Center Göttingen

Poster of the talk:

The MBExC will meet for it’s yearly Retreat at the “Schlosshotel Blankenburg in Blankenburg, Harz from September 23 until 25, 2025.

A joint journey will be organized.
 
We are very much looking forward to meet you at the retreat.