CINC: A View from the International Center for Neuroscience | Science

Santiago Ramón y Cajal used to say that “only accurate knowledge of the tissue of the nervous system will allow us to discover the material channel of thought and will surprise the intimate history of life, in its perpetual duel with external energies.” The application of modern techniques and methods in the study of the nervous system, such as molecular and cellular biology, cell and brain imaging, bioinformatics, and computation, has stimulated our understanding of the mechanisms involved in the development and functioning of nervous systems. The shape of the brain and that Don Santiago desperately tried to dismantle it. However, we are still far from knowing enough about the system as a whole and, unlike other fields, we still understand on a limited level many of the basic principles that neurons use to generate individual behaviour. For this reason, elucidating the causes of neuropsychiatric disorders remains a real challenge. It is true that very important progress has been made in identifying the genetic underpinnings of diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease and many others, and it is hoped that this progress will continue in the coming years. Many factors implicated in disorders such as depression, autism and schizophrenia have also been identified, but much remains to be done to unravel the tangle between dysfunction in specific genes and neuroarrhythmia; Brain physiology as a whole. The onslaught of this problem points to major advances in neuroscience and psychiatry in the coming decades and has been understood by countries such as the United States, Japan, Australia or China with the launch of major neuroscience research programs.

The recent SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has highlighted the need for critical knowledge in unpredictable areas to deal with unexpected health crises. Indeed, only with basic knowledge was the rapid development of effective vaccines that save millions of lives possible. There are exceptional reasons to prioritize the study of the brain: it is the most complex structure known, houses our memory, generates all our thoughts and behaviors, and when poorly functions causes hundreds of disorders at all ages, which represent a greater economic burden on society than cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes combined. . Mental disorders, which impose such a heavy emotional, economic and social burden, are a real pandemic that we can solve only with a deep understanding of the basic mechanisms from which behavior stems.

The Supreme Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) assumes that brain research should address a basic level and provide the building blocks for building a comprehensive model of brain function and disorders. Hence, it has strategically decided to enhance its potential in this discipline by launching Cajal International Neuroscience Center (CINC), That, through research of the highest level of rigor and excellence, provides essential knowledge for understanding the brain and behavior, and makes this knowledge available for prevention programs and treatment design for such devastating diseases, as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, addiction, depression, or schizophrenia.

There are exceptional reasons to prioritize the study of the brain: it is the most complex structure known, houses our memory, generates all our thoughts and behaviors, and when disrupted, causes hundreds of disorders.

The International Center for Neuroscience, which could not stop devoting to the formidable character of Ramon y Cajal, was born with the steadfast aim of creating a multidisciplinary research space in neuroscience at a high international level, with the intention of becoming a reference center for the world of neuroscience research, which contributes to the well-being of people By providing, from the simplest knowledge, solutions to the neurological and mental illnesses that increasingly afflict humanity. In this important initiative, the CSIC must be accompanied by other research organizations, such as the Carlos III Health Institute, and institutions interested in solving the great challenges of modern society. The future awaits us all.

Juan Lerma He is the project manager of CINC

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