Date: Saturday 18 April 2026
Location: Auditorium, Ospedale Regionale San Carlo, Potenza (Italy)
Under the patronage of: Regione Basilicata
Organised by: AIPD Potenza and the Italian T21 Task Force

DSRF-UK is pleased to share details of an international one-day workshop bringing together clinicians, researchers, and families to discuss emerging therapeutic approaches to intellectual disability in Down syndrome. The programme spans disease mechanisms, translational science, and clinical trials, and ends with an interactive public roundtable designed to connect the science with the lived experience of families. (The organisers are also offering online participation—registration details below.)

Provisional programme (18 April 2026)

Morning — Institutional opening & Scientific Session 1

08:30 Registration

09:00 Welcome and institutional greetings

09:30–13:00 Morning scientific session

Chairs: Filippo Caraci (Catania), Vittoria Infantino (Potenza), Angelo Carfi (Rome)

09:30–10:15 — Laura Cancedda (Genoa, Italy)

Restoring neuronal chloride homeostasis to treat brain disorders.

10:15–11:00 — Rafael de la Torre (Barcelona, Spain)

AEF0217 and endocannabinoid receptor modulation: translating synaptic mechanisms into cognitive benefits in Down syndrome.

11:00–11:30 Coffee break

11:30–12:15 — Joaquin M. Espinosa (Aurora, USA)

Clinical trials for immune modulation in Down syndrome.

12:15–13:00 General discussion & Q&A

13:00–14:00 Light lunch

Afternoon — Scientific Session 2 & Roundtable

14:00–17:30 Afternoon session

Chairs: Eugenio Barone (Rome), Antonella Izzo (Naples), Emanuela Abiusi (Rome)

14:00–14:45 — Laurent Meijer (Roscoff, France)

Phase 1 clinical trial of Leucettinib-21 (a DYRK1A kinase inhibitor) targeting Down syndrome, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease.

14:45–15:30 — Nelly Pitteloud (Lausanne, Switzerland)

GnRH as a potential therapy for Down syndrome.

15:30–15:45 Coffee break

15:45–16:30 — Isabel Barroeta (Barcelona, Spain)

Clinical trials for Alzheimer’s disease in Down syndrome: progress, challenges, and perspectives.

16:30–17:30 Interactive roundtable with public, speakers & families

Open dialogue between science and community.

17:30 Closing remarks

A few speaker highlights (what they’ll be covering)

• Translational neuroscience (Laura Cancedda): focusing on how neuronal “balance” mechanisms (like chloride homeostasis) may be relevant to brain function and treatable pathways.
• Synapses and signalling targets (Rafael de la Torre): presenting work on endocannabinoid receptor modulation and how synaptic insights might translate into measurable cognitive benefit.
• Immune modulation and trials (Joaquin M. Espinosa): looking at immune pathways in people with Down syndrome and what it takes to run rigorous clinical trials in this space.
• Targeting DYRK1A (Laurent Meijer): an update on early-stage (Phase 1) clinical evaluation of a DYRK1A inhibitor—an area of strong interest because DYRK1A is implicated in issues faced by people with Down syndrome.
• Hormonal pathways (Nelly Pitteloud): discussing GnRH as a potential therapeutic avenue and what the evidence is pointing to.
• Down syndrome and Alzheimer’s trials (Isabel Barroeta): a practical overview of where the field is now, what’s hard about trials in this population, and what’s coming next.

Registration (and online access details)

The flyer directs registration via the link below (the organisers can share participation/online-connection details after sign-up):

Register here