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SUMMARY:Molecular Mechanisms underlying Dietary Modulation of Adult Hippoc
 ampal Neurogenesis: Implications for Mental Health
DTSTART:20110323T090000
DTSTAMP:20260407T130007Z
UID:b3ae3852fdf4bedb00fdad1a2392615195ff5a435b04e1b2d44c5dc0
CATEGORIES:Conferences - Seminars
DESCRIPTION:Dr Sandrine Thuret\, Molecular Mechanisms underlying Dietary M
 odulation of Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis: Implications for Menta\nResea
 rch over the last 5 years has firmly established that learning and memory 
 abilities as well as mood can be influenced by diet. Although the underlyi
 ng mechanisms by which diet modulates mental health are not well understoo
 d. One of the brain structures associated with learning\, memory and mood 
 is the hippocampus. Interestingly\, the hippocampus is one of the two stru
 ctures in the adult brain where the formation of newborn neurons -or neuro
 genesis- persists. The level of neurogenesis in the adult hippocampus has 
 been linked directly to cognition and mood: In the rodent\, an increase of
  neurogenesis in the hippocampus is associated with improved learning/memo
 ry abilities\, whereas a decrease is associated with symptoms of depressio
 n. Therefore modulation of adult hippocampal neurogenesis by diet emerges 
 as a possible mechanism by which nutrition impacts on mental health. \nDur
 ing this talk I will first present dietary parameters responsible for adul
 t hippocampal neurogenesis regulation. This will be illustrated with one o
 f our findings in the mouse animal model where meal frequency\, independen
 tly of calorie intake\, affects adult hippocampal neurogenesis\, learning/
 memory and mood. Next\, I will summarize our recent data on the molecular 
 mechanisms mediating the effects of diet on hippocampal neurogenesis. I wi
 ll highlight our work on one of our candidate genes carried out in a human
  hippocampal progenitor cell line. Our data suggests a central role for th
 e “ageing suppressor gene” Klotho in regulating hippocampal neurogenes
 is.\nThe last part of the talk will outline future short and long- term di
 rections of my work. This area of investigation is new and needs attention
  because a better understanding of the neurological mechanisms by which nu
 trition affect mental health may lead to novel dietary and pharmaceutical 
 approaches for disease prevention\, treatment and better general mental he
 alth.
LOCATION:SV3510
STATUS:CONFIRMED
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