Project Title:

Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) and inflammation: new strategies to target epileptogenesis

Till Zimmer

Objectives:

Methodology:

To study the effect of silencing or overexpression of ncRNAs involved in the regulation of astrocyte-mediated inflammatory response on ictogenesis in vitro (hippocampal slices) and in vivo (experimental models of acute and chronic seizures). In this proposal the translational regulation of astroglial proteins involved in inflammatory responses will be investigated using human astrocyte cultures. In particular the effect of inhibition or overexpression of specific short ncRNAs (microRNAs; miRNAs) and long ncRNA on the production of inflammatory mediators in cultured human astrocytes will be evaluated. In addition, miRNA and long ncRNA expression profiles upon exposure to inflammatory molecules in human astrocytes as well as from selected hippocampal subregions and in blood samples after induction of status epilepticus in animal models will be determined.

Eleonora Aronica
Academisch Medisch Centrum bij de Universiteit van Amsterdam