Post-doctoral position Research team EA6309 Myelin Maintenance & Peripheral Neuropathies Faculties of Medicine and Pharmacy 2, rue du Dr. Marcland - 87025 LIMOGES CEDEX - France Duration 1 year Starting date September 2021 Funding AFM (French Muscular Dystrophy Association) Annual gross income: 43000€ State of the art and objective Curcumin has shown beneficial effects in different models of peripheral neuropathies. Nevertheless, curcumin is a molecule with low solubility and poor bioavailability, which considerably limits its therapeutic use. Recently, we have shown that the delivery of curcumin trough a nanoparticle vector (Caillaud et al., 2020) significantly reduces the deficits of transgenic rats reproducing the physiopathology of Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 1A (CMT1A) disease, the main hereditary peripheral neuropathy. The aim of this research project is to confirm the effectiveness of this nanoparticle formulation of curcumin in the treatment of CMT1A disease. Experimental design The research work will take place within the EA6309 research lab, in close collaboration with a Ph.D. student. Some experiments will be performed in vitro (primary cultures of Schwann cells, neurons and co-cultures). The effectiveness of the curcumin nanoparticle formulation will be confirmed in vivo in aged CMT1A rats. The C22 mouse model (another animal model of CMT1A disease) will also be used. Behavioural (locomotion, equilibrium, grip strength) and electro-physiological (nerve conduction velocity) experiments will be carried out in combination with morphological, immunohistochemical and biochemical analyses. Skills sought Ideally, the candidate should have a Ph.D. in Neuroscience and skills in behavioural analysis in rodents (rat/mice). Experience in electromyoneurography (EMNG) would be appreciated. Motivation, dynamism and writing skills will also be considered. Contact Send CV (including a short summary of previous research work) and cover letter to: Fabrice Billet [email protected] (+33) 555 435 973 Keywords Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease; Sensori-motor behavior; Curcumin; Nano-particular vector; Oxidative stress Bibliography Caillaud M, Msheik Z, Ndong-Ntoutoume GM-A, Vignaud L, Richard L, Favreau F, Faye P-A, Sturtz F, Granet R, Vallat J-M, Sol V, Desmoulière A, Billet F (2020) Curcumin-cyclodextrin/cellulose nanocrystals improve the phenotype of Charcot-Marie-Tooth-1A transgenic rats through the reduction of oxidative stress. Free Radic Biol Med 161:246– 262. .