Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia

About: Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia is a facility organization based out in Genoa, Italy. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Robot & Humanoid robot. The organization has 4561 authors who have published 14595 publications receiving 437558 citations. The organization is also known as: Italian Institute of Technology & IIT.

Carbon nanomaterials: multi-functional agents for biomedical fluorescence and Raman imaging.

Abstract: Carbon based nanomaterials have emerged over the last few years as important agents for biomedical fluorescence and Raman imaging applications. These spectroscopic techniques utilize either fluorescently labelled carbon nanomaterials or the intrinsic photophysical properties of the carbon nanomaterial. In this review article we present the utilization and performance of several classes of carbon nanomaterials, namely carbon nanotubes, carbon nanohorns, carbon nanoonions, nanodiamonds and different graphene derivatives, which are currently employed for in vitro as well as in vivo imaging in biology and medicine. A variety of different approaches, imaging agents and techniques are examined and the specific properties of the various carbon based imaging agents are discussed. Some theranostic carbon nanomaterials, which combine diagnostic features (i.e. imaging) with cell specific targeting and therapeutic approaches (i.e. drug delivery or photothermal therapy), are also included in this overview.

SYN1 loss-of-function mutations in autism and partial epilepsy cause impaired synaptic function

Abstract: Several genes predisposing to autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) with or without epilepsy have been identified, many of which are implicated in synaptic function. Here we report a Q555X mutation in synapsin 1 (SYN1), an X-linked gene encoding for a neuron-specific phosphoprotein implicated in the regulation of neurotransmitter release and synaptogenesis. This nonsense mutation was found in all affected individuals from a large French-Canadian family segregating epilepsy and ASDs. Additional mutations in SYN1 (A51G, A550T and T567A) were found in 1.0 and 3.5% of French-Canadian individuals with autism and epilepsy, respectively. The majority of these SYN1 mutations were clustered in the proline-rich D-domain which is substrate of multiple protein kinases. When expressed in synapsin I (SynI) knockout (KO) neurons, all the D-domain mutants failed in rescuing the impairment in the size and trafficking of synaptic vesicle pools, whereas the wild-type human SynI fully reverted the KO phenotype. Moreover, the nonsense Q555X mutation had a dramatic impact on phosphorylation by MAPK/Erk and neurite outgrowth, whereas the missense A550T and T567A mutants displayed impaired targeting to nerve terminals. These results demonstrate that SYN1 is a novel predisposing gene to ASDs, in addition to epilepsy, and strengthen the hypothesis that a disturbance of synaptic homeostasis underlies the pathogenesis of both diseases.

Reversing excitatory GABAAR signaling restores synaptic plasticity and memory in a mouse model of Down syndrome

Abstract: Down syndrome (DS) is the most frequent genetic cause of intellectual disability, and altered GABAergic transmission through Cl(-)-permeable GABAA receptors (GABAARs) contributes considerably to learning and memory deficits in DS mouse models. However, the efficacy of GABAergic transmission has never been directly assessed in DS. Here GABAAR signaling was found to be excitatory rather than inhibitory, and the reversal potential for GABAAR-driven Cl(-) currents (ECl) was shifted toward more positive potentials in the hippocampi of adult DS mice. Accordingly, hippocampal expression of the cation Cl(-) cotransporter NKCC1 was increased in both trisomic mice and individuals with DS. Notably, NKCC1 inhibition by the FDA-approved drug bumetanide restored ECl, synaptic plasticity and hippocampus-dependent memory in adult DS mice. Our findings demonstrate that GABA is excitatory in adult DS mice and identify a new therapeutic approach for the potential rescue of cognitive disabilities in individuals with DS.

Brillouin microscopy: an emerging tool for mechanobiology

Abstract: The role and importance of mechanical properties of cells and tissues in cellular function, development and disease has widely been acknowledged, however standard techniques currently used to assess them exhibit intrinsic limitations. Recently, Brillouin microscopy, a type of optical elastography, has emerged as a non-destructive, label- and contact-free method that can probe the viscoelastic properties of biological samples with diffraction-limited resolution in 3D. This led to increased attention amongst the biological and medical research communities, but it also sparked debates about the interpretation and relevance of the measured physical quantities. Here, we review this emerging technology by describing the underlying biophysical principles and discussing the interpretation of Brillouin spectra arising from heterogeneous biological matter. We further elaborate on the technique’s limitations, as well as its potential for gaining insights in biology, in order to guide interested researchers from various fields. This Review discusses the principles, advantages and limitations of Brillouin microscopy, a non-invasive tool for measuring mechanical properties of biological samples in three dimensions.

Carbon nano-onions (multi-layer fullerenes): chemistry and applications.

Abstract: This review focuses on the development of multi-layer fullerenes, known as carbon nano-onions (CNOs). First, it briefly summarizes the most important synthetic pathways for their preparation and their properties and it gives the reader an update over new developments in the recent years. This is followed by a discussion of the published synthetic procedures for CNO functionalization, which are of major importance when elucidating future applications and addressing drawbacks for possible applications, such as poor solubility in common solvents. Finally, it gives an overview over the fields of application, in which CNO materials were successfully implemented.