Miquel Vila

This study identifies a bidirectional pathogenic relationship between alpha-synuclein and neuromelanin in Parkinson's disease, showing they promote each other's accumulation and neuronal loss.

This study identifies a midbrain pathway from VTA to pontine reticular nucleus that biases locomotor direction through local and distal inhibition.

This study identifies age-dependent neuroinflammatory changes in NM-containing neurons linked to neurodegeneration, with GPNMB as a conserved protective factor in Parkinson's disease.

The paper introduces a novel mouse model of Parkinson's disease using a modified viral vector to induce pigmentation and pathological features associated with the disease.

This study identifies dysfunctional pallido-subthalamic projections as a mediator of epilepsy in a mouse model of Leigh Syndrome and suggests STN inhibition as a potential therapeutic target.

LRRK2 G2019S iPSC-derived microglia exposed to neuromelanin, but not α-synuclein fibrils, reduce healthy dopaminergic neuron numbers in co-culture; ivermectin prevents this, and post-mortem midbrain supports it.

This paper standardises and automates the quantification of intracellular neuromelanin granules in human brain tissue sections using TruAI, revealing age-related changes in their properties.

This study investigates sex-dimorphic effects of neuromelanin buildup in rodent nigral dopamine neurons, revealing sex-biased impacts on neuronal activity, mitochondrial function, and non-motor Parkinson's symptoms.

The paper uses NM-sensitive MRI to study neuromelanin accumulation and neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease models, finding a biphasic signal change linked to a pathogenic threshold.

This paper creates a transgenic mouse model that mimics human neuromelanin accumulation in catecholaminergic neurons, leading to age-related neurodegenerative deficits.

This study shows that neuromelanin accumulation in non-human primates leads to synucleinopathy and dopaminergic neuron degeneration, mimicking Parkinson's disease pathology.

Transcranial focused ultrasound reduces neuromelanin accumulation and provides therapeutic benefits in parkinsonian rats without additional interventions.

This study investigates how adult-specific Reelin expression affects striatal neuronal organization and its implications for neuropsychiatric disorders using mouse models.

This study reduces age-related neuromelanin accumulation in a humanized rodent model, mitigating Parkinson's disease features by preserving dopamine homeostasis and neuronal integrity.

The paper uses machine learning to identify neurodegeneration signatures in non-human primates caused by patient-derived α-synuclein structures, showing that small aggregates are as toxic as larger fibrils.

This study shows mutant huntingtin impairs neuronal mitophagy by disrupting key protein interactions and complexes, leading to mitochondrial dysfunction and neurodegeneration in Huntington's disease.