Neurodegeneration and neuroreparation

- To know the processes of atrophy and neuronal death that occur during normal aging.
- To know the processes of atrophy and neuronal death that take place in brain aging pathologies.
- To know the experimental techniques and animal models used for the study of the main neurodegenerative diseases.
- To understand the main mechanisms involved in the neurodegenerative diseases with the highest social incidence.
- To understand the experimental bases of the new strategies of neuroprotection and neurorepair.
- To train in the handling of specialized bibliography, as well as in the use of the technologies of the information and the communication (TIC) to prepare the subject.

A) Expository classes (15h)

1. General theories on ageing.
2. Normal and pathological aging.
3. Introduction to the mechanisms involved in neurodegeneration.
4. Neurobiology of Alzheimer's disease. Animal models for the study of Alzheimer's disease
5. Introduction to the neurobiology of basal ganglia and neurodegenerative diseases.
6. Parkinson's disease. Fundamentals of its physiopathology and new therapeutic strategies. Animal models.
7. Huntington's disease. Fundamentals of its physiopathology and new therapeutic strategies. Animal models.
8. Cerebral oxidative stress and neurodegeneration.
9. Neural energy metabolism, neuroexcitotoxicity and neurodegeneration.
10. Protein aggregation phenomena and neurodegeneration.
11. Molecular mechanisms of neuroprotection.
12. Concept of stem cell. Stem cells in the nervous system. Properties, location and neuroregenerative capacity.
13. Cell therapy with stem cells and neurodegenerative diseases. Alternative cell therapy for Parkinson's disease.
14. Stem cells and neuroprotection.
15. Ethical and legal aspects of stem cell research.

B) Seminars (12h)

Students will prepare and present group work on suggested topics to complete their training, using recent scientific reviews.

Basic
Davis, Cyndy Davis and Sanberg, Paul R., eds, 2007. Cell therapy, stem cells and brain repair. New Jersey: Springer Humana Press.

Qureshi, G. Ali and Parvez, S. Hasam, eds., 2007. Oxidative stress and neurodegenerative disorders. Amsterdam: Elsevier Science.

Rao, Mahendra S., Carpenter, Melissa and Vemuri, Mohan C., eds. 2012. Neural development and stem cells. 3th ed. New Jersey: Springer Humana Press.

Schapira, Anthony, Wszolek, Zbigniew, Dawson, Ted M. and Wood Nicholas., eds., 2017. Neurodegeneration. New York: John Wiley & Sons

Slack, Jonathan Michael Windhan, 2017. The science of stem cells. New Jersey: Wiley-Blackwell

Wolfe M. S., 2018. The molecular and cellular basis of neurodegenerative diseases. Underlying mechanisms. San Diego: Academic Press.

Complementaria
Beart, Pilip, Robinson, Michael, Rattray Marcus and Maragakis Nicholas J., eds., 2017. Neurodegenerative diseases. Pathology mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets. Berlin: Springer.

Mobley Arie S., 2019. Neural stem cells and adult neurogenesis. San Diego: Academic Press.

Salgado, Antonio J., ed., 2020. Handbook of innovations in central nervous system regenerative medicine. New York: Elsevier.

Scientific articles and other resources of interest will be used for specific topics or activities. If necessary, teachers will facilitate access to these resources through the virtual classroom.

- Fluency and propriety in oral and written communication in both the community's own languages and English.
- Personal commitment to learning efforts.
- Capacity for analysis and synthesis.
- Skills to be able to analyse information from different sources.
- Capacity for criticism and self-criticism.
- Ability to apply theory to practice.
- Ability to work autonomously and in teams.

Expository classes will be given through master classes, using audio-visual media and the blackboard. Student participation will be encouraged. Seminars will be held. In these seminars, students will prepare and present group work on topics related to the subject. Individualized tutorials will be carried out to guide learning and solve doubts, and a public tutorial forum will be set up in the virtual classroom of the subject.

A system of continuous evaluation will be used. Attendance at expository and seminars is a prerequisite for the student to pass the subject. The preparation, presentation and defence of the work done in the seminars will be evaluated and will represent up to 50% of the overall grade. The attitude and participation of the students in the classes will also be evaluated and will represent up to 50% of the overall grade.
In the case of fraudulent exercises or tests, the provisions of the Regulations for the Evaluation of Students' Academic Performance and the Revision of Grades (Resolution of 15 June 2011, DOG of 21 July 2011) will apply.

3 créditos ECTS:

- Expository: 16h
- Individual study: 30h
- Interactive classes:
- Seminars: 12h
- Elaboration of works: 5h
- Tutorials in small groups or individualized: 1h
- Evaluation activities:
- Face-to-face: 1h
- Personal work: 10h
- Total working hours in attendance: 30h
- Total personal work hours of the student: 45h

To carry out an active learning of the knowledge that is acquired with the development of the agenda, using organized schemes, and making links between own and new knowledge. In addition, active participation in classes and the use of tutorial hours are recommended. It is important that the student becomes aware of the importance of understanding the concepts and the methods and techniques described, to develop skills for their application to practical problems in their future professional life.

To get the most out of the course, it is recommended that students have previous knowledge of neuroanatomy, neurochemistry and cell biology, English to handle the bibliography/teaching resources and skills in the use of information and communication technologies. Students will have access to the virtual classroom of the course on Moodle platform, with the resources and communication channels it offers. In addition, Microsoft Teams application and e-mail can be used for teacher-student communication.