Feedback of Natacha’s internship about the matrix remodeling in Parkinson’s disease: an in vitro study

This is the end of the 6-month internship of Natacha in HCS Pharma, about the microenvironment modifications in Parkinson’s disease. Indeed, in vivo studies in the literature showed that the neuronal death in Parkinson’s disease involved Extracellular Matrix (ECM) modifications, including an increase in some components like collagen and a Read more…

Importance of the microenvironment in cerebral in vitro models for phenotypic screening (Abstract of Veronique’s thesis)

About 90% of drug candidates fail in clinical trials, for efficacy- and toxicity-related reasons, which often involve the Central Nervous System (CNS). This high failure rate highlights a lack of relevance in experimental models used upstream, including human in vitro models. Indeed, they do not take into account the complexity Read more…

We will present our researches on the importance of ECM for drug discovery in Parkinson’s disease at NeuroFrance congress (May 19 to 21 )

The international NeuroFrance congress will take place May, 19, 20 and 21th 2021 (virtual meeting). On this occasion, our PhD student Véronique De Conto will present these works in a poster about the importance of matricial and cellular microenvironment for drug discovery in Parkinson’s disease (summary below). Feel free to Read more…

Impact of neurodegenerative diseases on extracellular space organization and diffusion through hyaluronan remodeling

Soria et al. has published this year an interesting study about the modification leading by synucleopathy on the nanoscale organization and diffusivity of the extracellular space, through hyaluronan remodeling. Indeed the extracellular space (ECS), composed by the interstitial fluid and the extracellular matrix (ECM), plays several roles in health and Read more…

3D co-culture of dopaminergic neurons and astrocytes in BIOMIMESYS® Brain to study Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease affects more than 6 million people worldwide. This neurodegenerative disease is characterized by the death of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta, with intracellular accumulation of alpha-synuclein aggregates known as Lewi bodies. This neuronal loss leads to a decrease in the neurotransmitter dopamine that cause mainly Read more…

Feedback from SCMC congress: Maturation and Development of Cerebrovascular System

The annual SCMC congress (Société Cerveau et Maladies Cérébrovasculaires – Brain and Cerebrovascular diseases Society) took place in Lille last week, in the Faculty of Medecine. The congress was organized in three sessions. The first session was about cerebrovascular development and maturation. The conferences began with a lecture about blood-brain Read more…

Développement d’un modèle cérébral in vitro en 3 dimensions (présentation au congrès de la SCMC)

Véronique De Conto, doctorante chez HCS Pharma, présentera ce jeudi 28 mars à Lille, au congrès annuel de la Société Cerveau et Maladies Cérébrovasculaires, le développement d’un modèle cérébral en 3 dimensions incluant le microenvironnement matriciel pour la recherche de nouveaux médicaments contre la maladie de Parkinson. Introduction : 90% Read more…

New 3D iPSC-derived brain endothelial cell model (Faley, Niel, et al. 2019)

The neurovasculaire unit (NVU) is composed of brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) that form the Blood-Brain-Barrier (BBB), pericytes, neurons and glial cells. It regulates substance transport between blood and brain. BBB and NVU dysfonctions are associated with numerous neurological pathologies. Animal models are traditionally used in medical research but the Read more…