GIUV2025-637
Following the establishment of our team in the USA, in 2024 I secured my position at the University of Valencia after obtaining a Ramón y Cajal fellowship, to pursue my research lines.
1. Magnetoelectric nanoparticles (MENPs) for Alzheimer's disease:
This project aims to explore the unique properties of a recently introduced class of multifunctional nanoparticles, known as magnetoelectric nanoparticles (MENPs), to locally balance altered hippocampal neuronal activity underlying psychiatric symptoms such as cognitive impairment. This is achieved by inducing localized electrical stimulation in specific brain regions.
MENPs enable wireless induction of electrical stimulation in any targeted region with micrometer spatial resolution via the application of low-energy alternating magnetic fields.
Our hypothesis is that this approach could have therapeutic potential for Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders characterized by aberrant electrical circuits, with the added potential of minimizing the side effects of current treatments.
2. MENPs for Parkinson's disease:
We envision that MENP-based therapy can be used to treat dopaminergic dysfunction, thus positively...Following the establishment of our team in the USA, in 2024 I secured my position at the University of Valencia after obtaining a Ramón y Cajal fellowship, to pursue my research lines.
1. Magnetoelectric nanoparticles (MENPs) for Alzheimer's disease:
This project aims to explore the unique properties of a recently introduced class of multifunctional nanoparticles, known as magnetoelectric nanoparticles (MENPs), to locally balance altered hippocampal neuronal activity underlying psychiatric symptoms such as cognitive impairment. This is achieved by inducing localized electrical stimulation in specific brain regions.
MENPs enable wireless induction of electrical stimulation in any targeted region with micrometer spatial resolution via the application of low-energy alternating magnetic fields.
Our hypothesis is that this approach could have therapeutic potential for Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders characterized by aberrant electrical circuits, with the added potential of minimizing the side effects of current treatments.
2. MENPs for Parkinson's disease:
We envision that MENP-based therapy can be used to treat dopaminergic dysfunction, thus positively impacting both motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease, compared to other stimulation devices.
3. DAT rats for the study of genetic vulnerability to stress:
Early-life trauma and stress (ELS) can contribute to the development of various psychiatric disorders in late adolescence or adulthood. The likelihood of disease onset increases under stress in individuals who are genetically or non-genetically vulnerable.
ELS events may be linked to mesolimbic dopamine (DA) release, which in turn affects the neurobiology of stress response. Among the candidate genes associated with stress disorders, alterations in the dopamine transporter (DAT) have gained attention.
It has been shown that the DA and glutamate systems communicate bidirectionally, and interference in this interaction underlies several psychiatric disorders, including addiction, schizophrenia, depression, PTSD, and ADHD.
Exercise has been shown to restore behavioral impairments caused by ELS by normalizing aberrant DA and glutamate signaling, among other mechanisms.
Using transgenic rats with maternal separation (MS) and DAT mutations, previously shown to have increased stress vulnerability, we propose to investigate whether ELS affects later adolescence depending on genetic vulnerability.
We will test the following hypotheses:
(1) Rats with genetic alterations in DAT are more vulnerable to ELS,
(2) ELS-induced stress-related behavior is associated with altered glutamatergic signaling in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus of adult rats,
(3) voluntary wheel running during adolescence, and
(4) pharmacological interventions targeting glutamatergic system antagonism (vGLUT-1) have protective effects against ELS-induced changes in brain and behavior.
In addition, we hope to continue our research line in drug addiction, using both DAT rats and MENPs.
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- Establecer el uso de las MENPs y las ratas transgenicas DAT para el tratamiento de trastornos psiquiatricos y neurodegenerativos
- Use of magnetoelectric nanoparticles for the study of psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders.Study of magnetoelectric nanoparticles (MENPs) as an innovative method for the treatment of Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and even drug addiction. Through the wireless localisation and stimulation of MENPs in specific areas of the brain, we anticipate being able to restore the neural system.
| Name | Nature of participation | Entity | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MARTA PARDO ANDRES | Director | Universitat de València | |
| Research team | |||
| SAKHRAT KHIZROEV | Collaborator | Universidad de Miami | professor |
| EVAN ROBERTS | Collaborator | Universidad de Miami | unit manager |
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- Int-univ Res. Institute for Molecular Re and Tec. Dev. (IDM)
