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This laboratory studies anatomical, electrophysiological and functional plasticity in the intact and injured adult central nervous system. We focus in particular on the functional role of growth factors in modulating plasticity. Models studied in the lab include: 1) mechanisms of learning and memory in the intact adult brain, 2) plasticity and cell degeneration in models of aging and Alzheimer's disease, and 3) axonal plasticity and regeneration after spinal cord injury. In rodent and primate models of spinal cord injury, we examine the influences of growth factors and extracellular matrix molecules in modulating axonal responses to injury and the ability of these substances to promote axonal regeneration. In models of basal forebrain and cortical degeneration in rodents and primates, the ability of neurotrophic factors delivered by gene therapy to modulate cellular plasticity and survival. These studies are relevant to the understanding of aging and neuronal loss in Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's Disease. In the intact brain, we examine changes in neuronal structure and function that occur during normal learning, and the role of neurotrophic factors in modulating these changes. Click here to view Dr. Tuszynski's CV in a new browser window.
Selected Publications Book: CNS Regeneration, Ed. 2. Kordower J and Tuszynski MH, editors. Elsevier, San Diego. 2007. Tuszynski MH. Nerve growth factor gene therapy in Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s Disease and Associated Disorders (2007): 21:179-189. Conner JM, Franks KM, Olson AK, Russell K, Christie BR, Sejnowski TJ, Tuszynski MH. NGF is essential for hippocampal plasticity and learning. Journal of Neuroscience (2007): in press. Blesch A, Tuszynski MH. Transient growth factor delivery sustains regenerated axons after spinal cord injury. Journal of Neuroscience (2007): in press. Tuszynski MH, Steeves JD, Fawcett JW, Lammertse D, et al. Guidelines for the conduct of clinical trials for spinal cord injury as developed by the ICCP Panel: clinical trial inclusion/exclusion criteria and ethics. Spinal Cord (2007): 45:222-231 Tuszynski MH. Rebuilding the brain: resurgence of fetal grafting. Nature Neuroscience, News & Views. 2007; 10:1-2. Ramanathan D, Conner JM, Tuszynski, MH. A form of motor cortical plasticity that correlates with recovery of function after brain injury. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2006): 10330:11370-11375. Tuszynski MH. Challenges to the report of nogo antibody effects in primates. Nature Medicine (2006): 12:1231-1232. Lu P, Yang H, Culbertson M, Graham L, Roskams JA, Tuszynski MH. Olfactory ensheathing cells do not exhibit unique migratory or axonal growth-promoting properties after spinal cordiInjury. Journal of Neuroscience (2006): 26:11120-11130. Taylor L, Jones L, Tuszynski MH, Blesch A. Neurotrophin-3 gradients established by lentiviral gene delivery promote short-distance axonal bridging beyond cellular grafts in the injured spinal cord. Journal of Neuroscience (2006): 26:9713-9721. Tuszynski MH et al. A phase I clinical trial of nerve growth factor gene therapy for Alzheimer’s disease. Nature Medicine (2005): 11:551-5. Stokols S, Tuszynski MH. Freeze-dried agarose scaffolds with uniaxial channels stimulate and guide linear axonal regeneration following spinal cord injury. Biomaterials (2006): 27:443-51 Conner JM, Chiba AA, Tuszynski MH. The basal forebrain cholinergic system is essential for cortical plasticity and functional recovery following brain injury. Neuron (2005): 46:173-9. Lu P, Yang H, Jones LL, Filbin MT, Tuszynski MH. Combinatorial therapy with neurotrophins and cAMP promotes axonal regeneration beyond sites of spinal cord injury. Journal of Neuroscience (2004): 24:6402-6409. Nagahara A, Tuszynski MH. The ageless question: what accounts for age-related cognitive decline? Science SAGE KE (2004): 2004:pe20 Blesch A, Tuszynski MH. Nucleus hears axon’s pain. Nature Medicine (2004): 10:236-237. Conner JM, Culberson A, Packowski C, Chiba A, Tuszynski MH. Lesions of the basal forebrain cholinergic system impair task acquisition and abolish cortical plasticity associated with motor skill learning. Neuron (2003): 38:819-829 Weidner N, Ner A, Salimi N, Tuszynski MH. Spontaneous corticospinal axonal plasticity and functional recovery after adult CNS injury. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2001): 98:3513-3518. Conner JM, Darracq MA, Roberts J, Tuszynski MH. Non-tropic actions of neurotrophins: Subcortical NGF gene delivery reverses age-related degeneration of primate cortical cholinergic innervation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2001): 98:1941-1946.
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