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Towards Gene Therapy Of Parkinson’S Disease: Implantation Of Ruc-Gdnf Secreting Mammalian Cell Lines Into Rat Brain, Hua Liu
Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects
The purpose of this study is to develop a new approach for monitoring the function of implanted cells by a Renilla luciferase -glial cell line derived neurotrophic factor (RUC-GDNF) fusion protein in CSF. The RUC-GDNF protein is expected to report GDNF secreted from the cell by bioluminescence through luciferase activity.
Current ex vivo gene therapy using GDNF is limited by lack of a monitoring mechanism to determine the expression of GDNF once transformed cells or vector DNA are injected into animal models. Since the therapeutic concentration of GDNF secreted into cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) by implanted cells is too low for …
Mechanisms Of Calcium Buffering And Aging In Neurons: Testing The Limits Of Homeostasis, William James Pottorf Ii
Mechanisms Of Calcium Buffering And Aging In Neurons: Testing The Limits Of Homeostasis, William James Pottorf Ii
Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects
Intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) is an ubiquitous second messenger that integrates multiple and diverse neuronal pathways that include development and maturation, gene expression, synaptic plasticity, transmitter release, excitability, and even cell death. Upon neuronal excitation the [Ca2+]i increases rapidly and the calcium buffering system reacts quickly to restore [Ca2+]i to basal levels in order to reset the cell for the next stimulus and avoid prolonged exposure to cytotoxic levels of high [Ca2+]i. The aging process appears to causes multiple changes in the ability of neurons to regulate [Ca2+]i homeostasis and an …