Erin Kaiser
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University of Georgia researchers, including TNRR member Dr. Franklin West, have received a $3.7 million award to study the therapeutic efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for the treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Click this link to read the full story!
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In this study, we evaluated the effects of induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural stem cell (iNSC) treatment on cellular, tissue, and functional recovery in a translational controlled cortical impact TBI piglet model. At 12-weeks post-transplantation, iNSCs showed long-term engraftment and differentiation into neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. iNSC treatment enhanced endogenous neuroprotective and regenerative activities indicated…
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Pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) often induces significant disability in patients, including long-term motor deficits. Early detection of injury severity is key in determining a prognosis and creating appropriate intervention and rehabilitation plans. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) tractography enables three-dimensional reconstruction of specific white matter tracts throughout the brain in order to detect white matter…
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A new stroke therapeutic based on collaborative research between the TNRR Laboratory and Aruna Bio will soon enter clinical trials. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared the new drug, known as AB126, to enter a Phase 1b/2a clinical trial, which is expected to begin in the first half of 2024 . This first stage…
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Pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and disability in children. Due to bidirectional communication between the brain and gut microbial population, introduction of key gut bacteria may mitigate critical TBI-induced secondary injury cascades, thus lessening neural damage and improving functional outcomes. The objective of this study was to determine the…
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Impaired gut homeostasis is associated with stroke often presenting with leaky gut syndrome and increased gut, brain, and systemic inflammation that further exacerbates brain damage. We previously reported that intracisternal administration of Tanshinone IIA-loaded nanoparticles (Tan IIA-NPs) and transplantation of induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural stem cells (iNSCs) led to enhanced neuroprotective and regenerative activity…
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In this study, we sought to further understand how nutritional supplements influence specific brain function and architecture as well as cognitive and behavioral performance. Specifically, we aimed to identify modifications in functional connectivity (FC) patterns and targeted brain anatomies in piglets following perinatal intake of different nutritional diets using a graph theory based approach where…
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Human mitochondrial DNA mutations are associated with common to rare mitochondrial disorders, which are multisystemic with complex clinical pathologies. The pathologies of these diseases are poorly understood and have no FDA-approved treatments leading to symptom management. Leigh syndrome (LS) is a pediatric mitochondrial disorder that affects the central nervous system during early development and causes…
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Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural stem cells (iNSCs) are a multimodal stroke therapeutic that possess neuroprotective, regenerative, and cell replacement capabilities post-ischemia. However, long-term engraftment and efficacy of iNSCs is limited by the cytotoxic microenvironment post-stroke. Tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA) is a therapeutic that demonstrates anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects in rodent ischemic stroke models and…
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Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has significant potential to evaluate changes in brain network activity after traumatic brain injury (TBI) and enable early prognosis of potential functional (e.g., motor, cognitive, behavior) deficits. In this study, resting-state and task-based fMRI (rs- and tb-fMRI) were utilized to examine network changes in a pediatric porcine TBI model that…
Posted in: Publications