| Brain Physiology and Metabolism Section |
Intramural Program Investigators ^ Home ^ |
| Francesca Bosetti, Pharm.D., Ph.D., Investigator Brain Physiology and Metabolism Section |
 Dr. Bosetti received her Ph.D. in molecular and experimental medicine in 2000 from Sant'Anna School, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Pisa, Italy. She also received a degree in Pharm.D., magna cum laude, from the University of Pisa in 1996. She joined the NIA Brain Physiology and Metabolism Section in January 2001 and became a tenure-track investigator in April 2004.Research Interests: The focus of my research is to identify the role of brain arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism in animal models of neuroinflammation, excitotoxicity, and psychiatric diseases. The AA cascade involves the hydrolysis of AA from the stereospecifically numbered (sn)-2 position of phospholipids by a phospholipase A2 (PLA2), conversion via cyclooxygenase (COX-1 and COX-2), lipoxygenases and cytochrome P450 epoxygenase of some of the unesterified AA into bioactive eicosanoids. The expression of COX, the enzyme that metabolizes AA to bioactive prostaglandins, is tightly regulated by glutamate neurotransmission, inflammatory mediators, and oxidative stress, factors that are increased in acute and chronic neurological diseases, as well as aging. Thus, in aging as well as in chronic neurodegenerative diseases, cumulative activation of COX over time may lead to downstream cellular changes that impact negatively on neuronal survival and/or synaptic function. While the exact sequence of events that culminate in neuronal death are unknown, an understanding of the genetic characteristics and molecular mechanisms that trigger excitotoxic cell death may offer therapeutic strategies for such disorders. My research goal is to elucidate the role of COX-1 and COX-2 and their products in the mechanism of neurodegeneration in animal models for excitotoxicity, neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration using knockout and transgenic mice models. |
| Contact Information: Brain Physiology and Metabolism Section NIH Bethesda, Bldg. 9 9 Memorial Drive, MSC 0947 Bethesda, MD 20892 Phone 301-594-5077 Fax 301-402-0074 E mail frances@mail.nih.gov For more information about the Laboratory: http://www.grc.nia.nih.gov/branches/lns/cpms.htm |
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