Symposium
Plenary Hall: Lomond Auditorium
Plenary Hall: Lomond Auditorium
Monday, June 29, 12:15 PM – 01:30 PM
SCNP-Selected Symposium 25:
Decoding the kynurenine pathway in neuropsychopharmacology: from neurodevelopment to therapeutic targets
Decoding the kynurenine pathway in neuropsychopharmacology: from neurodevelopment to therapeutic targets
The kynurenine pathway, the principal route of tryptophan metabolism, has emerged as a central regulator of brain function and psychiatric vulnerability. Beyond its classical role as a precursor to serotonin and melatonin, tryptophan metabolism through the kynurenine pathway generates neuroactive metabolites that modulate neurodevelopment, synaptic plasticity, neurotransmission, and immune function. Dysregulation of this pathway has been repeatedly associated with psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia and mood disorders, but also comorbidities including cognitive decline and insomnia. Consequently, this pathway is positioned as a powerful framework for advancing biomarker discovery and therapeutic innovation in neuropsychopharmacology. This symposium brings together complementary perspectives to decode the kynurenine pathway from early development to disease mechanisms and pharmacological interventions. Prof. Ana Pocivavsek (University of South Carolina School of Medicine, USA) will present cutting-edge preclinical models demonstrating that maternal and early-life exposure to elevated kynurenine metabolites disrupts neurochemistry and cognition, increasing vulnerability to psychiatric disorders. She will then show that choline supplementation during pregnancy and infancy can mechanistically mitigate negative impacts. Prof. Stefano Comai (University of Padova, Italy) will explore the interplay between serotonin, melatonin, and kynurenine metabolites, highlighting how disturbances across these interconnected branches of tryptophan metabolism may contribute to schizophrenia, metabolic alterations, and cognitive dysfunction. His presentation will emphasize the translational potential of integrating neurochemical and behavioral findings to guide biomarker development and identify novel treatment strategies. Dr. Funda Orhan (Karolinska Institutet, Sweden) will present her pioneering work on patient-derived cellular models and forebrain organoids, demonstrating that elevated kynurenic acid drives microglia-mediated synapse elimination. By integrating genetic and transcriptomic data, her studies link kynurenine aminotransferase activity to schizophrenia risk variants and excessive synaptic pruning. These findings suggest that isozyme-specific inhibition of kynurenine aminotransferases could be a promising therapeutic strategy to preserve synaptic integrity and slow disease progression.
Together, these presentations will provide a coherent and translational overview of the kynurenine pathway across multiple levels of investigation and psychiatric symptoms. From neurodevelopmental programming to mechanistic studies of synaptic dysfunction and biomarker-driven therapeutic approaches, the symposium will provide novel insights into how decoding the kynurenine pathway advances our understanding of psychiatric disorders. These insights also paves the way for targeted pharmacological interventions.
Together, these presentations will provide a coherent and translational overview of the kynurenine pathway across multiple levels of investigation and psychiatric symptoms. From neurodevelopmental programming to mechanistic studies of synaptic dysfunction and biomarker-driven therapeutic approaches, the symposium will provide novel insights into how decoding the kynurenine pathway advances our understanding of psychiatric disorders. These insights also paves the way for targeted pharmacological interventions.