Neurodegenerative diseases represent a major challenge for today's society in terms of the large and rapidly increasing number of the population that are afflicted and the general lack of effective treatments. The emphasis of this symposium will be on the genetic, cellular and molecular basis of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Prion disease. The meeting will cover the major mechanisms linked to neurodegeneration and highlight the similarities and differences between the diseases. A strong emphasis will be placed on the development of targeted drug therapies and potential treatment options.