Chromaffin cells: the peripheral brain.

Chromaffin cells probably are the most intensively studied of the neural crest derivates. They are closely related to the nervous system, share with neurons some fundamental mechanisms and thus were the ideal model to study the basic mechanisms of neurobiology for many years. The lessons we have learned from chromaffin cell biology as a peripheral model for the brain and brain diseases pertain more than ever to the cutting edge research in neurobiology.

Giuseppe Moruzzi: a tribute to a "formidable" scientist and a "formidable" man.

Giuseppe Moruzzi was born one century ago; he was an outstanding Italian neurophysiologist, who was particularly famous for his contributions to the study of the mechanisms underlying the control of the sleep-waking cycle in mammals. In 1990, Rita Levi-Montalcini, Moruzzi's great friend and admirer, used the occasion of an invitation by the University of Parma, where Moruzzi graduated in medicine in 1933, to celebrate Moruzzi's scientific achievements. She wished to pay a tribute to Moruzzi's human and ethical qualities by portraying him as a "perfect model" for the young generation wishing to pursue scientific research.

Experimental and clinical evidence of neuroprotection by nerve growth factor eye drops: Implications for glaucoma.

Elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) in glaucoma causes loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and damage to the optic nerve. Although IOP is controlled pharmacologically, no treatment is available to restore retinal and optic nerve function. We evaluated the effects of NGF eye drops in a rat model of glaucoma.