Questo progetto riguarda lo studio del ruolo dell´amigdala centrale ed il gene PKCD nell´uso compulsivo dell´eroina. Per la realizzazione di questo progetto lè stata importata dalla Svezia una linea di ratti transgenici "Prkcd Cre Knock in" presso lo stabulario della Scuola del Farmaco, dove il gene PKCD verra´ manipolato attraverso degli approcci virali per testarne il suo ruolo in un modello preclinico di consumo compulsivo di eroina.

During this RISE project we aim to develop nanoparticle-based encapsulated libraries of different immunotherapeutic biomolecules for treatment after surgery as part of a novel cancer management strategy. The current state-of-art for the management of cancer starts with surgery, after identification of an accessible tumour mass. Surgery remains an effective treatment option for many types of cancer today and it is considered curative treatment for most solid tumours. It forms part

P2X receptors (P2XRs) are ATP-gated ion channels involved in intercellular communication with an established role in neurodegeneration, infection, inflammation, cancer growth, and progression. In vitro and in vivo evidence, generated mainly by leading Europe-based laboratories, shows that P2XRs might be an ideal pharmacological target in these diseases and many others. Over the years, highly selective agonists and antagonists have been synthesized, and therapeutic antibodies targeting the P2XRs have been raised.

In modern society, chronic insufficient sleep (defined as gaining less sleep than required) has become epidemic among adolescents worldwide and is as a serious health risk. Insufficient sleep is associated with higher risk of developing neuropsychiatric and behavioral disorders, such as anxiety and depression, that are the primary drivers of disability worldwide. In this research, I will study in mice how losing hours of sleep across adolescence affects, in the long-term, neuronal connections (or synapses) in brain regions important for the control of mood and emotions.

The AgrI-fiSh project proposes the adoption of an innovative farming system, which directly links agriculture with aquaculture productions through circular economy principles, to respond to the environmental and socio-economic challenges face to climate change in the Mediterranean region.

Glioblastoma (GB) is an aggressive and immunosuppressed brain tumor with few therapeutic options. The development of novel therapies requires a better understanding of the bi-directional communication between the tumor and the surrounding brain parenchyma. On one hand, soluble factors released by GB cells alter the balance of inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmission, and disrupt neural circuits; on the other, recent findings suggest that neuronal stimuli modulate brain microenvironment with effects on tumor growth.

In modern society, chronic insufficient sleep (defined as gaining less sleep than required) has become epidemic among adolescents worldwide and is as a serious health risk. Insufficient sleep is associated with higher risk of developing neuropsychiatric and behavioral disorders, such as anxiety and depression, that are the primary drivers of disability worldwide.

Evidence exists that neuroinflammation plays a crucial role in the development and progession of many chronic neurologic diseases, Alzheimer's (AD), Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), and Parkinson's (PD). Although microglial cells are generally considered as the main resident immune cells of the brain, it is important to underline that astrocytes are immunocompetent as well, and they act as important regulators of CNS inflammation.