PhD Candidate Francesco Calzaferri talks about his research

The Metabotropic Purinergic P2Y Receptor Family as Novel Drug Target in Epilepsy

Epilepsy encompasses a heterogeneous group of neurological syndromes which are characterized by recurrent seizures affecting over 60 million people worldwide. Current anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) are mainly designed to target ion channels and/or GABA or glutamate receptors.

Amyloid Peptide Induced Neuroinflammation Increases the P2X7 Receptor Expression in Microglial Cells, Impacting on Its Functionality

Alzheimer disease is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by the presence of senile plaques composed of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide, neurofibrillary tangles, neuronal loss and neuroinflammation. Previous works have revealed that extracellular ATP, through its selective receptor P2X7 (P2X7R), is essential to neuroinflammation and neurotoxicity induced by Aβ.

MicroRNA-22 Controls Aberrant Neurogenesis and Changes in Neuronal Morphology After Status Epilepticus

Prolonged seizures (status epilepticus) may drive hippocampal dysfunction and epileptogenesis, at least partly, through an elevation in neurogenesis, dysregulation of migration and aberrant dendritic arborization of newly-formed neurons. MicroRNA-22 was recently found to protect against the development of epileptic foci, but the mechanisms remain incompletely understood.

The regulation of proteostasis in glial cells by nucleotide receptors is key in acute neuroinflammation | The FASEB Journal

The disturbances of cellular proteostasis caused by the alteration in the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) have been proposed as a common mechanism underlying several neural pathologies that involve a neuroinflammatory process. As we have previously reported that the nucleotide receptor P2Y purinoceptor 2 (P2Y 2R) regulates the proteasomal catalytic activities, we wonder whether this receptor is involved in the UPS disturbances associated with the neuroinflammation process.

Re-evaluation of neuronal P2X7 expression using novel mouse models and a P2X7-specific nanobody

A novel BAC transgenic mouse model reveals glial restriction of P2X7 expression in the central and peripheral nervous systems.