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Among the main directions in current research: · Investigating the mechanisms behind pathological processes leading to various types of neurodegenerative lesions, with a view toward developing preventative or corrective strategies, and eventually leading to novel and more effective therapies. · Developing relevant animal models for studying the different NDD. · Identifying biomarkers to enable diagnosis and treatment of NDD prior to the onset of serious symptoms. This includes designing drugs that interfere with and/or modify disease-related proteins. · Gene-therapy approaches for treating the genetic forms of NDD. · Therapy based on selective immunization techniques. · Clinical strategies based on stem-cell technology. Over the years, among the scientific proposals elected by the BSF for support are many collaborative research projects between Israeli and United States teams dealing with NDD. The unusually high number of women and young scientists involved in these and other BSF studies is noteworthy. This issue of “BSF News and Views” features ten representative projects, illustrating the broad scope and significant contribution made by this work. MATCH-MAKING IN NERVOUS SYSTEM SYNAPSES: “GRADUAL COMPATIBILITY” OR “LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT”
Prof. Micha Spira: Department of Neurobiology, Hebrew University, Jerusalem
“Through the collaboration with Gary, we have been able to develop, with the aid of a confocal microscope system, a new procedure to visualize translocation of fluorescent- mRNA particles (fmRA) in cultured neurons. fmRNA translate fluorescently tagged proteins. Thus, we can image the mRNA particles and their translational products in living neurons undergoing regeneration, growth and synaptogenesis in real time. At present, we are writing a paper summarizing this exciting development, which we plan to finalize during my forthcoming visit to Gary’s laboratory. As Gary also pointed out, we had group meetings together with his students and enjoyed each other’s input.”
Prof. Gary Bassell: Dept. of Neuroscience, Emory University College of Medicine, Atlanta
“I have very much enjoyed my interactions and many fruitful discussions with Prof. Spira, which have importantly shaped my own perspectives and approach to the study of synapse formation in my laboratory. In two visits to Prof. Spira's group at the Hebrew University, we viewed samples from experiments we had each done in our own laboratories in the microscope, and had group meetings together with his students. I look forward to Prof. Spira's visit to my laboratory and do hope to be able to come to Israel once more before this grant expires.”
Assembly of functional neuronal networks critically depends on the formation of chemical synapses (specialized junctions between the neurons). Synapses control the nature and level of communication between individual nerve cells, thereby playing an important role in brain function. Synapse assembly is a dynamic process that starts during early development, persists in the adult nervous system, and is modulated in the contexts of learning and memory acquisition processes, aging, trauma and disease. |
