Remyelination Case Studies

Neurology is one of the most unexplored fields in medicine; however, more recently there has been a spike in the amount of research being done in this specialty. This is because people are becoming more interested in neuroscience, including myself. I attended a pre-medical vocational high school, which exposed me to a greater amount of knowledge pertaining to the basics of anatomy and physiology, along with hands-on opportunities in a medical setting. It was here where I realized that I wanted to pursue a career in medicine; however, due to the fact medical field is very broad, I had no set specialty. This changed when I was exposed to the cruel manifestations of Parkinson’s Disease. During, sophomore year of high school, my grandfather passed away due to complications of Parkinson’s Disease. The way that a neurodegenerative disease was able to overtake a person in the manner that it did was shocking, and while it brought me great grief initially, it later intrigued me. I took up an interest in neuroscience and began to do my own research which culminated in various projects and applications throughout the remainder of my time in high school. These experiences have culminated in my decision to work toward a Cell Biology and

. Embryonic stem cells have been identified by scientist as a type of stem cell that can advance regenerative medicine. The potential of regenerative medicine ranges from allowing pancreatic cells to produce insulin for diabetics to reconnecting the nerves in severed spinal cords. However, the greatest potential embryonic stem cells presents are its ability to change into any of the more than 200 different cell types in the body. This ability to change into any cell type can produce cures for Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, or any of the other conditions that stem cell therapy might help therefore improving the lives of those who live with these

First, in the summer of my junior year I was fascinated by one of the most complex organs of the human body, the brain. Whether it was books on Alzheimer’s or studies published on the brain’s capacity, this organ never ceased to amaze me. At this level of excitement I began to proactively look into neurology labs. I emailed over hundreds of researchers who had labs in which I was interested in. After looking

Myelin is the protective sheath around axons in the nervous system, and is often referred to as 'white matter.' It acts as an insulator to the electrical signal that is conducted down the axon as a neuron fires, and can well be compared to the insulation around an electrical wire. The myelin sheath contains a variety of fatty substances (lipids), and contains at least ten distinct chemicals (2). . From what is known, axons are not fully myelinated at birth, but myelin is formed from birth on into the second decade of life (3). The way myelination takes place is through glial cells wrapping around the axons in a spiral fashion. The axons are originally embedded in these glial cells, and the

Additionally, industries support scientists as they believe that the legalization of the use of stem cells can allow scientists to conduct their research without barrier, in order to discover treatments for Alzheimer’s at a faster rate. By conducting research, scientists could create a more effective treatment with very small risk and side effects based on the existing variety of ways that stem cells are able to replace the damaged areas of an Alzheimer’s brain. Firstly, scientists can retrieve stem cells from skin cells to create neural stem cells that can be transplanted into the brain, which will later create healthy neurons. However, even after creating efficient neural stem cells, scientists still have to overcome some issues in order to create a more effective treatment, such as making sure that the stem cells travel to different areas in the brain where it is damaged. Another issue is that when neural stem cells are being transplanted into the brain, they can be damaged by the build-up of beta-amyloids, causing this treatment to be temporary. Secondly, scientists can use iPS (induced pluripotent stem cells), which is when skin cells are taken from an Alzheimer patient and are reprogrammed to create the iPS cells. From here, the iPS cells can grow nerve cells, which scientists can use for research, to understand

The brain is an entity that fascinates me, and I want to learn as much as possible about it. Seeing how brain damage has affected every aspect of my stepfather’s life, I cannot wait to begin my own research and study how the brain heals and repairs itself. Besides traumatic brain damage, I am also interested in learning about the changes that occur in the brain with various diseases, such as mental illness, aging, and Alzheimer’s. I have been reading new theories discussing Alzheimer’s possibly being a third type of diabetes; I am amazed that this disease- that over five million people in America alone suffer from- is so baffling that new theories still come out. I want to be a part of discoveries that will

This research is significant because a better understanding of the neuronal effects of the disease will greatly facilitate efforts in treating GD, benefiting patients who suffer from the disease. Furthermore, by studying different pharmacological agents, we can attempt to find potential treatments or cures for the disease. Additionally, it has been shown that carriers of GD are at an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, and so this research may also bring about a new understanding of Parkinson’s. The significance of the research was just one of the many factors that drew my interest. I was also drawn by the fact that this research involves the Wnt pathway, which I was somewhat familiar with due to my previous work in Dr. Yang’s laboratory. Another reason why I chose to join Dr. Feldman’s group was due to my interest in learning about stem cells. I was curious as to how stem cell research is carried out, so the fact that the group used induced pluripotent stem cells to conduct their research was very appealing. Lastly, I was interested in exploring and witnessing translational research in practice, which I was able to do in Dr. Feldman’s Lab, although this was limited by the short duration of the internship. Still, we were able to identify a possible method to reverse the neuronal effects of GD, and this

