Thesis supervisor: István Hernádi
Location of studies (in Hungarian): PTE ÁOK Pécs, Szigeti u. 12. Abbreviation of location of studies: ÁOK
Description of the research topic:
Neurocognitive impairments, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), are among the most serious health issues in the world. Cholinesterase inhibitors (e.g., donepezil) and the glutamatergic antagonist memantine are used to attenuate the progression of cognitive deficits in AD. Due to their low efficacy and serious limitations, there is no effective therapy which can reverse or stop the progression of neurodegeneration. Thus, the development of new therapeutical avenues is needed. Recently alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) were intensively studied as new therapeutic targets, suggesting that combinational or multi-target therapies may further increase the efficacy of treatments and decrease side-effects. As action on alpha7 nAChRs may have a primary role in the procognitive effects of memantine, activators of the alpha7 nAChRs may act as potential amplifiers of the effects of memantine. In the current research our aim is to investigate the nature of such interactions and their consequences regarding the effectiveness of the combined treatments. We will explore two behavioral models: 1) transient pharmacological dementia using mAChR antagonist scopolamine, 2) aging animals showing memory impairment verified by functional neuroanatomy (MRI). We hypothesize that the synergistic activation of alpha7 nAChRs on hippocampal pyramidal neurons are in the background of the observed procognitive effects. Routine histology (labeling degenerating neurons or counting dendritic spine, alpha7nAChR-immunohistochemistry) will also reveal the putative structural alterations in the background of behavioral dysfunctions and the reversal capacity of the treatments.
Number of students who can be accepted: 1
Deadline for application: 2022-05-20
2024. IV. 17. ODT ülés Az ODT következő ülésére 2024. június 14-én, pénteken 10.00 órakor kerül sor a Semmelweis Egyetem Szenátusi termében (Bp. Üllői út 26. I. emelet).
Login
