Cellular and Molecular Neuropharmacology Laboratory

Neurofarmacologia Cellulare e Molecolare

Referent: Prof. Marco Peviani

Co-workers: Daniela Buonocore (RTDa), Barbara Balestra (Lab Manager), Andrea Gazzano (PhD student), Mauro Giuseppe Spatafora (PhD student), Paolo Cabras (grant holder)



 

Recombinant nanovectors and novel pharmacological approaches to study and modulate neuroinflammatory responses in neurodegenerative diseases.

Neuroinflammation is a distinctive marker of pathology that goes along with neuronal demise in several neurodegenerative disorders. Despite neurons are the primary cell type affected in these diseases, accumulating evidence suggests that neuroinflammatory responses actively participate in the pathology and have an impact on the neurodegeneration process. Our laboratory exploits single-cell transcriptome and functional profiling and novel cell-targeted platforms (based on MRI/PET traceable polymeric nanoparticles, recombinant exosomes, microvescicles, viral vectors and multi-target ligands) to obtain better insights into the complexity of glial-cell responses in neurodegenerative diseases and to develop novel drug/gene delivery tools designed for targeted engagement of specific cell subtypes.

Research is performed in collaboration with:

  • Nilo Riva (Istituto San Raffaele, Milano);
  • Daniela Curti and Simona Collina (Universita’ di Pavia);
  • Enza Maria Valente and Stella Gagliardi (Istituto Neurologico “Mondino”, Pavia);
  • Hildegard Buning (Hannover Medical School, Hannover);
  • Danilo Pellin (Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Boston);
  • Alessandra Biffi (Universita’ di Padova; Harvard Medical School, Boston);
  • Letterio Salvatore Politi (Istituto Humanitas, Milano; Boston Children’s hospital);
  • Andrea Protti (Lurie Family Imaging Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston);
  • Angelica Facoetti (CNAO, Pavia).
CMN Lab