In episode seven of our Neuroscience Research series, Filippo Dall'Armellina and Dr. Michael Cearns speak with Dr. Nicoletta Landsberger from the University of Milan. Her research focuses on Rett syndrome: a rare, severe X-linked neurodevelopmental disorder and a leading cause of intellectual disability in females. They discuss how the disease progresses in Mecp2-deficient mice, the therapeutic potential of neural precursor cell transplants, and a promising non-invasive treatment strategy: intranasal delivery of nerve growth factor.
Research Highlights from the Episode:
- Paper 1: Carli et al. A comprehensive longitudinal study of magnetic resonance imaging identifies novel features of the Mecp2-deficient mouse brain. Neurobiology of Disease, 2023. PMID: 36931532.
- Paper 2: Frasca et al. Neural precursor cells rescue symptoms of Rett syndrome by activation of the Interferon γ pathway. EMBO, 2024. PMID: 39496971.
- Paper 3: Pozzer et al. Clinical-grade intranasal NGF fuels neurological and metabolic functions of Mecp2-deficient mice. Brain, 2025. PMID: 39300821.
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