Date : 25/03/2009 updated 18/04/2009

Laboratory
Research Center of the ICM
CNRS UMR7225 INSERM UMR975 UPMC
Hôpital de la Pitié Salpétrière
47 Bd de l'Hôpital 75013 Paris
Director : Dr B. Zalc

PhD Supervisor
Marie-Claude Potier
email : Cet e-mail est protégé contre les robots collecteurs de mails, votre navigateur doit accepter le Javascript pour le voir
phone : +33 1 42 16 21 46

Subjects / Tools-Methodologies
1 : Neurobiology / molecular and cellular biology
2 : Microfluidics / photopolymerisation and digital microfluidics
3 : Alzheimer / histopathology

Summary of lab's interests

The team at the research center of the ICM is interested in Alzheimer disease to understand the mechanisms of accumulation of misfolded amyloid proteins and neurodegeneration. We are studying, in man and in transgenic animals, the content of the senile plaques and the association of A-beta peptide with cholesterol. In transfected cell cultures, we investigate the changes in A-beta secretion with cholesterol overload or depletion at the plasma membrane and the associated alterations in APP localization, APP endocytosis and of endosome morphology. We use Down syndrome models for the search of early markers of Alzheimer disease. We are currently analyzing genomic rearrangements in the affected brain regions of Alzheimer patients at the level of tissue sections.

Summary of project

Molecular analysis of human postmortem tissue at the single cell level remains a challenge. Laser microdisection platforms are useful but not very efficient for collecting material. In the context of the newly created Alzheimer team at the Salpêtrière Hospital in the Research Center of the ICM, we will develop original microfluidic tools based on photopolymerisation and cell encapsulation in droplets in collaboration with a team at Curie Institute specialized in microfluidics. With this new platform we will characterize senile plaques in the brain of Alzheimer patients and will be able to analyze the DNA and RNA content of single cells in affected brain regions.microfluidics.