Jean-Francois Marie Perrier
Associate Professor
Neuronal Signalling, Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen
Biography
We are investigating how glial cells from the spinal cord contribute to motor control. We discovered that astrocytes from the ventral horn of the spinal cord respond to endocannabinoids released from active neighbor interneurons. In turn, astrocytes release purines which inhibit the release of excitatory neurotransmitters. This cellular mechanism acts as a filter that prevents motor tremor. It also explains in part the anti-tremor effect of cannabis reported by patients suffering from neurodegenerative diseases. See Carlsen et al., Nature Neuroscience 2021. Our lab has also a developed a strong expertise in the study of intrinsic properties of individual neurons. By means of technique such as patch clamp recording, pharmacology, two-photon imaging in slice preparations from the central nervous, we are investigating how ion channels generate the electrical activity of neurons and how this contributes to the behavior of neural networks. Our recent results include:
