Drs. Chalon and Foucault offer a PhD position in neuroscience
Discovery of AD biomarkers for therapeutic applications
Abstract
The therapies targeting the two main hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD), amyloid and tau, have so far failed. Thus, there is a crucial need to propose new therapeutic pathways. For this, the identification of new biomarkers is deciding and the characterization of metabolomics during the course of the disease is particularly relevant. The metabolomics studies can be conducted on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) whose constitution reflects brain function. We propose to identify a metabolomics signature related to AD in the human CSF. As TgF344-AD rat develop amyloidopathy, tauopathy, gliosis, neuronal loss, and cognitive deficits, they are a good model to analyze the same parameters. This translational project in which CSF metabolomics hallamarks will be compared in AD subjects and Tg rats will allow to identify the most relevant biomarkers for therapeutic preclinical further investigations. We will confront the metabolomics profiles to other AD key-hallmarks, i.e., abnormal proteins, neuroinflammation and behavioral dysfunctions.
Methods
Metabolomics analyses
PET imaging in rats
Behavioral tests in rats
Candidate profil
M.Sc. in Neuroscience
High knowledge in brain anatomy and neurochemistry
Skills in animal experiments (rodent)
If possible skills in metabolomics analysis and/or PET imaging
Contract
3 years (from 1st october 2019)
1400 Euros/month (Inserm/Région Centre - Val de Loire)