Scientific rationale

Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by the progressive loss of central nervous system cells, a process known as neurodegeneration. They affect millions of people in the world and the likelihood of developing one increases dramatically with age. The most common forms include Alzheimer's disease, fronto-temporal dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Despite the numerous studies on etiopathic diseases, the causes of these diseases are still largely unknown and the available therapies are predominantly symptomatic. Understanding the cellular mechanisms underlying these diseases and identifying new biomarkers are therefore crucial objectives of scientific research.
A growing interest is focused on the role of the early stages of life, especially the first thousand days, a critical time window for the development of the nervous system. During this period, the mother-to-son and/or father-to-son relationship and environmental factors, such as nutrition, stress and quality of care, profoundly affect neuronal maturation. These effects are partly mediated by epigenetic mechanisms, which regulate gene expression in response to the environment. Understanding the interaction between environment, epigenetics and early development is therefore essential for the identification of innovative preventive and therapeutic strategies.
With this in mind, it is therefore essential to constantly share and discuss the results obtained in order to better understand these aspects.