It has been demonstrated that apoptosis plays a critical role in the developing nervous system and that deregulation of this process can contribute to a variety of neurological defects. Furthermore, the inappropriate activation of the apoptotic process has been implicated in the neurological dysfunction associated with certain neurodegenerative diseases as well as following brain or spinal cord injury. The overall goal of my research will be to devise mechanisms to minimize the loss of neurological function in the diseased or injured nervous system. Consistent with this goal my research will focus on two distinct, but complimentary objectives:

(1) Define the molecular pathways regulating disease or injury induced apoptosis in postmitotic neurons. These studies will lead to the identification of key elements in the cell death pathway and provide a framework for therapeutic intervention to promote neuronal survival in the affected nervous system.

(2) Define the molecular mechanisms regulating apoptosis in activated neural stem cells. The discovery of neural stem cells has lead to much excitement since it is believed that these cells have the potential to regenerate damaged nervous tissue. However, a major impediment to the success of these cell based therapies has been the propensity of activated stem cells to undergo apoptosis. Thus identifying the molecular pathways that regulate apoptosis/survival of neural stem cells will be critical for their effective use in regenerative medicine.

 

©2003, 2004, 2005 Dr. Sean Cregan's Lab at the Robarts Research Institute