IRCM Researchers

The Kania lab is studying the molecular and genetic mechanisms of neural circuit wiring. The work on this question is motivated by our interest in (1) the developmental origin of many neurological disorders, and (2) the normal developmental events that dictate how our nervous system functions throughout our lives. We use genetic, molecular and cellular tools in the embryonic mouse and chicken, to study how two families of proteins called netrins and ephrins dictate the precise formation of neuronal connections within the motor system. Specifically, we examine how such signals are decoded by axonal growth cones, which are specialised structures at the growing ends of axons that eventually form wire-like connections between neurons. One of the principal reasons for studying netrins and ephrins is that they are therapeutic targets in neurodegenerative disorders such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Alzheimer’s. Our most recent experiments focus on mutations in human genes encoding netrin and ephrin signalling proteins, which result in severe neurological consequences.

We are also studying the development of somatosensation or the perception of sensory stimuli that originate in the skin. In particular, we are interested in neurons of the anterolateral system that relay noxious signals from the spinal cord to the brain, allowing us to consciously perceive painful stimuli. The surgical resection of these connections has been used to cure chronic pain and with the aim to refine such therapies with molecular precision, we have identified the biomarkers of neurons at the developmental origin of this pathway in mice and humans. This discovery will allow us to determine which subsets of these neurons encode different aspects of pain, such as its intensity, location or aversive emotion. How pain sensation develops is virtually unknown, but it is thought to rely on the development of fine touch sensation. This relationship is suggested by aberrant pain - touch sensation seen in many Autism Spectrum Disorder patients. Our newly discovered biomarkers of mouse anterolateral system neurons are now allowing us to study this developmental interdependence with great precision.