The study of molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases is the focus of the laboratory’s research projects. Through multidisciplinary approach, the Laboratory has achieved cutting-edge results in the study of neurodegenerative processes and synaptic dysfunction, which characterize neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. In particular, we have developed an innovative model in the field of neurodegenerative diseases, which is based on the production of human neurons derived from fibroblasts, employing a purely chemical protocol, without the use of exogenous genetic factors (chemical-inducedneurons – ciNs). This protocol was applied to microfluidics to cultivate ciNs in polydimethylsiloxane microtubes. Prominent potentials of this technology are replication of mechanisms within organs and tissues, disease modeling for pathogenesis studies and diagnostic tests, and drug testing without the use of animals.
