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Papers highlight growing research momentum in neurodegenerative diseases at UNMC
Achieving a rapid diagnosis for neurodegenerative disorders through biomarker discovery is the focus of three soon to be published articles in major scientific journals by researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
The studies highlight the importance of laboratory bench to bedside translational research in achieving landmark scientific discoveries. The research looks at how cells communicate with one another in the brain; animal models of neurological disease; and biomarkers in the blood linked to neurodegenerative diseases in the human brain.
The first article published this month in the Public Library of Science ONE highlights research from Dr. Gendelman’s lab and looks at the intricate way cells in the human brain communicate.
The July issue of the prestigious Journal of Clinical Investigation features the work of Howard Fox, M.D., Ph.D., who recently joined UNMC after working at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, Calif. It delves into the consequences of cellular damage induced by the simian immunodeficiency virus, or SIV, in the brains of primates. SIV is the primate equivalent of HIV in humans.
A third article to be published in October in the journal Proteomics-Clinical Applications features the research of Pawel Ciborowski, Ph.D., assistant professor in the department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience. It details protein biomarkers circulating in the blood that can be linked to neurodegeneration in patients with cognitive impairments and HIV infection.
All of the research involves AIDS and its effect on the brain, with immediate relevance to a host of other neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
And while each article holds significant insight into different aspects of scientific discovery, they also show the development of what is evolving as an integrated program amongst scientists at the Scripps Research Institute and the UNMC Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience.
“This is a very exciting time of growth and development coming at a time when resources are limited,” said Howard Gendelman, M.D., chairman of the department. “Our merger with Dr. Fox’s research team makes us squarely competitive with the best and most active programs in proteomic research at the international level.”
Proteomic research is the study of proteins and how they interact.
“This combined approach offers great promise for the future. It allows us to use the latest tools available to develop techniques that will allow us to understand, diagnose, treat, and prevent neurodegenerative diseases,” Dr. Fox said.
UNMC is the only public health science center in the state. Its educational programs are responsible for training more health professionals practicing in Nebraska than any other institution. Through their commitment to education, research, patient care and outreach, UNMC and its hospital partner, The Nebraska Medical Center, have established themselves as one of the country’s leading centers in cancer, transplantation biology, bioterrorism preparedness, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, genetics, biomedical technology and ophthalmology. UNMC’s research funding from external sources now exceeds $80 million annually and has resulted in the creation of more than 2,400 highly skilled jobs in the state. UNMC’s physician practice group, UNMC Physicians, includes 513 physicians in 50 specialties and subspecialties who practice primarily in The Nebraska Medical Center. For more information, go to UNMC’s Web site at www.unmc.edu.
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