Charles River to Present Collaborative Methods at Neuroscience 2018

Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE: CRL) today announced that its team of neuroscience drug discovery experts will present 26 scientific posters, both independently and collaboratively with clients, at Neuroscience 2018, the 48th annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience (SfN). The meeting, which brings together more than 30,000 researchers from 80 countries, will take place from November 3-7, in San Diego, California.

Continued Commitment to Scientific Excellence

Throughout the conference, Charles River experts will be presenting posters and hosting discussions on the latest innovations in neuroscience research, including innovative tools and applications for research on drugs targeting Huntington’s, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis, and other neurological disorders.

Noteworthy posters include:

• Does ketamine really modulate glutamate? (Presented: Monday, November 5, 1:00-5:00 p.m.). Utilizing in vivo microdialysis, this study aimed to attain a reproducible ketamine-induced release of glutamate, which is theorized to have an impact in depression, psychosis, and schizophrenia.
• Development and validation of a high content-based assay to measure Tom20 loss in dopaminergic human neurons differentiated in vitro (Presented: Tuesday, November 6, 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.). This study describes the development of a robust assay to measure changes in mitophagy as a novel readout in a Parkinson’s disease cell model.
• Assessment of the anti-parkinsonian effects of the potent and selective LRRK2 kinase inhibitor PF-360 in the AAV-A53T mouse model of Parkinson’s disease (Presented: Wednesday, November 7, 1:00-5:00 p.m.). This collaborative study highlights testing of a novel therapeutic for Parkinson’s disease and was performed in partnership with Merck, Pfizer, Atuka Inc. and The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.

During the conference, Charles River will host short tutorials in Booth #2519, covering topics that include nuclear imaging, slide histology and imaging, profiling ion channels, and the use of gene editing tools, like CRISPR, to develop research models.

Showcasing an End-to-End Approach

In collaboration with CHDI Foundation, Charles River will present five posters at Neuroscience 2018 focused on the discovery and development of therapeutics for Huntington’s disease. These posters focus on work in early discovery, in vitro biology and in vivo studies, truly highlighting the importance of developing disease-relevant assays to inform the next steps in the drug discovery process.

Innovative Technologies

At Neuroscience 2018, Charles River scientists will present a poster highlighting the power of functional ultrasound (fUS) as a novel imaging methodology. Partnering with Iconeus, Charles River is currently the only contract research organization to offer fUS as an alternative to traditional imaging methods. For neuroscience research, fUS is particularly powerful, as it allows imaging of research models while awake, allowing for a unique analysis of changes in brain function. The poster, Functional ultrasound - Novel in vivo imaging technique for preclinical CNS drug discovery, will be presented on Monday, November 5, 2018, from 1:00-5:00 p.m.

Supporting Neurological and Rare Disease Research

Over the years, Charles River has donated to nonprofit research organizations to help advance novel drug discoveries. To continue that support at Neuroscience 2018, Charles River encourages conference attendees to take a photo at booth #2519 and post it on social media using #daretochange. Every hashtag will drive Charles River’s donation to the CureBatten foundation that is committed to finding new cures for Batten disease, a fatal rare disease that primarily impacts young children.

A full schedule of Charles River’s activities during Neuroscience 2018 is available online, and reprints of each poster are available in Booth #2519 during the conference. Additionally, experts are available for meetings with those interested in discussing neuroscience research and drug discovery. Throughout the conference, Charles River will be providing live updates on the Eureka Blog, including reviews of scientific sessions and input on the research being presented.

Approved Quotes

• “The neuroscience field is rapidly changing. Neuroscience 2018 provides our researchers an opportunity to collaborate in the development of strategies for actionable, translational drug discovery and development programs in a challenging, but rewarding, field.” –Birgit Girshick, Corporate Executive Vice President, Discovery & Safety Assessment, Charles River
• “Each year, our scientists return from the Neuroscience meeting with renewed excitement and ideas for how they can impact research into neurological diseases. The opportunity to showcase their work and learn from their peers is invaluable.” –Antti Nurmi, PhD, Managing Director, Charles River Discovery Services

About Charles River

Charles River provides essential products and services to help pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, government agencies and leading academic institutions around the globe accelerate their research and drug development efforts. Our dedicated employees are focused on providing clients with exactly what they need to improve and expedite the discovery, early-stage development and safe manufacture of new therapies for the patients who need them. To learn more about our unique portfolio and breadth of services, visit www.criver.com.

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