Resources - Transmed Research

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The Transmed Research scientific team has published quite extensively as a result of research activities carried out in cooperation with Italian and international companies.

-Successful case Histories

CHIESI FARMACEUTICIS.p.A. , Parma Italy, for the development of a new anti-Alzheimer drug (CHF5074). We have participated in preclinical studies on animal models of Alzheimer disease, in vitro studies, and in phase 1 and phase 2 clinical trials (plasma and CSF biomarkers assay: Abeta40/42, tau/Ptau, sCD40L, TNFalpha, TREM2).
Read more:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=PMID%3A+20164581
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=PMID%3A+21321397
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=PMID%3A+22922591
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=PMID%3A+23278303
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=PMID%3A+23560952

CT LABORATORIES S.r.l., Sanremo (IM) Italy for the development and pharmacological characterization of new drugs (GHB; GET73) for the treatment of “alcohol use disorders” (AUDs).
Read more:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23862615
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23564259
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22358084
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14535954
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11553667

SANOFI, S.p.A., Toulose France for the characterization of neurotensin receptor antagonists as possible anti-Parkinson’s and neuroprotective drugs.
Read more:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22211865
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18096238
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18063561
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15028650

RGMD, for the development and validation of instruments for physical therapies in human and veterinary medicine (diatermia, laser biostimulation).
Read more:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=PMID%3A+15573690
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=BMC+Complement+Altern+Med+2009%3B+PMID%3A19368718
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=PMID%3A+19560793
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=PMID%3A+20852910

PFIZER ITALIA srl, Latina, Italy, for the development and launched on the market of the anti-depressant drug sertraline (Zoloft®)
Read more:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=PMID%3A+7907484
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=PMID%3A+8894594
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=PMID%3A+10196464

PHARMACIA-UPJHON, Milano, Italy, for nicergoline (Sermion®) re-profiling and re-positioning
Read more:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=PMID%3A+11823061
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=PMID%3A+12646315

-Translational Activity examples

Alzheimer disease.
We are working on neuroinflammation associated to Alzheimer disease and we have identified a novel biomarker for clinical trials. We also focus on possible target for disease modifying agents, also targeting beta amyloid. TransMed Research offers cell culture models (SN56 cholinergic, SH-SY5Y differentiated, PC12, primary neurons from cerebral cortex and hippocampus and neural stem cells also from transgenic animals), transgenic mouse model (Tg2576, 3xTg), stereotaxic lesion models (192-IgG saporine ivc, Ab42 it) and is ready for any available Alzheimer in vitro and lab animal model.

Multiple sclerosis.
We are working on mechanisms of remvelination failure and neuroprotection, to improve recovery and prevent chronic neurodegeneration. We also study gender effects and vulnerability and disease progression. We test treatments to decrease neuroinflammation, improve remyelination, prevent neurodegeneration, based on drugs, diet, physical therapies. Efficacy is established by clinical course, neurophysiology, morphology, molecular biology.

Parkinson disease.
We are assessing the role of receptor heteromers, in particular adenosine A2A receptors (A2ARs) or dopamine D2 receptors (D2Rs) in Parkinson’s disease. We test, in the rat striatum or in cultured striatal neurons, whether acute treatment with agonists or antagonists, targeting adenosine A2ARs, D2Rs and/or their receptor heteromers, induces heterocomplexes formation with tyrosine kinase receptors (RTKs), culminating in RTK transactivation and trophic effects. In the event if our assumptions turn out to be valid, receptor heteromers may become a new guiding principle to understanding molecular pathological processes of Parkinson disease. One application of such a result would be that we together with industrial partners and using molecular modeling can generate new chemical entities for treatment/prevention of Parkinson disease that specifically target receptor heteromers, especially the receptor interface, the first one likely being the A2AR/D2R heteromer.

Ataxia, Down syndrome and other rare neurological diseases.
Most of rare diseases include neurological symptoms and many rare diseases are primary neurological diseases. TransMed Research offers facilities for housing new transgenic colonies; functional, anatomical and molecular phenotype characterization; testing for new therapies. Special emphasis is dedicated to ataxia, both as disease and symptom of other disease, in the attempt to delay the onset and attenuate the clinical progression; and to Down syndrome, in the attempt to prevent dementia pathology onset.

Chronic pain.
Pain is not just a physiological symptom in acute conditions, but also a devastating disease when persisting after the cause cessation. TransMed Research can develop chronic pain models (chronic joint inflammation, neuropathic pain, diabetic neuropathy), test treatments efficacy in freely moving animals (pain threshold to thermal and mechanic stimuli, allodynia), investigate the anatomical, neurochemical and molecular plasticity of pain pathways.

Vascular brain lesions.
Acute stroke is a major cause of neurological sequelae including motor and sensory deficit, cognitive impairment, mood disorders. TransMed Research can develop acute and chronic models of vascular lesion (Middle cerebral artery ligation and internal carotid occlusion), test treatments efficacy (motor, sensory and cognitive performance), investigate the anatomical, neurochemical and molecular basis of neurodegenration, neuroprotection and neural repair.

Traumatic lesions of the nervous system.
Experimental mechanic and chemical lesions of the nervous system can well mimic human traumatic lesions. Examples of this are the peripheral nerve axotomy, the spinal cord injury, brain chemical lesions. TransMed Research is routinely working with gold-standard models, and the study design is based on clinical controlled studies principles (well-definde endopoints; power analysi for sample size calculation).

Psychiatric disorders.
A great effort is in progress to develop and validate animal models for phychiatric disorders, to test new treatments. TransMed Research is routinely working with gold-standard models for anxiety and depression, can develop novel model for other conditions and acquire transgenic models. All behavioural facilities include specific tests for psychiatric disorders.

Neuroendocrine disorders and gender medicine.
TransMed Research has a long-lasting expertise in investigating both the neuroendocrine axes and the impact of hormones on the nervous tissue, in term of physiological and pathological processes. Thyroid hormone, glucocorticoids and sexual hormones can in fact influence brain performance, ageing and vulnerability to diseases. Moreover, recent inside into environmental endocrine disruptors is part of TransMed Research activities.