Studying Behaviour Of Transgenic Mice That Simulate Nervous Diseases, Researcher

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Studying Behaviour Of Transgenic Mice That Simulate Nervous Diseases,

Researchers At Pablo De Olavide University (Seville)

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=42223

Researchers of the Pablo de Olavide University, Seville, Spain, have

started a project based on the study of phenotype techniques in mice

and their applicability to the pharmaceutical industry and

neurodegenerative medicine. It is a study conducted by the `División

de Neurociencias' group, led by José María Delgado, that focuses on

the development of new techniques for studying the behaviour and

physiology of wild and transgenic mice's nervous system.

The goal of this Excellence Project, funded by the Andalusian

Ministry of Innovation, Science and Enterprise, is to have a full

range of electrophysiological and behavioural techniques, available

for contracting by the specialized pharmaceutical industry in order

to study pro-cognitive drugs or the effects on the motor and

sensorial human system as a previous stage for its possible

application in patients with different diseases (Alzheimer-like

dementias, affectation of the motor human system, ataxias, etc.).

As Prof. Delgado explained to Andalucía Investiga, `the study of the

behaviour and cognitive capacities in mammals whose biology is very

close to humans will allow possible clinic applications in the short

or medium term'. In that respect, this group of experts has

scientific links to some companies such as French company Syntelabo -

Aventis or Spanish companies Cibertec and Kytos, which has scientific

and technological collaboration agreements in regenerative medicine

and psychopharmacology. One of the developed products, specifically a

pro-cognitive drug of Syntelabo - Aventis, is now in its phase 2,

that is, about to be launched into the market.

In this line, these researchers mix with different national and

foreign groups of their field of specialisation. So far there are 16

groups interested in this project and their animals are going to

undergo trials too.

About ANDALUCÍA INVESTIGA

Andalusia's I+D+I public system includes over 18,000 researchers and

more than 1,700 research groups. Together with Madrid and Cataluña,

Andalusia has a great potential, with 14% of the nation's total

scientific output. This privileged position has been possible thanks

both to the regional government's financial support to the I+D+I and

the aid of the private sector.

Last January 9, the Andalusian Programme for the Spreading of

Scientific Knowledge created the news agency InnovaPress in Spanish,

with the aim of providing prompt information about scientific

developments in the region. The project follows the European

Commission's guidelines for the creation of a major scientific news

agency that will enhance the spread of such information, and will

serve as a new tool for the EU's economic reforms set out in Lisbon,

as debated in Brussels last December 2004.

Now, from April 3rd, InnovaPress will also be available in English,

in an attempt to spread scientific developments and results to mass

media, researchers, and universities. The Andalusian Programme for

the Spreading of Scientific Knowledge is sponsored by the Andalusian

Ministry of Innovation, Science and Enterprise. This is a pioneering

project in Europe, which has managed to gather research, higher

education and knowledge-based industry, I.T.s, and entreprenurial,

industrial and energy policies.

With the interaction of all these agents in mind, the Andalusian

Ministry of Innovation, Science and Enterprise intends to create a

major social alliance that will enable an " innovation explosion " in

Andalusia as exclusive guarantee of progress and welfare development.

In this vein, the Andalusian Regional Government has increased its

investment in I+D+I by 37% with regard to the previous year, when

investment was also increased by 32%. This shows the government's

commitment to double investment in this area in the course of the

present term of office. Some of the actions carried out by the

regional government include a brand new Multi-annual Plan for

University Infrastructure Investment for the period 2006-2010, with a

total budget of 480 million Euros for the ten Andalusian public

universities.

With this new Plan, investment in university infrastructure and

equipmentmte agents in mind,ry policiesm groups. is increased by 32%

with regard to the previous five-year period. Also, within five

years, the Plan will match all investment made in the last 12 years

(1994-2005), which amounted to 504 million Euros. Also, a new system

of incentives has been established for Research Groups and Excellence

Projects, reaching a total of 87 million Euros, which means an

increase of 79 million with regard to the previous official

announcement made by the regional government before the new system

was in force. In the new system, 12 million Euros have been allocated

as incentives to the work of 1731 research groups, and 30 million

more have made it possible to start 219 excellence projects dealing

with Life Sciences, Food and Agriculture, Information Technologies,

etc.

Through InnovaPress, the Andalusian Programme for the Spreading of

Scientific Knowledge will channel this new sustainable economic and

social model, based on the creation of social welfare, respect for

the environment and equal opportunities, within the major framework

of the second modernisation of Andalusia.

www.andaluciainvestiga.com