Mikhail Shchepinov

Retrotope, Inc

Lipid Deuteration against Neurodegeneration

4:00 pm, Tuesday 07 January 2020

Location: CNCB, Tinlsey Building, Mansfield Road

Abstract:  Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are part of lipid bilayer membranes that are vital for neuronal and retinal performance. However, their structure makes PUFAs vulnerable to the chain reaction of lipid peroxidation, which cannot be controlled by antioxidants. Lipid peroxidation damages membranes and produces toxic secondary products, which play a major role in the aetiology of many neurological and retinal diseases, as well as in ageing.

A novel approach will be discussed that stabilizes PUFAs against the peroxidation chain reaction, without altering their chemical identity, by means of deuterating the oxidation-prone sites. This approach is currently undergoing several clinical trials.

Biography:   Mikhail Shchepinov received his MS in chemistry and biotechnology from the Mendeleev Institute of Chemical Technology, Moscow, and a PhD in bioorganic chemistry from the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Moscow, in 1994. He did postdoctoral research in the Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, from 1995 to 2000, focusing on the overlap of bioorganic, combinatorial, and surface chemistries. From 2000 to 2002 (San Diego, USA), and from 2002 to 2006 (UK), he worked in the biotech industry developing chemical tools for genomics and proteomics. At Retrotope, which he co-founded, Misha has focused on the use of stable isotopes as a fortification of essential nutrients to protect against diseases of ageing and age-related oxidative stress.