Cellular reprogramming to repair the brain’s sensory circuits

Guillermina López-Bendito

  • PROJECT LEADER

    Guillermina López-Bendito

  • HOST ORGANIZATION, COUNTRY

    Instituto de Neurociencias, centro mixto del Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas y la Universidad Miguel Hernández, España

  • DESCRIPTION

    The brain’s development depends on the sensory information it receives from the outside world. Sight, hearing and touch capture stimuli that contribute to the formation and plasticity of neuronal connections.

    The two cerebral structures involved in this process are the thalamus, which receives information from the exterior, and the cerebral cortex, which processes it. When the collection of sensory stimuli decreases, the number of neurons and circuits in these two neuronal regions is considerably reduced.

    This project focuses on converting astrocytes, neuron support cells, into subpopulations of neurons with sensory activity, research which will contribute to new therapies in damaged cerebral circuits, such as occurs with blindness.

  • PROJECT TITLE

    Restoration of sensory circuits based on glia-to-neuron reprogramming (SENSORY-REPROGRAM)

  • BUDGET

    499.000 €