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Understanding the Molecular Mechanisms of the Tumor Tropic Migratory Properties of Neural Stem Cells
(VTC)
Atique Ahmed, PhD
Senior Research Associate
Department of Surgery
Section of Neurosurgery
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois
Neural stem cells (NSCs) have an intrinsic tropism to injured brain sites, including sites where gliomas have developed, providing a unique opportunity for cell-based targeted therapy. Before such an approach can be successfully used to develop a targeted cell-based therapy, however, several key issues need to be addressed including: inefficient disease homing capacity, poor engraftment, and reduced viability of NSCs upon therapeutic virus loading.Dr. Ahmed has isolated a subset of neural stem cells with superior tumor migratory capacity. He is currently identifying novel molecules and signaling pathways that can enhance directional stem cell migration toward different diseased areas in the brain. He will discuss his future research plans to understand the underlying molecular mechanisms of the tumor-homing properties of NSCs and, using this insight, to develop more effective NSC-based targeted brain tumor therapy. He will also discuss the broader implication of this research plan to other neurological disorders, including stroke, demyelinating disorder, and neurodegenerative diseases, all of which have been considered for potential stem cell-based gene therapy approaches.
Hosted by: Michael J. Friedlander, PhD, Executive Director, VTCRI
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540-526-2070