Projects / Programmes
Spremembe v izraženosti genov možganih ob nastopu pubertete v odsotnosti spolnih hormonov (Slovene)
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 7.00.00 |
Interdisciplinary research |
|
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 3.01 |
Medical and Health Sciences |
Basic medicine |
Researchers (6)
Organisations (3)
Significance for science
Studies in recent years have shown that pubertal period, in addition to neonatal period, has a crucial role for normal development and function of brain in adult life. During puberty, some parts of the brain develop rapidly and are influenced by many different factors, both internal (mostly sex steroid hormones whose secretion dramatically increase during puberty) and external (different environmental factors), all of which have long lasting consequences on the developing brain. In our study we utilized a unique model SF-1 knockout mice, that are never exposed to any steroid hormones. During our studies we have established that increase in Kisspeptin expression during puberty is not only dependent on peripubertal exposure to steroid hormones, as current literature suggest, but also on neonatal exposure to these hormones as treatment with steroid hormones in SF_1 KO mice in peripubertal time did not normalize kisspeptin expression in the hypothalamus. In second part of the studies we have identified several candidate genes. We have validated the differences in expression using quantitative PCR method. However, further functiona studies are needed to establish role of these candidate genes in the brain and especially during puberty. Despite conclusion of the project we are able to pursue these studies (at the moment), hopeing to learn more about the function of candidate genes. At the momement it is difficult to predict how important will be these findings, but if we will confirm that any of the identified candidate genes have a direct role in regulation of puberty, findings would be also important for pharmaceutical industry and clinical medicine as such finding would eable development of new drugs for treating conditions such as precocious puberty.
Significance for the country
Such studies are novel and important studies internationally and are therefore not limited to Slovenia. However, if the results of currnt studies performed in the laboratory will confirm that any of the candidate genes has a direct role in regulation of puberty, this would be an opportunity for Slovenian pharmaceutical industry to approach development of new drugs, that could help modulate the puberty through specific targets, identified in our study, especially in conditions such as precicious puberty, the incidence of which is increasing in the recent years.
Most important scientific results
Annual report
2009,
2010,
2011,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Annual report
2009,
2010,
2011,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
