Laboratory of Neurophysiology
Director Prof. Andrea Cavaggioni

 
 
 
 
 

 


 
 

cAMP is a second messenger that modulates the activity of several intracellular pathways, through the binding and subsequent activation of  protein kinase A (PKA), which acts through the phosphorylation of target proteins. In collaboration with Prof. A. Caretta (University of Parma, Italy), we described the modifications in the intracellular distribution of PKA in the mammalian brain, following  
physiological changes, like development and aging, or in pathological conditions, by using several animal models of  neurological disorders, like depression, ischemia, glioblastoma, epilepsy, and also pharmacological or surgical events. We observed that, following an event which disrupts the cell activity, the intracellular distribution of PKA often changes. These modifications can be relevant for the development of rapid diagnostic tools, for example in the differential diagnosis of brain tumors, or for the suggestion of possible therapeuticla targets for the development of new agents, (e.g., concerning depression).