Pharmacology & Toxicology

Research themes and Projects

• Study of the toxic effects of beta-amyloid oligomers and identification of new neuroprotection targets related to the aberrant mitotic cycle of "Alzheimer neurons".
• Study of the physiological role of beta-amyloid monomers in the control of energy homeostasis of neurons.
• Study of the role of the Transforming growth factor-β1 in the patho-physiology of Alzheimer's depression and dementia, with the aim of identifying new strategies capable of increasing the glial release of Transforming growth factor-β1 with neuroprotective significance. The research is developed in close collaboration with the IRCCS Oasi di Troina (Enna), to validate any drug targets identified in preclinical studies in Alzheimer's patients.

• Pharmacological modulation of the opioid system in algogenic transmission in animal models of persistent pain, through known and newly synthesized agonists.
• Study of pharmacological modulation of metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR) as new pharmacological targets for the treatment of chronic pain. The aim of the research is to develop new analgesic drugs based on approaches related to "epigenetics" and the possibility of increasing the expression of specific analgesia factors such as the mGluR2 receptor.

• Studies on the mechanisms of action of herbal drugs used in traditional medicine and of the potential health and therapeutic applications of compounds of plant derivation, with particular reference to the evaluation of the neuroprotective effects of natural active ingredients.

• Development of computational models of molecular biology, physiology and pathological anatomy in order to be able to predict and optimize the diagnostic and therapeutic process of different human pathologies, with particular attention to tumors and immune responses.

Staff