We are pleased to announce the next CEMO seminar on Wednesday, the 4th of June, at the Maisin Auditorium, from noon to 2 pm.
Pauline Braconnier (Group of Neuropharmacology (Emmanuel HERMANS))
"The role of system xc- in anxiety as predisposing factor or comorbidity in neuropathic pain’’
Chronic pain is frequently associated with mood disorders such as anxiety and depression, but the mechanisms underlying the predisposing factors or comorbidities are still not fully understood. Recent studies suggest that the glutamatergic system may play a key role in both pain modulation and mood disorders. In this seminar, I will present my PhD thesis project, which focuses on how the cystine/glutamate exchanger (system xc-) may influence the development of anxiety in the context of neuropathic pain.
To induce social stress in mice, we used a standardized social defeat stress protocol consisting of confronting C57BL/6J mice with aggressive CD1 mice. After the stress priming step, we perform a partial sciatic nerve ligation followed by behavioural tests to evaluate anxiety and pain. After sacrifice, we extract tissues for biochemical analyses. By comparing the results obtained in wild-type mice and transgenic mice lacking system xc-, we aim to decipher the complex interactions between stress, glutamate homeostasis, and pain chronification.
In order to have an estimation of the people having a sandwich, please do not forget to fill out the survey (deadline Monday the 2nd of June at noon):
We keep the online version of the seminar on teams.