Topic: GABAergic transmission

Organoids derived from human stem cells present enormous potential to investigate aspects of human brain development. In this study, we hypothesised that brain organoids represent a suitable method for studying the shift in GABAergic transmission, from excitatory to inhibitory, during development. As several anaesthetics act via GABA receptors, we aimed to investigate how the anaesthetic propofol, known to be a GABA-A receptor agonist, may affect neuronal transmission in cerebral brain organoids at different developmental stages. Organoids cultivated from human embryonic stem cells (H1-ESC), w

IgG autoantibodies against the GluN1 (NR1) subunit of NMDA receptors underlie the most common form of autoimmune encephalitis, but they are also found in asymptomatic individuals with a reported seroprevalence of up to 1%. Maternal NR1 autoantibodies may actively cross the placenta during pregnancy, reaching the developing brain through the immature blood-brain barrier. However, to what extent prenatal exposure to NR1 autoantibodies influences neuronal circuit maturation remains elusive. We address this question in hippocampal area CA1 using a murine passive-transfer model, in which human mono

The Brahma-related gene 1 (Brg1) encodes the catalytic subunit of the SWItch/Sucrose Non-Fermentable (SWI/SNF) chromatin remodeling complex, which regulates gene expression by relaxing chromatin structure, allowing greater access to transcription factors and repressors. Although the involvement of SWI/SNF-regulated genes in conditions such as autism spectrum disorder and epilepsy has been established, the specific contribution of Brg1 to epileptogenesis has not been well characterized. Using various tools, including pharmacological treatment, genomic manipulation with the CRISPR/Cas9 system in