Anales de la RANM

17 A N A L E S R A N M R E V I S T A F U N D A D A E N 1 8 7 9 S U P L E M E N T O I SIMPOSIO · JÓVENES INVESTIGADORES Libro de Abstracts An RANM. 2021;138(03).supl01: 17 - 54 y comportamientos complejos, aún se desconocen muchos detalles sobre los mecanismos que regulan la liberación de OXT en el cerebro. Esta falta de información contrasta con el amplio conocimiento disponible sobre los mecanismos implicados en la exocitosis de neurotransmisores clásicos como el glutamato o GABA. En gran medida, este escenario ha sido provocado por la falta de herramientas moleculares que permitan la identi- ficación y estudio de vesículas de núcleo denso, que almacenan diferentes neuromoduladores como la OXT. Nuestro laboratorio ha implementado una estrategia multidisciplinar basada en nuevas técnicas de clarificación de tejido iDISCO + , imagen de ultra resolución 3D, electrofisiología y optoge- nética para analizar las propiedades y mecanismos reguladores del sistema oxitocinérgico durante el desarrollo y el envejecimiento. Nuestro trabajo ha permitido identificar moléculas clave implicadas en la secreción de OXT. Este conocimiento constituye la base para desarrollar nuevas herramientas para regular la liberación de neuromoduladores como la OXT en el sistema nervioso central. Además, estas nuevas herramientas permitirán analizar el papel de la OXT en la plasticidad sináptica, una propiedad neuronal que permite la adaptación de los circuitos neuronales, y que se encuentra alterada durante trastornos neurodegenerativos. Social disorders are a common comorbid symptom of several pathological conditions, such as autism spectrum syndrome and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Social disorders are characterized by their symptomatic heteroge- neity including deficits in social interaction and communication, repetitive behaviors and cognitive alterations that have a high impact on quality of life. Given their broad spectrum, social deficits are considered a growing medical concern since the number of people affected by social disorders such as social anxiety has increased rapidly in recent years exposing a concerning scenario. Furthermore, aggressiveness and aberrant social responses are common symptoms of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, of growing incidence in increasingly aging societies. However, the mechanisms by which neurodegeneration affects the regulation of social interaction have been scarcely studied. Currently there are no effective treatments for social behavior disorders, however oxytocin (OXT), an endogenous neuropeptide involved in stress and social interaction, it has recently been identified as a potential therapeutic target to alleviate social deficits. Clinical trials based on OXT´s exogenous administration have yielded promising but inconsis- tent results, probably due to the low permeability of exogenously administered (e.g. intranasal) OXT across the blood-brain barrier. These results indicate the need to explore alternative strategies to stimulate the endogenous oxytocinergic system either by activating the OXT receptor or inducing its release in the central nervous system ( Figure 1 ). Despite its importance in regulating homeostatic functions and complex behaviors, many details about the mechanisms that regulate OXT release in Figure 1.