Project Summary

Luc Vallieres, Ph.D. (Young Investigator 2003) of Laval University, notes that damage to nerve cells as a result of injury or illness can lead to permanent disability for which no cure exists.  However, a promising discovery is the capacity of bone-marrow derived cells to migrate into the circulatory system, take up residence in the brain, and be converted into cerebral blood vessels, pericytes (cells associated with the walls of small blood vessels), and microglia (cells that surround neurons).  Dr. Vallieres proposes to examine how the recruitment of bone-marrow cells into the brain varies under seizure-induced injury vs. steady-state conditions.  An experimental intervention designed to increase the number of circulating bone-marrow cells following seizures will also be evaluated to determine whether it can accelerate the formation of cerebral blood vessels thereby promoting brain repair and functional recovery.  This project may reveal bone marrow as a safe, readily available, and ethically acceptable source of cerebral cells for cell and gene therapy.

Program Area: OTHER\General-Mental Illness

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