Periodic Reporting for period 1 - EpiBarrier (Control of the blood-brain barrier integrity during seizures via the ATP-gated P2X7 receptor)
Berichtszeitraum: 2018-04-01 bis 2020-03-31
In the last decades, special emphasis has been given to the dysfunction of cerebral vasculature and inflammatory processes as important players in epilepsy development, with particular attention on changes in the blood-brain barrier (BBB) functionality. The main objective of this project is to test whether P2X7 receptor signalling contributes to BBB opening during seizures and established epilepsy and whether P2X7 receptor inhibition ameliorates BBB disruption, thereby reducing seizure severity and the development of epilepsy.
Through research WPs 1,2,3 the Fellow has determined how P2X7 impacts on BBB integrity during seizures and which genes are regulated by the P2X7 receptor. During the project, the Fellow was training in several state-of-the-art techniques, including modelling an experimental mice model of epilepsy (Traumatic Brain Injury by Controlled Cortical Impact; 1-month secondment in Germany), microarray assays, brain microvessels isolation and differentiation of human-induced pluripotent stem cells.
In WP5, the Fellow communicated project outcomes via posters and oral presentations at 9 National and International conferences. She also took part in 3 public outreach activities to popularize the EpiBarrier project and communicate findings to the general public. The Fellow also participated as a charity volunteer to gain support for epilepsy patients and families in Ireland. In WP6, for researcher Training/Transfer of Knowledge, the Fellow has acquired transferable skills attending at 7 intensive training workshops and multi-day conferences. She conducted 3 workshops with hand-on experience for researchers and provided supervision and mentoring for early career researchers and undergraduate students. The impact of this MSCA-IF is further highlighted through publishing two Open Access peer-reviewed articles in high impact journals, two articles under review, one article submitted, and one article under preparation. The results obtained during this MSCA will enhance several publications in the coming years, in addition to the ones produced and published during the fellowship itself and from new collaborations with different institutions.