cell culture

Rett syndrome, MECP2 and therapeutic strategies

The development of the iPS cell technology has revolutionized our ability to study development and diseases in defined in vitro cell culture systems. The talk will focus on Rett Syndrome and discuss two topics: (i) the use of gene editing as an approach to therapy and (ii) the role of MECP2 in gene expression (i) The mutation of the X-linked MECP2 gene is causative for the disease. In a female patient, every cell has a wt copy that is, however, in 50% of the cells located on the inactive X chromosome. We have used epigenetic gene editing tools to activate the wt MECP2 allele on the inactive X chromosome. (ii) MECP2 is thought to act as repressor of gene expression. I will present data which show that MECP2 binds to Pol II and acts as an activator for thousands of genes. The target genes are significantly enriched for Autism related genes. Our data challenge the established model of MECP2’s role in gene expression and suggest novel therapeutic approaches.

The thalamus that speaks to the cortex: spontaneous activity in the developing brain

Our research team runs several related projects studying the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the development of axonal connections in the brain. In particular, our aim is to uncover the principles underlying thalamocortical axonal wiring, maintenance and ultimately the rewiring of connections, through an integrated and innovative experimental programme. The development of the thalamocortical wiring requires a precise topographical sorting of its connections. Each thalamic nucleus receives specific sensory information from the environment and projects topographically to its corresponding cortical. A second level of organization is achieved within each area, where thalamocortical connections display an intra-areal topographical organization, allowing the generation of accurate spatial representations within each cortical area. Therefore, the level of organization and specificity of the thalamocortical projections is much more complex than other projection systems in the CNS. The central hypothesis of our laboratory is that thalamocortical input influences and maintains the functional architecture of the sensory cortices. We also believe that rewiring and plasticity events can be triggered by activity-dependent mechanisms in the thalamus. Three major questions are been focused in the laboratory: i) the role of spontaneous patterns of activity in thalamocortical wiring and cortical development, ii) the role of the thalamus and its connectivity in the neuroplastic cortical changes following sensory deprivation, and iii) reprogramming thalamic cells for sensory circuit restoration. Within these projects we are using several experimental programmes, these include: optical imaging, manipulation of gene expression in vivo, cell and molecular biology, biochemistry, cell culture, sensory deprivation paradigms and electrophysiology. The results derived from our investigations will contribute to our understating of how reprogramming of cortical wiring takes place following brain damage and how cortical structure is maintained.

Functional characterization of human iPSC-derived neurons at single-cell resolution

Recent developments in induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology have enabled easier access to human cells in vitro. With increasing availability of human iPSC-derived neurons, both healthy and disease cell lines, screening compounds for neurodegenerative diseases on human cells can potentially be performed in the earlier stages of drug discovery. To accelerate the functional characterization of iPSC-derived neurons and the effect of compounds, reproducible and relevant results are necessary. In this webinar, the speakers will: Introduce high-resolution functional imaging of human iPSC-derived neurons Showcase how to extract functional features of hundreds of cells in a cell culture sample label-free Discuss electrophysiological parameters for characterizing the differences among several human neuronal cell lines

Chronic optogenetic stimulation has the potential to shape the collective activity of neuronal cell cultures

Bernstein Conference 2024

The effect of nanostructuration of semi-conductor or polymer materials in neural cell cultures: implications for neural implant design

Empagliflozin effect on the central nervous system: an in vitro study on primary neuronal cell cultures

Nimodipine reduces LPS-induced microglial activation in primary mixed and isolated microglia cell culture

Role of BDNF, adenosine A2AR and cannabinoid receptors on postnatal oligodendrogenesis from SVZ-derived neural stem cell cultures

Caffeine treatment decreases MAO-B expression, neurite outgrowth, and neurite branching in immature rat primary neuronal cell cultures

FENS Forum 2024

Computer vision and image processing applications on astrocyte-glioma interactions in 3D cell culture

FENS Forum 2024

Deciphering developmental-aging mechanisms in cell culture: Aberrant ADNP cytoplasmic-nuclear crosstalk and NAP (davunetide) protection

FENS Forum 2024

Effects of SARS-CoV-2 S1 protein and RNA vaccines on mixed neuronal-glial cell cultures

FENS Forum 2024

Exploring chemoconvulsant-induced non-coding RNA dynamics in rat primary cortical cell cultures

FENS Forum 2024

Investigation of blood-brain barrier changes in acute pancreatitis: A cell culture and clinical study

FENS Forum 2024

Microglia activation is attenuated by dimethyltryptamine in primary cell cultures

FENS Forum 2024