OBJECTIVES
Our lab uses a wide variety of experimental approaches to understand how sensory, limbic and motor brain circuits in mammals adjust to drug abuse, in particular psychostimulant drugs. We do this by integrating well-established behavioral models, with molecular and biochemical techniques and electrophysiological recordings. In the last few years, we have described various thalamocortical alterations induced by addictive (cocaine) and non-addictive (methylphenidate) psychostimulants. In addition, we have showed profound changes in areas of the meso-cortico-limbic system induced by other highly addictive psychostimulant (methamphetamine) in mice. We have also described neuroprotective properties of another psychostimulant, modafinil , against methamphetamine striatal toxicity. We are currently investigating how addictive and non-addictive psychostimulants change epigenetic regulators within CNS.
MEMBERS
Principal Investigator
Vice-Director Pharmacological Research Institute - ININFA - UBA-CONICET.
Independent Researcher, Researcher Carreer, CONICET.
Assistant Researcher
Lic. en Ciencias Biológicas, FCEyN, UBA. PhD at Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. RESEARCH AREA: PHARMACOLOGY
Assistant Researcher, Researcher Carreer, CONICET. Director: Dra. Verónica Bisagno. Co-Director: Dr. Francisco J. Urbano
Postdoctoral fellow
PhD., Postdoctoral Fellow, ANPCyT. Director: Dra. Veronica Bisagno.
Students
Lic. en Biotecnología. PhD Candidate, University of Buenos Aires. RESEARCH AREA: PHARMACOLOGY.
MARIA CELESTE SOLANGE, RIVERO-ECHETO
Medica, FCEyN, UBA. PhD Candidate, University of Buenos Aires. AREA DE INVESTIGACIÓN: NEUROCIENCIA.
JOSÉ PEDRO PRIETO
Magister, Instituto de Investigaciones Clemente Estable, Montevideo. PhD Candidate, IIBCE, Montevideo, Uruguay
PUBLICATIONS
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Veronica_Bisagno
FUNDING
CONICET, PIP 11420100100072, Argentina. (Bisagno, - PI) Protective role of modafinil against methamphetamine toxicity in mice. 2011 - 2013 Total $Ars 36.000, USD$ 5500.
ANPCyT, FONCYT, PICT 2007-1009, Argentina. (F. Urbano- PI/Bisagno – Co-PI) Understanding thalamcortical dynamics in psychostimulant exposed mice through combined patch clamp, voltage sensitive dye imaging and morphological techniques. 2009 - 2013, Total $Ars 299.100, USD$ 70.000.
ANPCyT, FONCYT PPL2011, 2-0008 EBAL, Argentina. (C. Carbone-PI/ Bisagno– Co-PI), Preclinical studies, Pharmacological Research Institute, CONICET, 2012 - 2015, Total $Ars 7.998.811.USD$ 1.777.500.
ANPCyT, FONCYT, PICT 2012-0924, Argentina. (Bisagno V. – PI/ Urbano F.- Co-PI) Efectos nocivos del consumo combinado de los estimulantes cocaína y cafeína en un modelo animal: alteraciones del sistema tálamocortical somatosensorial y su impacto sobre las transiciones sueño-vigilia. 2013 - 2016, Total $Ars 329.992, USD$ 50.000.
ANPCyT, FONCYT, PICT 2012-1769, Argentina. (Urbano F. - PI/Bisagno V. – Co-PI) Rol de la leptina y la grelina en la regulación de los ciclos sueño-vigilia. Caracterización de la modulación por leptina y grelina de las propiedades intrínsecas de las neuronas del tronco del encéfalo y reticular del tálamo de ratón. 2013 - 2016, Total $Ars 329.995, USD$ 50.000.
ANPCyT, FONCYT, PICT-E 2014-0202, Argentina. (Bisagno V. – PI). (2015). Actualización de equipos para la optimización de técnicas de investigación en farmacología. Total $Ars 850.000, USD$ 110.000.
ANPCyT, FONCYT, PICT 2014-2499, Argentina. (Gonzalez, B.- IR) Bisagno V.-Miembro Grupo Colaborador). Alteraciones Epigenéticas Derivadas del tratamiento con drogas estimulantes y su implicancia sobre el funcionamiento de la corteza prefrontal. Total $Ars 105.000. USD$ 7000
IBRO-PROLAB, 2016. IBRO-PROLAB Program. IIBCE, Uruguay/ININFA-Argentina PI: Dra. Maria Cecilia Scorza y Dra. Veronica Bisagno. Total: Euros 4000.
ANPCyT, FONCYT, PICT 2015-2594, Argentina. (Bisagno V. – IR). Efectos farmacológicos de estimulantes adictivos versus estimulantes pro-cognitivos: análisis de blancos diferenciales en la corteza prefrontal del ratón. Total $Ars 777.263. USD$ 50.000
COLLABORATIONS
Nationals
Dr. Francisco J. URBANO SUAREZ
Researcher, CONICET. IFIBYNE (UBA-CONICET). Professor, UBA.
Dr. Candela GONZALEZ
Researcher, CONICET, Universidad Maimonides.
Internationals
Dr. Maria Cecilia SCORZA
Staff Researcher, Instituto de Investigaciones Clemente Estable, Montevideo. República Oriental del Uruguay.
Dr. Jean-Lud CADET
Branch Chief, Molecular Neuropsychiatry Research Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA-NIH), Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Dr Edgar Garcia-Rill
Director, Center for Translational Neuroscience, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.