Stem cell- and nanomedicine-based regenerative approaches in spinal cord injuries: a proof-of-concept study
Spinal cord injury (SCI) represents an extremely invalidating condition and effective treatments are lacking, due to the complex pathophysiology. This PhD thesis aimed to validate a combinatorial therapeutic approach for spinal cord injuries based on neural stem cell transplant and nanomedicine tools, promoting axonal growth of neural stem cells used for transplantation by magnetic nano-pulling technology. The latter is based on loading cells with magnetic nanoparticles and after the application of an external magnetic field it is possible to induce forces (mechanical stimulation) on cells and manipulate their growth. Different model systems were optimized for the validation, such as organotypic slices and cortico-spinal assembloids. In the end, the project aimed also to translate to in vivo models the magnetic nano-pulling technology through the design of magnetic device for mice with the help of engineering tools like 3D printing.
Illumina Benchtop Day
Nella giornata del 02 Ottobre 2024 i dottorandi del dipartimento di Biologia hanno avuto la possibilità di partecipare ad un corso di formazione organizzato dal Dottorato in Biologia dell'Università di Pisa e dall'azienda Illumina Inc., durante il quale hanno potuto visitare il laboratorio e vedere i macchinari di sequenziamento in azione.
I dottorandi hanno potuto seguire la presentazione dei macchinari offerti e hanno ricevuto importanti informazioni relative all'approccio multi-omico e alla analisi dei dati ottenuti.
Una piacevole e importante occasione per avvicinare l'ambiente accademico a quello dell'industria!
Bando per l'assegnazione di contributi di mobilità per tesi all'estero - anno 2024
Si rende nota la pubblicazione del Bando per l'assegnazione di contributi di mobilità per tesi all'estero - anno 2024.
Tutte le informazioni sono reperibili al seguente link: https://www.unipi.it/index.php/studiare-all-estero/item/1285-tesi-di-laurea-allestero .
La scadenza per la presentazione della domanda è fissata al 28 giugno 2024.
Symposium on: Molecular and Cellular Resilience of Cerebral Cortex Development, Evolution, and Disease
We are happy to invite you to the Symposium with Prof. Andrè Sousa, from Department of Neuroscience - University of Wisconsin–Madison (USA), and Prof. Ying Zhu, from the Institutes of Brain Science - Fudan University - Shanghai (China), organized on June 11, 2024 at 10.30. After the seminar, the speakers will be available for a question-time with the audience, in particular with students and early career researchers.
Dissecting Schizophrenia with patient-specific human induced pluripotent stem cells
The study of human brain development and related alterations remains a great challenge. Indeed, in vitro models have revealed their potential to mimic and recapitulate human brain neurodevelopment and affections. In this Ph.D. Thesis, the induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) platform was used to investigate the molecular basis of schizophrenia (SCZ) disorder from a neurodevelopmental point of view by analyzing a cohort of SCZ patients characterized by sleep spindle alterations as an endophenotype. The objective was to elucidate the molecular bases that interrelate the sleep endophenotype and alterations in hiPSCs derived from SCZ patients, drug-naïve, and at the first episode of psychosis. This in vitro approach facilitated analysis of the neural population directly involved in the clinical phenotype, contributing to a deep understanding of complex psychiatric disorders such as SCZ.