Team Leader
GRILLI Mariagrazia

Activity and fields of competence

Since its establishment, the Neuroplasticity laboratory has focused its research activities on adult neurogenesis and on the contribution of this particular form of neuroplasticity, when deregulated, to the pathophysiology of diseases of the central nervous system. In particular, it pursues research aimed at evaluating whether adult neural stem cells represent a target for pharmacological modulation in the neuropsychiatric field, a completely new research field. The potential implications for these studies are in the fields of major depression, neurodegenerative diseases, and chronic pain. Furthermore, in the light of the recent demonstration of adult neurogenesis at hypothalamic level, the group has also started experimental activities aimed at investigating the role of this process in the regulation of energy metabolism and its alteration in diabetes and obesity.

The skills available in the group range from cellular and molecular pharmacology to in vivo behavioural analyses. More specifically, the following are an integral part of the group's expertise: in vitro models of adult mouse stem cells (and their progeny) from the hippocampus, subventricular area and hypothalamus; in vitro models of neural stem cells from human iPSCs; in vitro models of neurogenic niches; in vitro models of neuron-glia and neural stem cells-glia interaction; ex vivo and in vivo study of adult neurogenesis; experimental models of Alzheimer's disease and chronic pain; experimental models of depression and anxiety. Furthermore, the group has expertise in assay development aimed at drug screening and in the characterisation of hits / leads.

Technological Resources

Laminar flow biological hoods and CO2 incubators; Leica inverted fluorescence microscope; Zeiss LSM 700 confocal microscope; InCELL 2200 HCA platform; stereomicroscope; apparatus for stereotaxis; vibratome; cryostat.

ERC Sector

LS3, LS5, LS7

Team Members

• CANONICO Pier Luigi
• BORTOLOTTO Valeria, DSF, scholarship researcher
• SALEM Rita
• XIA Er , DSF PhD student
• SALVALAI Maria Elisa, DSF, scholarship researcher