Research Focus

The Pellegrini Lab’s scientific focus is the exploration of the human choroid plexus (ChP), a vital brain structure responsible for the secretion of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and a key component of the blood-CSF-barrier. Given the critical role of dynamic CSF signals in brain development and the links between CSF abnormalities and neurological disorders such as microcephaly, autism, and schizophrenia, our research leverages an innovative organoid model to investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms that govern early choroid plexus development and its function in relation to human brain development and diseases.

Research Questions

1. Cellular Origins and Diversity: What are the origins and diversity of cells within the ChP, and how do various cell subtypes shape the CSF proteome? 

2. Brain Function and Repair: How does the blood-CSF barrier repair itself following injury? What are the related biomarkers secreted in CSF during injury and repair? 

3. CSF Signals and Cortical Development: How do CSF signals influence cortical development, specifically impacting neuroepithelial cell proliferation and differentiation?

Our Approach

The lab employs an interdisciplinary approach, combining state-of-the-art techniques such as choroid plexus organoids, single-cell RNA sequencing and proteomics. This allows us to explore in detail the origin of cellular diversity in the choroid plexus and the role that different cell subtypes play in shaping the CSF proteome. Our findings are further validated through analysis of human in vivo choroid plexus tissues.