The winner of the National Science Centre (NCN) OPUS 21 grant

Dr. Bernadeta Szewczyk, has been awarded grants from the National Science Centre (NCN) OPUS 21 for two consortia projects: "Molecular mechanisms of 5-HT7R-mediated resilience in stress-related disorders" and "Effect of SSR 504734, a selective glycine transporter type 1 inhibitor, on seizure activity and therapeutic efficacy of selected antiseizure drugs".

The first presented studies focus on the relation between serotoninergic signaling, dendritic spines remodeling, and stress resilience behavior. The overall goal of the proposed project is to assess the molecular mechanisms of neural processes that underlie the phenomenon of resilience to chronic stress. We hypothesize that specific changes in the palmitoylation of proteins associated with 5-HT7R downstream signaling are responsible for the behavioral switch between the resilient and depressive-like phenotype during stressful conditions. This approach opens a new direction in pharmacology in which newly designed antidepressants will improve compensatory mechanisms during or before stressful conditions, without the need to reverse the depressive state as is commonly practiced. Delineation of the molecular factors associated with a resilient phenotype may not only lead to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of stress-related disorders but may also pave the way for the development of new and better-acting antidepressants.

The aim of the second study is to provide more insight into the role of glycine transporter type 1 (GlyT1) in epilepsy and its management by studying the effects a highly selective GlyT1 inhibitor (SSR 504734) on seizure activity and the therapeutic efficacy of antiseizure drugs in mice. The obtained results will allow answering the question whether inhibition of GlyT1 may represent a rational therapeutic target in the treatment of epilepsy and/or suppress the epileptogenesis process as well as whether GlyT1 inhibitors may influence the therapeutic potential of the currently used antiseizure drugs.

Congratulations!