The program in the summer term 2024

April 26, 2024, 11 AM:

Takafumi Minamimoto (National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Japan): Revolutionizing Primate Neuroscience with Imaging-Guided Chemogenetics 

Nonhuman primates (NHPs), especially macaque and marmoset monkeys, are excellent models for elucidating highly organized brain function and behavior. However, the ability to manipulate and study these brains at a network level is currently limited due to the lack of genetic neuromodulation tools available. To bridge this gap, our team has been exploring the use of chemogenetic technology known as Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADDs) in NHPs. DREADDs provide a means to reversibly and remotely control the activity of a neuronal population expressing designer receptors through delivery of their agonist. By combining DREADDs with PET and MR imaging, we have developed a powerful tool for NHP research that enables the visualization and manipulation of specific brain circuits, and the monitoring of changes in network activity. This technology provides exciting prospects for understanding the link between primate brain circuits and behavior, as well as the development of therapeutic applications. In this talk, I will introduce our pioneering imaging-guided chemogenetic strategies and present new insights into the functions of primate prefronto-subcortical circuits.