Project funded by the National Science Centre (NCN) from the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014–2021 and from a purpose-specific subsidy under the “POLS” call
Project No.: 2020/37/K/NZ3/02783
Project value: 873,750.00 PLN
Funding value: 873,750.00 PLN,
including 742,687.50 PLN from the European Funds (Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2014–2021) and 131,062.50 PLN from a purpose-specific subsidy
Project implementation period: 01/09/2021 – 30/11/2023
Project leader: Dr. Michał Ślęzak
The project focuses on one type of glial cell—astrocytes. These cells support neurons in many ways, including regulating the levels of glutamate, the primary excitatory neurotransmitter, and supplying energy to active brain regions.
Importantly, both glutamate metabolism and energy homeostasis are disrupted in the brains of patients with depression, which supports the hypothesis that astrocytes play a major role in the biological mechanisms underlying this disorder. The fact that ketamine—whose antidepressant properties were recently discovered—restores proper function of glutamatergic synapses and normal glucose metabolism strongly highlights a shared underlying mechanism in which astrocytes may be central.
The project aims to investigate metabolic dysfunctions of astrocytes associated with depression in order to identify new therapeutic targets for effective depression treatment.
Michał Ślęzak: Presentation “Molecular reprogramming of astrocytes in chronic stress and depression” at the 22nd International Winter Neuroscience Conference, Sölden, 05/04/2022.
Michał Ślęzak: Participation in the Boehringer Ingelheim Precision Psychiatry Research Symposium—consultations and discussions with academic and industry representatives on tasks carried out within the project. Poster presentation “Nuclei RNAseq reveals transcriptional alterations of prefrontal cortex astrocytes in a subpopulation of suicide completers.”
Boehringer Ingelheim
Post Marzieh Funk
Post Lothar Kussmaul
Tansu Gover: Participation in the Neuronus 2022 Neuroscience Forum (Kraków)
Tansu Gover: Participation in the training course “Current approaches in neurological disorder research: from animal models to human brain on the chip,” Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw (04–08/04/2022)
Impact of Fkbp5 × early life adversity × sex in humanised mice on multidimensional stress responses and circadian rhythmicity.
Link to the article in Nature.
