Neural degeneration, regeneration, plasticity and transplantation
Dr Ling-Sun Jen
Reader in Neural Development and Plasticity
Correspondence address:
Department of Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience,
Division of Neuroscience and Mental Health,
Faculty of Medicine,
Imperial College London (ICL)
E-mail: l.jen@imperial.ac.uk
Research interests: development, degeneration, plasticity, regeneration and transplantation in the mammalian central nervous system
Main collaborators: Martin Croucher (ICL), Stephen Gentleman (ICL), Huseyin Mehmet (ICL/Merck), Cristina and Roberto Navarrete (ICL/NBS), and Suzanne Watt (NBS/Oxford)
Current research projects:
Neuroprotective role / regenerative capacity of the human umbilical cord blood derived stem cells or fibroblasts, or rat fetal neurospheres – we are currently studying and comparing the rescuing effects of stem cells of different origins as well as their potential immunological properties, using the approach of intracranial and intraocular grafting of neural progenitors/stem cells and the optic system as an in vivo experimental model (funded by NBS – see research funding below).
Survival of human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (green) grafted to the rat eye. R: retina
Potential identification of endogenous neural progenitors in the non-neurogenic zones in the brain – experiments are in progress to identify radial progenitors that are capable of undergoing transdifferentiation in developing and mature brain parts where there is experimentally induced degeneration but are normally non-neurogenic in rodents, and the epigenetic factors involved (funded by AS).
An example showing proliferation of progenitor or stem cells in culture and possible integration of these cells in the photoreceptor layer of the retina is shown below. Cells are labelled with BrdU (red) and GFAP/vimentin (green).
Neuroinflammation, degeneration or dysfunction of neural cells, and neuroprotection or survival of neurons after treatments with a variety of chemical compounds or molecules such as amyloid peptides, antioxidants, and steroidal or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (funded by GSK and NIH).
Future direction – potential use of nanotechnology and RNA interference in neuroprotection and axonal regeneration as therapeutic strategies.
Postdoctoral research fellows
Peter Anderson
Andy Hill
Valerie Vince
Helena Watts
PhD student: Isabel Zwart
Research funding: currently supported by grants from the Alzheimer Society (AS), GlaxoSmithkline (GSK), National Blood Service (NBS) and National Institute for Health (NIH)
Recent / selected publications:
Yan XX, Garey LJ, Jen LS
Prenatal development of NADPH-diaphorase-reactive neurons in human frontal cortex Cerebral Cortex 6:735-745, 1996
Chen ST, gentleman SM, Garey LJ, Jen LS
Distribution of ß-amyloid precursor and B-cell lymphoma proto-oncogene proteins in the rat retina after optic nerve transection or vascular lesion
Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology 55:1073-1082, 1996
Jen LS, Hart AJ, Jen A, Relvas JB, Gentleman SM, Garey LJ, Patel AJ
Alzheimer’s peptide kills cells of retina in vivo
Nature 392:140-141,1998
Bresciani LG, Walsh DT, Gentleman SM, Jen LS.
Developmental regulation and possible alternative cleavage of resenilins 1 in the rat retina
Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience 21:239-249, 2002
Walsh DT, Montero RM, Bresciani LG, Jen AYT, Leclercq PD, Saunders D, El-Amir AN, Gbadamoshi L, Gentleman SM, Jen LS
Amyloid peptide is toxic to neurons in vivo via indirect mechanisms
Neurobiology of Disease 10:20-27, 2002
Croucher MJ, Patel H, Walsh DT, Moncaster JA, Gentleman SM, Fazal A, Jen LS
Up-regulation of soluble amyloid precursor protein fragment secretion in the rat retina in vivo by metabotropic glutamate receptor stimulation
NeuroReport 14:2271-2274, 2003
Aruoma OI, Bahorun T, Jen LS
Neuroprotection by bioactive components in medicinal and food plant extracts
Mutation Research 544:203-215, 2003
Aruoma OI, Moncaster JA, Walsh DT, Gentleman SM, Ke B, Liang YF, Higa T, Jen LS
The antioxidant cocktail, effective microorganism X (EM-X), protects neurons in rats against N-methyl-D-aspartate excitotoxicity in vivo.
Free Radical Research 37:91-97, 2003
Aruoma OI, Moncaster AJ, Walsh DT, Gentleman SM, Jang JH, Aruoma OI, Jen LS, Chung JY, Surh YJ
Ergothioneine rescues PC12 cells from ß-amyloid-induced apoptotic death
Free Radical Biology and Medicine 36:288-299, 2004
Walsh DT, Bresciani L, Saunders D, Manca MF, Jen A, Gentleman SM, Jen LS
Amyloid beta peptide causes chrnic glial cell activation and neurodegeneration after intravitreal injection
Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology 31:491-502, 2005
Zwart I, Hill A, Manca M, Girdlestone J, Navarrete C, Navarrete R, Jen LS
The potential of umbilical cord blood-derived stem cells for neural repair
Society for Neuroscience Abstracts, USA, 827.4, 2006
