Grants Funded
ASPS/PSF leadership is committed to continuing to provide high levels of investigator-initiated research support to ensure that plastic surgeons have the needed research resources to be pioneers and innovators in advancing the practice of medicine.
Research Abstracts
Search The PSF database to have easy access to full-text grant abstracts from past PSF-funded research projects 2003 to present. All abstracts are the work of the Principal Investigators and were retrieved from their PSF grant applications. Several different filters may be applied to locate abstracts specific to a particular focus area or PSF funding mechanism.
Molecular Basis for Neuroregenerative Effects of FK-506
Principal Investigator
Michael Brenner MD
Michael Brenner MD
Year
2003
2003
Institution
Washington University
Washington University
Funding Mechanism
Basic Research Grant
Basic Research Grant
Focus Area
Tissue Engineering
Tissue Engineering
Abstract
This study has clinical relevance to the management of all forms of traumatic peripheral nerve injury. Optimizing care of patients with peripheral nerve injury is an ongoing challenge for reconstructive surgeons and scientists alike. FK-506 (tacrolimus) has emerged as a prototype for future candidate therapies. Treatment with FK-506 results in enhanced nerve regeneration and accelerated functional recovery. Unfortunately, due to FK-506's potent immunosuppressive properties and significant toxicity profile, it is not acceptable to use this drug solely to promote nerve regeneration. It would therefore be highly desirable to isolate the neuroregenerative effects of FK-506. To do so requires a better understanding of the mechanism of action of this drug in regenerating nerve. The immediate goal of this study is to use cDNA microarrays to identify genes that are upregulated in injured nerve after treatment with FK-506. The experiment has been carefully designed to control for effects on genes that are influenced by immunosuppression, thereby enriching for those genes specifically involved in nerve regeneration. This study is a key step towards the long-term goal of developing therapeutic drugs that exploit FK-506's beneficial effects on injured nerve.
This study has clinical relevance to the management of all forms of traumatic peripheral nerve injury. Optimizing care of patients with peripheral nerve injury is an ongoing challenge for reconstructive surgeons and scientists alike. FK-506 (tacrolimus) has emerged as a prototype for future candidate therapies. Treatment with FK-506 results in enhanced nerve regeneration and accelerated functional recovery. Unfortunately, due to FK-506's potent immunosuppressive properties and significant toxicity profile, it is not acceptable to use this drug solely to promote nerve regeneration. It would therefore be highly desirable to isolate the neuroregenerative effects of FK-506. To do so requires a better understanding of the mechanism of action of this drug in regenerating nerve. The immediate goal of this study is to use cDNA microarrays to identify genes that are upregulated in injured nerve after treatment with FK-506. The experiment has been carefully designed to control for effects on genes that are influenced by immunosuppression, thereby enriching for those genes specifically involved in nerve regeneration. This study is a key step towards the long-term goal of developing therapeutic drugs that exploit FK-506's beneficial effects on injured nerve.