Brain regeneration following injury

Christa Rhiner

Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal

About 2 % of the population in the West lives with a disability as a result of a brain injury. It is estimated that between 27 and 69 million new cases of brain injury occur worldwide each year, the progression of which is often unpredictable. In some cases, interactions between multiple types of brain cells that communicate and exchange information with each other are beneficial and repair the damage done. However, in other cases, this intercellular communication is detrimental and can cause long-term diseases for which there is no treatment.

Why does communication between cells promote tissue repair in some instances, and yet prove harmful in others? This project seeks to answer that question by deciphering the molecular basis behind the dialogue between brain cells in response to damage. It aims to understand what messages are exchanged to support repair and replacement of damaged cells following an injury. Since the mammalian brain is extremely complex, the researchers will use a new fruit fly model that emulates the disease caused by brain damage, with the goal of identifying the genes and cell interactions that promote repair. Once identified, they will use mice to investigate those mechanisms with the aim of generating new treatments capable of stimulating the regeneration of damaged areas and preventing the onset of disabilities.

• Juan Manuel Encinas Pérez, Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, Leioa, Vizcaya, Basque Country, Spain

Unravelling pro-regenerative signalling modules in the injured brain

€899,298.20

*Project awarded in collaboration with the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnología