0000000000919543
AUTHOR
Laura Cancedda
showing 3 related works from this author
Rescuing Over-activated Microglia Restores Cognitive Performance in Juvenile Animals of the Dp(16) Mouse Model of Down Syndrome.
2020
Microglia are brain-resident immune cells and regulate mechanisms essential for cognitive functions. Down syndrome (DS), the most frequent cause of genetic intellectual disability, is caused by a supernumerary chromosome 21, containing also genes related to the immune system. In the hippocampus of the Dp(16) mouse model of DS and DS individuals, we found activated microglia, as assessed by their morphology; activation markers; and, for DS mice, electrophysiological profile. Accordingly, we found increased pro-inflammatory cytokine levels and altered interferon signaling in Dp(16) hippocampi. DS mice also showed decreased spine density and activity of hippocampal neurons and hippocampus-depe…
Refuting the challenges of the developmental shift of polarity of GABA actions: GABA more exciting than ever!
2012
International audience; During brain development, there is a progressive reduction of intracellular chloride associated with a shift in GABA polarity: GABA depolarizes and occasionally excites immature neurons, subsequently hyperpolarizing them at later stages of development. This sequence, which has been observed in a wide range of animal species, brain structures and preparations, is thought to play an important role in activity-dependent formation and modulation of functional circuits. This sequence has also been considerably reinforced recently with new data pointing to an evolutionary preserved rule. In a recent ``Hypothesis and Theory Article,'' the excitatory action of GABA in early …
NEGR1 and FGFR2 cooperatively regulate cortical development and core behaviours related to autism disorders in mice.
2018
See Contreras and Hippenmeyer (doi:10.1093/brain/awy218) for a scientific commentary on this article. Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are complex conditions with diverse aetiologies. Szczurkowska et al. demonstrate that two ASD-related molecules – FGFR2 and Negr1 – physically interact to act on the same downstream pathway, and regulate cortical development and ASD-relevant behaviours in mice. Identifying common mechanisms in ASDs may reveal targets for pharmacological intervention.