SZENT-GYÖRGYI JUNIOR MENTORS DÉNES ZÁDORI Department of Neurology, University of Szeged Address: Semmelweis u. 6., H-6725 Szeged, Hungary E: zadori.denes@med.u-szeged.hu T: +36 62/545-348 RESEARCH AREA In recent years increasing attention has been paid to neuroscience research, because the pathomechanism of neurological disorders with high socioeconomic burden is only partially revealed and in most cases the therapeutic possibilities are restricted as well. The aim of our studies is to find metabolic alterations with possible prognostic or therapeutic significance via the bioanalytical assessment of certain metabolites (e.g., compounds of the kynurenine pathway of the tryptophan metabolism, antioxidants, some neurotransmitters) from biological samples of neurological patients (e.g., suffering from migraine, pain, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease and other neurocognitive disorders, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and disorders accompanied with ataxia) or from samples obtained from their experimental models. TECHNIQUES AVAILABLE IN THE LAB Induction of neurodegeneration in animals by certain toxins (sodium azide, 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydro pyridine, 3-nitropropionic acid), the preparation of serum, cerebrospinal fluid and nervous system samples for bioanalytical procedures, HPLC (quantification of tryptophan metabolites, tocopherols, biogenic amines, GABA and glutamate with UV, fluorescent or electrochemical detectors), ELISA (quantification of beta-amyloid, tau and phospho-tau), spectrophotometry and nephelometry. SELECTED PUBLICATIONS Veres, G., Fejes-Szabó, A., Zádori, D., Nagy-Grócz, G., László, M.A., Bajtai, A., Mándity, I., Szentirmai, M., Bohár, Z., Laborc, K., Szatmári, I., Fülöp, F., Vécsei, L., Párdutz, Á. (20<strong>17</strong>) A comparative assessment of two kynurenic acid analogs in the formalin model of trigeminal activation: a behavioral, immunohistochemical and pharmacokinetic study. J Neural Transm 124: 99-112. Veres, G., Molnár, M., Zádori, D., Szentirmai, M., Szalárdy, L., Török, R., Fazekas, E., Ilisz, I., Vécsei, L., Klivényi, P. (2015) Central nervous system-specific alterations in the tryptophan metabolism in the 3-nitropropionic acid model of Huntington’s disease. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 132: 115-124. Zádori, D., Ilisz, I., Klivényi, P., Szatmári, I., Fülöp, F., Toldi, J., Vécsei, L., Péter, A. (2011) Time-course of kynurenic acid concentration in mouse serum following the administration of a novel kynurenic acid analog. J Pharm Biomed Anal 55: 540-543. Zádori, D., Nyiri, G., Szőnyi, A., Szatmári, I., Fülöp, F., Toldi, J., Freund, T.F., Vécsei, L., Klivényi, P. (2011) Neuroprotective effects of a novel kynurenic acid analogue in a transgenic mouse model of Huntington’s disease. J Neural Transm 118: 865-875. Zádori, D., Geisz, A., Vámos, E., Vécsei, L., Klivényi, P. (2009) Valproate ameliorates the survival and the motor performance in a transgenic mouse model of Huntington’s disease. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 94: 148-153. 94
SZENT-GYÖRGYI STUDENTS ”Discovery is seeing what everybody else has seen, and thinking what nobody else has thought.” Albert Szent-Györgyi Szent-Györgyi Students can become members of the Szeged Scientists Academy after their successful admission. These students have already achieved successes as secondary school pupils at the national OKTV and at various international natural sciences competitions. They are especially interested in medical and health sciences, including medical and biological research, and they hope for a career in the field of scientific activities. They are thoughtful, creative, open-minded people; driven by insatiable academic curiosity. Szent-Györgyi Students have the opportunity to establish a reliable, internationally recognised and renowned career that rests on a widespread network of international science and research. Szent-Györgyi Students have the ability to join research groups of domestic and foreign mentors so as to systematically achieve their future goals. In the academic year of <strong>2016</strong>/<strong>17</strong> 33 Szent-Györgyi Students participated in the Szeged Scientists Academy program.