Academic Press Marine Neurotoxins (Volume 6) (Advances in Neurotoxicology, Volume 6)

Marine Neurotoxins, Volume Five provides comprehensive information on marine toxins present in the human food chain and the affecting targets relevant for the functioning of the brain and our nervous system, covering all the information available on their action on the physiology of neurons and glial cells, both "in vivo" or "in vitro." New sections in this release include Guanidinium Toxins: Evolution, Mode of Action and Chemical Ecology, Amnesic: Domoic Acid, Neurotoxic: Ciguatoxin and Brevetoxin, Neurotoxic: Cyclic Imines, Potentially Neurotoxic: Okadaic acid and analogues, Potentially Neurotoxic: Palytoxin, and Methods for assessing the presence of marine neurotoxins. Review Presents the latest updates on the effects of marine toxins in the human food chain About the Author Antonello Novelli was born in Milan (Italy) and obtained his Degree (Laurea) in Biology in 1978 from the University of Studies of Milan, followed by the Ph.D. in Experimental Pharmacology in 1982, from the same institution. He has been working at the Neurological Institute “C. Besta in Milan (1980), at the NIMH, St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Washington D.C. and at the NINDS in Bethesda for more than 6 years (1983-89), and for shorter periods in the laboratory of Biophysics at the International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA) in Trieste, Italy, as Visiting Scientist. At present, he is Permanent Professor of Psychobiology and Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Oviedo, Spain, and he is developing his research activity within the University Institute of Biotechnology of Asturias (IUBA), in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Laboratory of Brain Science and Technology, in collaboration with Dr. MT Fernández-Sánchez. Dr. Novelli is also a member of the Sanitary Institute of the Princedom of Asturias (ISPA). His research interests are focused on the mechanisms and biomarkers of neurotoxicity, neurodegeneration and neuroprotection in cultured neurons following exposure to a variety of conditions and stimuli, by using multiple techniques, including the emerging extracellular electrophysiology by microelectrode arrays. Seafood toxins have been one of his constant topic of research since the Canadian episode of human intoxication by domoic acid in 1987, and the presentation of his work at the first meeting on domoic acid toxicity in 1989 in Ottawa. M. Teresa Fernández-Sánchez is Full Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Oviedo (Spain) and member of the Institute of Biotechnology of Asturias (IUBA). She graduated in Chemistry and post-graduated in Biochemistry at the University of Oviedo, and worked as a post-doctoral fellow at the National Cancer Institute (NIH, USA). Her research activity focuses on the study of the biological action of marine toxins and seafood contaminants on neuronal survival and functioning, and in particular the effects of subtoxic long-term exposures to these compounds on the occurrence of neuronal apoptosis and oxidative stress, using primary cultures of central nervous system cells. Together with Dr. A. Novelli she co-leads the Brain Science and Technology Laboratory at the University of Oviedo since 1990. The group has recently started using the microelectrode arrays (MEA) methodology for the analysis of extracellular recordings generated by in vitro cortical neuronal networks growth on microelectrodes, and has successfully used this methodology for the detection of very low concentrations of marine biotoxins of microalgal origin, including okadaic acid, domoic acid and prorocentroic acid, as well as the characterization of the effects of subtoxic concentrations of these toxins on neuronal excitability and function. Based on this experience, studies are also in progress for the application of MEA methodology for the identification of new functional biomarkers related to Alzheimer´s disease to be detected in blo