My lab studies mechanisms of neurodegeneration: several projects are ongoing - (1) animal models of Parkinsons disease (PD) are used to gain insight into the cause of the disease, and to evaluate novel treatments to slow/stop the neurodegenerative process. Current studies involve the development of a rat model of PD; (2) novel biochemical techniques are being used to develop a blood test for PD and Alzheimers disease (AD). Blood from patients with the two diseases, and from normal control subjects, are examined using novel antibody detection techniques, in order to identify antibodies that are characteristic of the diseases. Such markers will be useful for early disease diagnosis, before significant neurodegeneration has occurred; (3)sensitive GCMS techniques have been used to find that blood from PD patients contain higher levels of a pesticide compared to normal controls and those with AD. We are testing whether these high levels are due to polymorphisms in genes that metabolism the organochloride compounds. These studies may lead to the development of tests for the early detection of PD and ways to stop the disease progression.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
My lab focuses on the cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases.
Human post-mortem tissue and animal models of both Parkinsons disease and Alzheimers disease are studied to understand the mechanisms responsible for selective vulnerability of specific populations of neurons. The animal models are also used to study potential therapies.
Post-mortem tissues from individuals with affective disorder are used to identify cellular and molecular alterations to provide insight into the etiology of the disorders.
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
Sonsalla, P.K., Zeevalk, G., German, D.C., "Chronic intraventricular administration of 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium as a progressive model of Parkinsons disease." Parkinsonism & Related Disorders, 14 Suppl 2:116-118, 2008
German DC, Gurnani P, Nandi A, Garner HR, Fisher W, Diaz-Arrastia R, O’Suilleabhain P, Rosenblatt KP., "Serum biomarkers for Alzheimers disease: proteomic discovery." Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, 61:383-389, 2007
Fisher, W.G., Tan, N.C., Rosenblatt, K.P., Fishman, D.A., Whiteley G.R., Mikulskis, A., Kuzdzal, S.A., Lopez, M.F., German, D.C., Garner, H.R., "A robust biomarker discovery pipeline for high performance mass spectrometry data." J. Bioinformatics and Computat. Biol, 5:1023-1045, 2007
Young, K.A., Holcomb L.A., Bonkale W.L., Hicks P.B., and German, D.C., "Serotonin transporter genetic variation, major depression and thalamic volume." Brit. J. Psychiat.,, 192:285-289, 2008
D.C. German, "Mouse models of Alzheimers disease." In - A-beta peptide and Alzheimers disease. C. J. Barrow and D. H. Small, eds. Springer Verlag, London., Chapter 16:259-273, 2007
Giller, C.A., Liu, H., German, D.C., Dewey, R.B., "Stereotaxic near-infrared probe for localization during functional neurosurgical procedures: further experience." J. Neurosurgery, 110:263-273, 2009
Sonsalla, P.K., Zeevalk, G., German, D.C., "Acute and chronic administration of 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium." Parkinsons disease: molecular and therapeutic insights from model systems. (eds., R. Nass and S. Przedborski), Chap. 12:159-172, 2008
SIGNIFICANT PUBLICATIONS
Richardson, J.R., Shalat, S.L., Buckley, B., Winnik, B., OSuilleabhain, P., Diaz-Arrastia, R., Reisch, J., German, D.C., "Elevated pesticide levels in the serum are associated with increased risk for Parkinsons disease." Arch. Neurol., 66 (7):870-875, 2009
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