Stem cells are located in the spinal cord and they are hard to identify (Konstantinos et al., 2008). Human embryonic stem cells have advantages that other cell types do not contain. They have a large capacity for differentiation and for expansion. They also help in remyelination. However, studies have shown that human embryonic stem cell derived oligodendrocyte progenitor cells can help in neuroprotection, homeostatic maintenance, suppressing inflammation, and promoting the regeneration of axons. (Sharp et al., 2010). Most of the neural stem cell potential is in ependymal cells (Meletis et al., 2008). Transplanting these oligodendrocyte progenitor cells just one week after the injury showed widespread oligodendrocyte remyelination throughout the white matter (Keirstead et al., 2005).

The following is a brief description of my personal work history and future career goals. As a child, I felt my passion for serving not just to my family but to others as well. As time passed I felt enormous joy and excitement while studying medicine. In my postdoctoral training, my medical training was useful for correlating research findings with the associated clinical disease. I have devoted the vast majority of my time to expanding my knowledge in learning translational research and mostly evaluated the usefulness and safety of stem cell-based therapy to advance cell therapy for aging, neurodegenerative disease and brain/spinal cord injury.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1 million Americans will be diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease this year, 1.7 million diagnosed with any type of cancer, and over 29 million diagnosed with either type 1 or 2 diabetes. Although these diseases are very different from each other, and even more contrasting between each individual case, all three are known as degenerative diseases, a progressive loss of organ or tissue function that is many times permanent. With a rise in these diseases, the future of many Americans could be threatened or even shortened. To reduce the amount of people that are diagnosed and die from degenerative diseases, stem cells should be utilized as a treatment because they are easily accessible

I chose to conduct research into this topic as currently there is no single cure for Parkinson’s Disease. All that currently exists to help the disease’s estimated 7-10 million sufferers are suppressive medicines that do not cure the patients of the disease but better their symptoms thereof. Stem cell therapy, if proven viable, will be the first treatment of the disease that will truly rid the patients of this disease and immediately improve their lives.

Clinical trials were very limited early on in both size and number, but researchers were able to see how stem cells would be able to help with neurodegenerative diseases (Gibson et al, 2012). In 1995 Kordower and colleagues started their trials; 18 months later the grafts survived and remained intact and the patient registered improvement in the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) test (Gibson et al, 2012). Fetal brain tissue (stem cells) was used to create grafts into the areas of the brain affected by Parkinson’s disease. Some of these people were markedly improved, and the effects lasted for 18 months, and in some cases over 10 years (Gibson et al, 2012). An effect of Parkinson’s disease is the destruction of brain cells. With stem cell treatment there is hope that with healthy and functioning brain cells the disease can be reversed (Murnaghan, 2013). Due to that success more testing was warranted in both size and

Currently, if somebody has a degenerative disease such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, or Multiple Sclerosis, spell out stem cell treatment is not yet worth it because of the low success rates, but if scientists developed cures for these diseases with stem cells, the patients’ lives would be drastically improved. For example, patients with an incurable disease like

The field of Neurology requires an intense understanding of conducting experiments. I need to make sure that I am prepared for what that field will throw at me. I want to make sure that I also learn as much as I can in the program every day and every second by retaining as much information as I can in the time that I have. Opportunities like this don’t appear every day. So not only will I work hard to learn everything I can, I will work hard to make it a part of my life. No one will be able to separate me from the work that I will be doing. I will make sure that I learn as much as I can just like I did in my childhood when I kept searching for answers to explain my world. Please give me that opportunity to carry out my dreams through the SEPS

I was given the opportunity to start giving back and begin making a difference by volunteering as the student intern neurologist at the VA Hospital in Cleveland. There I dedicated my time to assist in aiding our US Military personnel by helping to provide healthcare for those experiencing neurological difficulties. Every summer I continue my study by working on a neurological internship to research some specific neurological difficulties and hopefully advance the field. I have been fortunate to study neurology using a multifaceted approach. In my research I have studied the entire patient experience – from clinic to intensive care; I was given the opportunity to explore and learn as much as possible. I found it extremely rewarding to learn basics like taking a history and learning how to perform neurological examinations to the more complex like being able to perform autopsies and brain dissections. Through this experience I was given the opportunity to learn much more than I would have been able to in a textbook and I know I will be able to use this information in the years to come. This experience has also provided me with the day-to-day challenges that neurologists’ face when they care for patients with disorders that are both common and rare. Overall this broad clinical experience brought meaning and application to the basic principles