Phenotypic analysis of seizure-induced cell proliferation

• Grant number: 01/00142-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research
• Start date: August 10, 2001
• End date: August 09, 2002
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Physiology - Physiology of Organs and Systems
• Principal Investigator: Fulvio Alexandre Scorza
• Grantee: Fulvio Alexandre Scorza
• Host Investigator: Daniel Henry Lowenstein
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Biomédicas. Universidade de Mogi das Cruzes (UMC). Mogi das Cruzes , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Harvard University, Boston, United States

Abstract

This research is designed to explore the biological basis of seizure-induced neurogenesis in the mature central nervous system (CNS) and the role of neurogenesis in the pathophysiology of epilepsy. Previous work has demonstrated that various forms of experimental seizures paradigms, lead to a marked increase in the mitotic activity of precursor cell located at the subgranular zone of the adult dentate gyrus which differentiates into mature dentate granule cells. The aim of this study is to verify the factors determining cell fate during the normal, early development of the CNS involved in controlling the lineage of newly-born cells after seizures. These experiments will lead to our understanding the seizure- induced plasticity and the factors that control precursor cell fate in the adult animal following seizures. (AU)