Cellular neurobiology - Barbara Monti

Scientific manager: Barbara Monti (FABIT)

Research fields

the Cellular Neurobiology group research aims to study the physiological role of glial cells in central nervous system and their alterations in neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders, by using both in vitro (cell lines, primary cultures and brain cells derived from human iPS) and in vivo models. Our group is carrying on three main research projects:

the Telethon project, in collaboration with Prof. Massimo Lasorsa (University of Bari), which aims to study the proliferation/differentiation changes of neural and oligodendrocytes precursors in the rare genetic disease AGC1-deficiency;
the study of specific exosomal miRNAs released by microglia in collaboration with Dr. Giampaolo Zuccheri (FaBiT, University of Bologna), as well as the role of lncRNAs in neuroinflammation in chronic degenerative neuropathologies in collaboration with Prof. Flavia Frabetti (DIMES, University of Bologna) and Prof. Raffaella Casadei (QUVI, University of Bologna);
the screening and characterization of small synthetic molecules on neuronal survival/death, neuroregeneration and immunomodulation in collaboration with Prof. Maria Laura Bolognesi and Prof. Anna Minarini (FaBiT, University of Bologna), Prof. Michael Decker (University of Würzburg, Germany) and Prof. Ana Martinez (CSIC, Madrid, Spain).

Projects

Metabolic alterations in fatty acid synthesis in the OPCs model of AGC1 deficiency

Publications

Leggi dettagli

1.Poeta E, Petralla S, Babini G, Renzi B, Celauro L, Magnifico MC, Barile SN, Masotti M, De Chirico F, Massenzio F, Viggiano L, Palmieri L, Virgili M, Lasorsa FM, Monti B. Histone Acetylation Defects in Brain Precursor Cells: A Potential Pathogenic Mechanism Causing Proliferation and Differentiation Dysfunctions in Mitochondrial Aspartate-Glutamate Carrier Isoform 1 Deficiency. Front Cell Neurosci. 2022 Jan 12;15:773709. doi: 10.3389/fncel.2021.773709. eCollection 2021. PMID: 35095421
2.Petralla S, Parenti C, Ravaioli V, Fancello I, Massenzio F, Virgili M, Monti B, Pena-Altamira E. Dietary Protein Source Influences Brain Inflammation and Memory in a Male Senescence-Accelerated Mouse Model of Dementia. Mol Neurobiol. 2021 Apr;58(4):1312-1329. doi: 10.1007/s12035-020-02191-y. Epub 2020 Nov 9. PMID: 33169333
3.Petralla S, Peña-Altamira LE, Poeta E, Massenzio F, Virgili M, Barile SN, Sbano L, Profilo E, Corricelli M, Danese A, Giorgi C, Ostan R, Capri M, Pinton P, Palmieri F, Lasorsa FM, Monti B. Deficiency of Mitochondrial Aspartate-Glutamate Carrier 1 Leads to Oligodendrocyte Precursor Cell Proliferation Defects Both In Vitro and In Vivo. Int J Mol Sci. 2019 Sep 11;20(18):4486. doi: 10.3390/ijms20184486. PMID: 31514314
4.Massenzio F, Peña-Altamira E, Petralla S, Virgili M, Zuccheri G, Miti A, Polazzi E, Mengoni I, Piffaretti D, Monti B. Microglial overexpression of fALS-linked mutant SOD1 induces SOD1 processing impairment, activation and neurotoxicity and is counteracted by the autophagy inducer trehalose. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis. 2018 Dec;1864(12):3771-3785. doi: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2018.10.013. Epub 2018 Oct 10. PMID: 30315929
5.Uliassi E, Peña-Altamira LE, Morales AV, Massenzio F, Petralla S, Rossi M, Roberti M, Martinez Gonzalez L, Martinez A, Monti B, Bolognesi ML. A Focused Library of Psychotropic Analogues with Neuroprotective and Neuroregenerative Potential. ACS Chem Neurosci. 2019 Jan 16;10(1):279-294. doi: 10.1021/acschemneuro.8b00242. Epub 2018 Oct 9. PMID: 30253086