Repairing nerve cells damaged by chemotherapy drugs, spinal cord and peripheral nerve injuries, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is the focus of the research in Dr. Windebank's lab.
The lab grows nerve cells in a dish to understand the mechanisms of chemotherapy-induced neuropathy and to screen for drugs that will protect nerves from damage.
Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are being used to protect nerve cells and to deliver therapies that support nerve regeneration.
Dr. Windebank's team studies the effects of drugs on fruit fly brains and behavior to help understand the genetic risk factors for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.
Spinal nerves [red] grow through scaffolding supported by cells [green] and myelin insulation [blue] after spinal cord injury.
Researchers in the Regenerative Neurobiology Lab are learning about how to adopt novel materials to support nerve regeneration and promote recovery after injury.
The laboratory seeks to understand the cellular mechanisms underlying injury and repair in the nervous system. There are four major disease areas: spinal cord injury, peripheral nerve injury, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, and chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. The lab studies these conditions using state-of-the-art technology that includes genetic epidemiology, model systems, cell and molecular biology and multiple forms of imaging.
The laboratory also develops and leads clinical trials using cell-based therapy and tissue engineering approaches to treating neurological disease. This is facilitated by extensive collaborations with the Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCaTS) and the Center for Regenerative Biotherapeutics.
Dr. Windebank's lab research includes repair and regeneration after peripheral nerve or spinal cord injury, treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and the mechanism of neuronal cell death caused by chemotherapeutic agents. His laboratory coordinates the research activities of a multidisciplinary team, with specialists from neuroscience, biochemistry and molecular biology, physiology and biomedical engineering, neurology, neurosurgery, physical medicine and rehabilitation, orthopedics, and the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Research groups and programs affiliated with the Regenerative Neurobiology Lab at Mayo Clinic include:
Get in touch with Dr. Windebank for more information about his lab's research projects and to learn about opportunities for collaboration, training or funding.
Learn about the Regenerative Neurobiology Lab's research focus areas.
Meet Dr. Windebank's research team and stay connected with the lab's research findings through published articles.
See Dr. Windebank's ongoing clinical trials related to regenerative nerve repair, especially in relation to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
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