Neurology

Center For Translational Neuromedicine

Division of Cell and Gene Therapy and Division of Glial Diseases and Therapeutics

Faculty

Major Investigative Interests

The goal of our unit is to develop new approaches for treating neurological diseases, using cell and gene therapy. Our emphasis is on using these technologies to target and mobilize endogenous stem and progenitor cells of the adult brain and spinal cord, for purposes of structural repair. In addition, stem cell isolation and transplant strategies are also actively pursued. Our disease targets are those attributable to dysfunction or loss of single cell types, for instance dysmyelinating disease as a paradigm for the use of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells.

The principal groups in the Division include Dr. Goldman, whose group focuses on neural stem and progenitor cell biology, and Dr. Nedergaard, whose focus is on astrocytic physiology and pathology.

Our current emphases include:

Goldman Lab

• Molecular identification and gene expression analysis of phenotypically-restricted progenitor and glial cell types of both the fetal and adult human CNS
• The relationship of native neural stem cells to tumor stem cells and gliomas of the adult CNS
• Isolation and telomerase immortalization of developmentally-restricted neuronal progenitor cells from fetal CNS, such as those generating midbrain dopaminergic neurons
• Use of both ES cell-derived and native progenitors in experimental models of cell type-selective neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinsons, ALS and MS
• Inducing endogenous progenitor cells as a means of treatment, in particular mobilizing striatal progenitors in Huntington’s disease models
• Glial and oligodendrocyte progenitor-based cell therapy in models of pediatric leukodystophies and lysosomal storage diseases

Nedergaard Lab

• The role of astrocytes in epileptogenesis and the treatment of seizure disorders
• The contribution of astrocytes to the regulation of cerebral blood flow, especially in ischemia
• Activity-dependent modulation of astrocytic signaling
• The role of gliosis and glial signaling in stroke and spinal trauma
• Assessment of glial gene expression patterns in various disease states
• Developing new imaging modalities for imaging native and transplanted glial progenitors in vivo

Besides the senior faculty, the unit includes over a dozen junior faculty, and a significant representation of postdoctoral fellows and students. The labs are highly collaborative, with many investigators pursuing projects between the principal lab groups. The group’s work is supported by 6 NIH R01 grants and a P01 program project, as well as by a variety of foundations that include the National MS Society, the Michael J. Fox Foundation, the New York State Spinal Cord Research Program, the Hereditary Disease Foundation, the Adelson Program in Neural Repair and Regeneration, the Mathers Charitable Foundation, CNS Foundation, and the James F. McDonnell Foundation. Past and present biotech and pharmaceutical collaborators include Sanofi-Aventis, QThera, Regeneron, Amgen, Merck, Geron and others, advancing both the scope and translational intent of these studies.

Contact Person:	Steven Goldman, M.D., Ph.D.
Phone:	585-275-9550
Fax:	585-276-0232
Email:	steven_goldman@urmc.rochester.edu