Published on 02/26/2009

A group of scientists at the Croatian Brain Research Institute in cooperation with the Laval University in Canada started a research on post-stroke events in the brain using unique models. Project was started by the group of prof. dr. Srećko Gajović, Head of the Section for Neurogenetics, Cytogenetics and Developmental Genetics at the School of Medicine, University of Zagreb.

A joint Croatian - Canadian platform

prof. dr. Srećko Gajović

„GLOWING“MICE TO STUDY STROKE

A group of scientists at the Croatian Brain Research Institute in cooperation with the Laval University in Canada started a research on post-stroke events in the brain using unique mouse models, which enable a real-time visualization of the gene activity in a living mouse. The mice carry a firefly gene, luciferase, which enables the production of light, i.e. bioluminescence, as a marker of the activity of the investigated genes. When activated these genes become a small source of light within the mouse brain, which passes through the skull and fur and it is subsequently recorded by high sensitivity video camera. Using this method, scientists can observe what happens after stroke in the brains of live animals at the molecular level.

Since 1st of February 2009 a new scientific project financed by Unity through Knowledge Fund, UKF, (http://www.ukf.hr/default.aspx?id=198) named

Regeneration and plasticity after ischemic brain damage
studied on innovative transgenic mouse models,

was started by the group of prof. dr. Srećko Gajović, Head of the Section for Neurogenetics, Cytogenetics and Developmental Genetics at the Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb. UKF projects stimulate collaboration of the Croatian scientists in the country and those abroad. The project would be done in collaboration with prof. dr. Jasna Križ from the Faculty of Medicine, Laval University in Canada, where the 'glowing' mice were generated.

In order to create ischemic damage that resembles a stroke in humans, a thin filament is temporarily introduced into arteries that supply blood to the mouse brain. As a consequence the stop in the blood flow causes a brain damage. There are two conditions that will be observed in those mice: the subsequent inflammation will be monitored via activated glowing cells of the microglia, and the recovery of the brain with the growth of new glowing nerve cell processes. One of the expected results of the project will be a joint Croatian-Canadian platform in which those mice could be used to assess the different approaches for future stroke therapy.

Sincerely,

Prof. Dr. Srećko Gajović

Zagreb, 23. veljače 2009. Priopćenje za medije

„SVIJETLEĆI“ MIŠEVI U ISTRAŽIVANJU MOŽDANOG UDARA

Grupa znanstvenika s Hrvatskog instituta za istraživanje mozga u suradnji sa Sveučilištem Laval u Kanadi započela je s istraživanjem zbivanja nakon moždanog udara na jedinstvenim mišjim modelima koji omogućavaju vizualizaciju aktivnosti gena u živom mišu u stvarnom vremenu. Miševima je ugrađena luciferaza, gen krijesnice koji omogućuje bioluminiscenciju, proizvodnju svjetla, kao posljedicu djelovanja proučavanih gena. Ovi geni kad su djelatni ujedno postaju i mali izvor svjetla koji svijetli u mozgu miša, svjetlost prolazi kroz tkivo mozga, lubanju i krzno, te se bilježi izuzetno osjetljivom video kamerom. Ovim postupkom može se na molekularnoj razini vidjeti što se zbiva nakon moždanog udara u mozgu živih miševa.

Od 1. veljače 2009. započeo je novi znanstveni projekt financiran od strane Fonda „Jedinstvo uz pomoć znanja“ (Unity Through Knowledge Fund, UKF, http://www.ukf.hr/default.aspx?id=198 ) pod naslovom Proučavanje obnove i plastičnosti nakon ishemičkog oštećenja mozga na inovativnim transgeničnim mišjim modelima (u originalu: Regeneration and plasticity after ischemic brain damage studied on innovative transgenic mouse models), čiji je voditelj prof. dr. Srećko Gajović, pročelnik Odsjeka za neurogenetiku, citogenetiku i razvojnu genetiku Hrvatskog instituta za istraživanje mozga Medicinskog fakulteta Sveučilišta u Zagrebu. Projekti UKF-a potiču suradnju hrvatskih znanstvenika iz domovine i dijaspore, pa se ovaj projekt odvija u suradnji s prof. dr. Jasnom Križ s Medicinskog fakulteta Sveučilišta Laval u Kanadi, u čijem su laboratoriju napravljeni ovi „svijetleći“ miševi.

Kako bi se mišu napravilo ishemično oštećenje koje odgovara moždanom udaru kod čovjeka, u arterije koje dovode krv u mozak miša uvuče se tanka nit koja privremeno zatvori dotok krvi. Dva su osnovna zbivanja koja će se pratiti nakon ovako načinjene ozljede na transgeničnim miševima: nastala upala putem svijetlećih aktiviranih stanica mikroglije te obnavljanje mozga izrastanjem novih svijetlećih izdanaka živčanih stanica. Jedan od očekivanih rezultata projekta jest i zajednička hrvatsko-kanadska platforma koja bi praćenjem molekularnih parametara na ovim mišjim modelima mogla procijeniti učinkovitost terapijskih postupaka u liječenju posljedica moždanog udara.

Bit će nam drago predstaviti Vam sve detalje ovog projekta. Kontaktirajte nas putem:
e-pošte: srecko.gajovic@hiim.hr
telefona: 098-9624800
mrežne strane projekta (trenutno u izradi): http://neurogenetika.hiim.hr

S poštovanjem

Prof. dr. Srećko Gajović, voditelj projekta

prof. dr. Jasna Križ

prof. dr. Srećko Gajović

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