Meeting Of The Portuguese Society For Neurosciences Spn2019

This book describes a global assessment of stem cell engineering research, achieved through site visits by a panel of experts to leading institutes, followed by dedicated workshops. The assessment made clear that engineers and the engineering approach with its quantitative, system-based thinking can contribute much to the progress of stem cell research and development. The increased need for complex computational models and new, innovative technologies, such as high-throughput screening techniques, organ-on-a-chip models and in vitro tumor models require an increasing involvement of engineers and physical scientists. Additionally, this book will show that although the US is still in a leadership position in stem cell engineering, Asian countries such as Japan, China and Korea, as well as European countries like the UK, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands are rapidly expanding their investments in the field. Strategic partnerships between countries could lead to major advances of the field and scalable expansion and differentiation of stem cells. This study was funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

Extracellular and biofluids vesicles (EVs) are highly specialised yet ubiquitous nanoscale messengers secreted by cells. With the development of stem cell engineering, EVs promise to deliver next generation tools in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering, as well as in diagnostics. A vibrant and promising field, this book provides the first resource to the field. Covering basic cell biology, including EV production and intracellular communication, this book will provide material scientists and engineers with a foundation to the necessary biology. The reader will then learn about the isolation of extracellular vesicles their physicochemical characterisation and therapeutic application of EVs in regenerative medicine as well as their potential as biomarkers in medical diagnostic. This book will also discuss the regulatory landscape of EVs. Bridging cell biology, biomaterials, biophysics and biomedical engineering the content of this book is written with a broad interdisciplinary audience in mind. Researchers, new and established will find this a must-have on their shelf.

Major depression is a highly prevalent disorder that poses a significant social burden in society nowadays. The pathophysiology of this disease is still poorly understood but growing evidence suggests that impaired neuron and glial plasticity may be a key underlying mechanism for the precipitation of the disorder. One of the most surprising findings in this field was the involvement of glial cells in the pathophysiology of major depression and in the action of antidepressants, namely in mechanisms related with adult neurogenesis imbalances or dendritic arborization impairments. In particular, several works refer to alterations in the morphology and numbers of astrocytes, microglia and oligodendrocytes in the context of depression in human patients or animal models of depression. These observations were linked to functional evidences and suggested to underlie the pathophysiology of depression. Among others, these include impairments in the cross-talk between glia and neurons, changes in the level of neurotransmitter or immunoactive substances, myelination status, synapse formation, maintenance, or elimination. In addition to the implication of glia in the pathophysiology of depression, a number of studies is ascribing glia pathways to classically accepted antidepressant mechanisms. Therefore, it is noteworthy to elucidate the role of glia in the effect provided by antidepressant treatment in order to better understand secondary effects and elucidate alternative targets for treatment.

Adenosine A2A receptor antagonists have shown great promise in the treatment of Parkinson's Disease and alleviation of symptoms. This book addresses various aspects of this class of drugs from their chemical development to their clinical use. Among the many insightful chapters contained in this book, there are three unique reviews that have not previously been published in any format: (1) a history of istradefylline, the first A2A antagonist approved for treatment of Parkinson's Disease, (2) an overview of neuroimaging studies in human health and disease, and (3) a study of urate as a possible biomarker and neuroprotectant.