Nicole Le Douarin shares her research on the role of the neural crest in skeletal development. The Q/C (quail/chick) marker system revealed that apart from the peripheral nervous system (PNS), the melanocytes and some endocrine tissues, the NC plays a major role in the construction of the vertebrate head. The entire facial skeleton and part of the skull (frontal, squamosal, parietal bones) are of NC origin together with the connective tissues of the face and ventral part of the neck. The...
Dr. Michael Spedding published recently a review on the role of cytokines and neurotrophins in disease. Neurotrophins (e.g. BDNF) have beneficial effects on neuronal plasticity and brain metabolism. Inflammatory cytokines (e.g. IL1beta)oppose the effects of neurotrophins. Both, neurotrophins and cytokines are targets for the development of new drugs affecting central nervous system. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is the main activity-dependent neurotrophic factor. Interleukin 1beta...
Michael Spedding (Institute Internatinales Servier, Paris, France) described how neuroprotection can be achieved by either by blockade or by stimulation of AMPA (a-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid) receptors. Low threshold AMPA receptor stimulation leads to the release of BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) which is neuroprotective. Blockade of AMPA receptors reduces excitotoxicity leading to neuroprotection. BDNF is a major activity-dependent neurotrophic factor...
Evolutions of oxygen concentration and formation of hypoxic zones during tumour growth in the vascular network . This simulation was produced with an experimental modification to the model, where vessels are oxygen sources inside the simulation domain, cells do not switch to anaerobic metabolism in this simulation. For more information refer to http://code.google.com/p/cord/ .
This is a simulation of tumour cord growth , where cells suffer from hypoxia (energy deficit shown with colour). The tumour grows along the blood vessel (coincides with x -axis). Red line shows the position of the tumour–host interface.
This particular simulation was programmed in FreeFEM++ out of curiousity. The source code for simulation may be found at http://code.google.com/p/cord .
This video reflects work in progress and may be different from the final results .
Simulation of tumour cord growth where conversion of the tumour to glycolytic (anaerobic) metabolism takes place under hypoxia. This video shows volume fraction of glycolytic cell population and velocity of tissue movement. Isolines show hypoxia limits for aerobic and anaerobic cell lines respectively. This video reflects work in progress and may be different from the final results.
