The goal of this pilot grant is to graft dopaminergic neurons into marmosets and develop MRI and PET imaging techniques to visualize the grafts and dopaminergic innervation.

Instruction

Battlefield wounds present a unique challenge due to extended evacuation times and unique infection that often complicate the healing process.  Currently traditional bandages are used on the battlefield to dress wounds.  They provide a physical barrier and help to control hemorrhage but do not actively aid in the healing process.  Navy researchers are working to create bandages with bioactive components such as growth factors, antibiotics and other agents that may enhance healing rates and reduce scar formation.

DNA hypermethylation of promoter CpG islands is known to be associated with transcriptional silencing in endometrial cancer. We recently identified a unique set of CpG island loci that are hypermethylated in non- recurrent tumors but coordinately hypomethylated (or less methylated) in primary tumors that subsequently recurred. The loci can be highly susceptible to de novo DNA methylation (i.e., a default state) partly attributed to the high expression of DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) and Polycomb Repressor Complex 2 (PRC2).

Genome instability is a hallmark of cancer. Yet genome maintenance and mechanisms of genome instability are not clearly understood. This proposal continues the collaboration between Dr. Paul Hasty at the Health Science Center at San Antonio and Dr. Cristina Montagna at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. They will explore the involvement of TREX2 in both the suppression and development of genomic instability. TREX2 is a 3'?5' exonuclease that removes 3' mismatches in DNA. However, its biological function is not known.

The objective of this study is to better understand the underlying mechanism of Continuous Diffusion of Oxygen (CDO) and to demonstrate its clinical effectiveness by initially identifying biomarkers in patients with chronic lower extremity ulcers, and then observing the effect of CDO on the wound biomarkers as wound healing progresses. Due to our current understanding of the hypoxic conditions in chronic wound healing, we hypothesize that the effects of CDO involve both the reduction of proteases from inflammatory cells and the facilitation of angiogenesis to prevent hypoxia.

Glioblastoma (GBM) are the most malignant primary brain tumor and patients with GBM (grade IV glioma) have a survival time of approximately 14 months. Estrogen plays a crucial role during brain development and differentiation. Epidemiological and experimental evidence suggests tumor suppressive role of estrogen on brain tumors. However, the molecular mechanisms by which estrogen mediate protection against GBM remains unknown. Estrogen functions are mediated by two ER-subtypes: ER? that functions as tumor promoter and ER? that functions as a tumor suppressor.

Basic Research

Applied Research

Basic Research