September 2000 Meeting Announcement, Delaware Valley Mass Spectrometry Discussion Group

• Topic: "APPLICATION OF ELECTROSPRAY IONIZATION MASS SPECTROMETRY TO NEUROPEPTIDES FROM BIOCHEMISTRY TO PEPTIDE-BASED DRUG DISCOVERY"

• Speaker: Laszlo Prokai, Ph.D., Professor, Center for Drug Discovery, College of Pharmacy, and the McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610-0497

• Date: Monday, September 11, 2000. 7:00 PM

• Time: Social Hour: 6:00 PM.
  Pizza & Soda (Provided by DVMSDG): 6:30. RSVP to Scott Van Bramer by e-mail svanbram@science.widener.edu or at 610/499-4516 by Friday September 8, 3:00 pm.
  Talk: 7:30 PM.

• Place: Widener University, University Center, Webb Room.

• Abstract: Neuropeptides serve as neurotransmitters, neuromodulators and neurohormones in central nervous system. An integral part of their action involves hydrolysis by peptidases outside the neurons, and a variety of exo- and endopeptidases exist to cleave peptides in a multistep process. Physiological roles of peptide metabolism in the brain, pathways of neuropeptide activation/inactivation, and changes in peptidase activities under specific pathological conditions have been poorly characterized. Neuropeptide-based drug discovery has also been a promising, but extremely challenging endeavor that requires a multidisciplinary approach from receptor-based lead optimization to exploratory pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution. Recent advances in mass spectrometry have provided powerful methods to contribute to these fields significantly. In this presentation, various mass spectrometric methods based on electrospray ionization combined with in vitro approaches (e.g., involving specific cellular fractions) and advanced in vivo sampling technique (microdialysis) to study extracellular metabolism and assess transport into the brain of experimental animals will be highlighted. The discussion will focus on selected endogenous peptides (dynorphins and neuropeptide FF) and strategically modified peptide derivatives.

• Bio: Laszlo Prokai received his B.S. (1978) and M.S. (1980) degrees in Chemical Engineering, and Ph.D. (1983) in Radiochemistry from the University of Veszprém, Veszprém, Hungary. He worked for the Hungarian Oil and Gas Research Institute (Veszprém, Hungary) from 1980 and was an Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Veszprém, Department of Organic Chemistry until 1986, then joined the Center for Drug Design and Delivery, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida in Gainesville, to pursue postdoctoral research in Medicinal Chemistry under the direction of Professor Nicholas Bodor. He became an Assistant Research Scientist at the Department of Medicinal Chemistry in 1989, then joined the faculty of the Center for Drug Discovery and Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, in 1991, where he has risen to the rank of Professor. Dr. Prokai also is an affiliate of the McKnight Brain Institute at the University of Florida. He has authored a book (on mass spectrometry), co-authored five book chapters, has over 60 publications in scientific journals, and has been an invited speaker at several national and international meetings.

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