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CONGENITAL DIAPHRAGMATIC HERNIA (CDH)

Our proposed research has been designed to determine the normal developmental processes underlying phrenic nerve-diaphragm formation and then to establish which aspects maldevelop in a well-established rodent model of CDH. CDH is a developmental anomaly characterized by large regions of the diaphragm failing to form. Consequently, the developing viscera invade the thoracic cavity, occupying space normally reserved to accommodate the growing lung. As a result, newborns with CDH (~1:3000 births; ~50% mortality) suffer from a combination of pulmonary hypoplasia, pulmonary hypertension and surfactant deficiency.

Methods: Immunohistochemistry; in situ hybridization; whole embryo cultures; use of null-mutant mice; examining retinoid signaling pathways in cells lines and transgenic mice.

Dr. John Greer's lab Dr. John Greer's lab
Dr. John Greer's lab Dr. John Greer's lab
Dr. John Greer's lab Dr. John Greer's lab

NEURAL CONTROL OF RESPIRATION

We examine the electrophysiological properties and neuromodulation of perinatal respiratory rhythmogenesis towards understanding the basis for central apneas.Research into the neurochemical control of breathing and development culminated in the recent discovery that ampakines have the potential to be used clinically to alleviate drug-induced and endogenous respiratory depression. We established Neurochemical Modulators Inc. in 2007 as a joint venture with the University of Alberta.The company’s laboratories use in vitro, in situ and in vivo animal models to assess the modulatory effects of drugs on the function of individual nerve cells, chemical transmission between neurons and the function of neuronal networks controlling complex motor patterns such as breathing and locomotion. Neurochemical Modulators Inc. facilitates the identification and joint patenting of lead compounds affecting central nervous system function that will undergo further pre-clinical development in animal models.

Methods: Whole cell and perforated patch-clamp recording from fluorescently tagged preBötzinger neurons; in vitro medullary slice and brainstem-spinal cord preparations; perinatal rat and mutant mouse models.

Dr. John Greer's lab Dr. John Greer's lab
Dr. John Greer's lab Dr. John Greer's lab
Dr. John Greer's lab Dr. John Greer's lab
Dr. John Greer's lab Dr. John Greer's lab


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