A5089405710- Nerve injury and regeneration
- Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanisms
- Spinal Cord Injury Research
- Axon Guidance and Neuronal Signaling
- Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Exercise and Physiological Responses
- Vestibular and auditory disorders
- Traumatic Brain Injury and Neurovascular Disturbances
- Mesenchymal stem cell research
- Pain Mechanisms and Treatments
- Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Studies
- Spinal Dysraphism and Malformations
- Diet and metabolism studies
- Microtubule and mitosis dynamics
- Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine
- Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
- Biomedical and Chemical Research
- Photoreceptor and optogenetics research
- Proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans research
- Nerve Injury and Rehabilitation
- Biochemical effects in animals
- Cardiac Arrest and Resuscitation
- Anesthesia and Neurotoxicity Research
- Traumatic Brain Injury Research
- Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
International Collaboration On Repair Discoveries
2013-2025
University of British Columbia
2009-2025
German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases
2017-2021
Institute of Zoology
2014-2016
Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre
2009
How aging impacts axon regeneration after CNS injury is not known. We assessed the impact of age on induced by Pten deletion in corticospinal and rubrospinal neurons, two neuronal populations with distinct innate regenerative abilities. As young mice, older mice remains effective preventing axotomy-induced decline neuron-intrinsic growth state, as mTOR activity, soma size, axonal proximal to a spinal cord injury. However, distal greatly diminished, accompanied increased expression astroglial...
High fat, low carbohydrate ketogenic diets (KD) are validated non-pharmacological treatments for some forms of drug-resistant epilepsy. Ketones reduce neuronal excitation and promote neuroprotection. Here, we investigated the efficacy KD as a treatment acute cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats. Starting 4 hours following C5 hemi-contusion animals were fed either standard based diet or formulation with lipid to plus protein ratio 3:1. The forelimb functional recovery was evaluated 14...
An inhibitory extracellular milieu and neuron-intrinsic processes prevent axons from regenerating in the adult central nervous system (CNS). Here we show how two aspects are interwoven. Genetic loss-of-function experiments determine that small GTPase RhoA relays signals to cytoskeleton by adapting mechanisms set place during neuronal polarization. In response inhibitors, restricts axon regeneration activating myosin II compact actin and, thereby, restrain microtubule protrusion. However,...
Remyelination occurs after spinal cord injury (SCI) but its functional relevance is unclear. We assessed the necessity of myelin regulatory factor (Myrf) in remyelination contusive SCI by deleting gene from platelet-derived growth receptor alpha positive (PDGFRα-positive) oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) mice prior to SCI. While OPC proliferation and density are not altered Myrf inducible knockout SCI, accumulation new oligodendrocytes largely prevented. This greatly inhibits...
Motor cortical plasticity contributes to spontaneous recovery after incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI), but the pathways underlying this remain poorly understood. We performed optogenetic mapping of motor cortex in channelrhodopsin-2 expressing mice assess capacity re-establish output longitudinally a C3/C4 dorsal column SCI that bilaterally ablated corticospinal tract (CST) containing ∼96% fibers spared ∼3% CST project via dorsolateral funiculus. Optogenetic revealed extensive early...
Axons in the adult mammalian central nervous system fail to regenerate after spinal cord injury. Neurons lose their capacity during development, but intracellular processes underlying this loss are unclear. We found that critical components of presynaptic active zone prevent axon regeneration mice. Transcriptomic analysis combined with live-cell imaging revealed primary sensory neurons downregulate molecular constituents synapse as they acquire ability rapidly grow axons. Pharmacogenetic...
This study investigates wasting disease in the northeast Pacific keystone predatory sea star Pisaster ochraceus on outer west coast of Vancouver Island (British Columbia, Canada). To quantify effects temperature, season and locality vulnerability P. to disease, we conducted surveys experiments early late summer. test prediction that a small increase temperature would result heightened infection intensities, housed stars at different temperatures laboratory caged subtidally 2 depths....
Although upper extremity functional recovery is a high priority for spinal cord injured patients with cervical injuries, few injury models have been developed in mice sustained deficits forelimb motor function. Here, we characterize dorsolateral funiculus (DLF) crush model mice, which ablates the rubrospinal tract (RST) unilaterally and thus allows correlation of to axonal regeneration assessment molecular targets. We conducted unilateral DLF injuries at levels C4 C6 assessed battery tests:...
We evaluated the effects of ministrokes targeted to individual pial arterioles on motor function in Thy-1 line 18 channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) transgenic mice within first hours after ischemia. Using optogenetics, we directly assessed both excitability and output cortical neurons a manner independent behavioral state or training. Occlusion cortex led ministroke that was verified using laser speckle contrast imaging. Surprisingly, relatively small region forelimb map, with an ischemic core 0.07...
Spinal cord injury (SCI) in the mammalian CNS results formation of a glial scar around lesion site ([Fig. 1][1] A ). The limits axon regeneration but it also serves protective role by sequestering inflammatory cells to center, reducing tissue damage ([Herrmann et al.,
Abstract Background. The intricate interplay between inflammation, its effects on neuronal excitability, and the ensuing plasticity of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) sensory neurons remains to be fully explored. In this study, we have investigated impact inflammatory conditioned media excitability activity DRG how relates subsequent growth responses these cells. Findings. We show here that an early phase increased in response is critical for engagement plastic processes, profiles are linked...
ABSTRACT The complex relationship between inflammation, its effects on neuronal excitability and the ensuing plasticity of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) sensory neurons remains to be fully explored. In this study, we have employed a system experiments assessing impact inflammatory conditioned media derived from activated immune cells activity DRG how relates subsequent growth responses these cells. We show here that an early phase increased in response is critical for engagement plastic...