[Seminar] "Single is beautiful: Exploring neurodegeneration through single-cell transcriptomic" by Federico Pratesi, University of Montreal, Canada

Monday December 16th, 2024 11:00 AM

Lab5D23 (Seminar Room)

Seminar

Description

Speaker

Federico Pratesi, University of Montreal, Canada

Title

"Single is beautiful: Exploring neurodegeneration through single-cell transcriptomic"

Authors: Federico Pratesi 1,2,3, Pablo Valderrama-Carmona 1,2, Gael Moquin Beaudry 3, Ihor Arefiev 1, Yaneth Miranda-Brand 4, Valeria Zapata-Tobón 4, Laura Hamilton 3, Anne Aumont 1,2, Jessica A. Lopez 1,2, Marie Brunet 1, Martine Tetreault 3, Andres Villegas-Lanau 5, Rafael Posada-Duque 4, Karl Fernandes 1,2

Université de Sherbrooke, Faculty of medicine and health sciences, Neurology service. 2- Research Centre on Aging (CdRV), CIUSSS de l’Estrie-CHUS. 3- Research Centre of the Université de Montréal hospital (CRCHUM). 4- Área de Neurofisiología Celular, Grupo de Neurociencias de Antioquia, Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Antioquia. 5- Neurobanco, Grupo de Neurociencias de Antioquia, Facultad de Medicina, SIU, Universidad de Antioquia.

Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia worldwide, yet its origins remain poorly understood, and effective treatments are insufficient. Metabolic dysfunctions, strongly linked to AD progression, are influenced by the hypothalamus, a brain region critical for regulating peripheral metabolism through its specialized vasculature and immune system.

Using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), we investigated early transcriptomic changes in hypothalamic cell populations in the 3xTg mouse model of AD and post-mortem human hypothalamic samples from controls, familial AD, and sporadic AD patients (Neurobanco, University of Antioquia, Colombia). In pre-symptomatic AD mice, we identified early gene expression changes in vascular endothelial cells and tanycytes, implicating stress response, inflammation, and vascular dysfunction. Parallel studies in human AD brains revealed evidence of vascular inflammation in the hypothalamus, consistent with the findings in mice.

These results underscore the hypothalamus's potential role in the onset of metabolic dysregulation in AD and highlight the power of scRNA-seq to unravel early disease mechanisms. Further spatial and bioinformatics analyses are ongoing to expand our understanding of AD pathology and inform future therapeutic strategies.

Biography

Federico Pratesi is an Italian PhD student at the University of Montreal, Canada, with a diverse academic background shaped by experiences across multiple countries. He earned his Bachelor's degree from the University of Turin in Italy and his Master's degree from the University of Toulouse in France, developing a strong international approach to research. During an internship at Okayama University in Japan, Federico further developed his passion for global scientific collaboration and his appreciation for Japanese culture. His current research focuses on Alzheimer’s disease, where he applies advanced techniques such as single-cell RNA sequencing and transcriptomics. Federico's objective is to advance the understanding of the disease's mechanisms and pathogenesis by employing innovative technologies to unravel its complexities at the transcriptomic level.

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