Laurent Lecanu, MSc, PhD

Research focuses on developing neuroprotective and brain repair strategies for neurodegenerative diseases, in particular Alzheimer’s disease, and other neurological conditions like brain stroke and traumatic brain injury. Approaches aim at the modification of the neurosteroid homeostasis, neurogenesis, oxidative stress and bioenergetic of the brain cells. Development of Alzheimer’s disease non-transgenic animal models to help understand the pathology of the disease and to have a screening tool relevant to our research. Studies also include the gender- and age-based differences of neural stem cells neurogenesis potential to address the issue of tailoring neural stem cell grafting to each patient. In order to meet the needs of our drug development program and of our more fundamental research we use various animal models and in vivo technologies, cell lines, primary cultures and isolated mitochondria, and computer-assisted drug design (molecular modeling and in silico screening).Drug Development, neuropharmacology, neurosteroids, Alzheimer’s disease, neurodegenerative disease, brain repair therapy, neural stem cells.