Grants We Funded

Abstract
Injured peripheral nerves have to capacity to regenerate but this does not always translate into functional recovery in patients. We have studied extensively in previous experimental studies the factors responsible for suboptimal return of function in patients with these types of injuries The overall objective of our experimental design is to develop treatment strategies to will improve return of arm or leg function in patients that have sustained nerve injuries The experiments designed in this project are aimed at analyzing the molecular mechanisms of the growth-promoting effect of a growth factor, called transforming growth factor with the ultimate goal being to identify key molecular and/or genetic targets that can be manipulated to maximize nerve regeneration after injuries, which translates into functional recovery. We use a well-established animal model of nerve injury and repair that mimic clinical nerve injuries. Following nerve injuries in the animals, nerve repairs are supplemented with treatment with the growth factor and its effect on nerve regeneration and expression of other key molecules important for nerve regeneration is analyzed using well established laboratory techniques such as immunohistochemistry, light and electron microscopy as well as novel techniques such as gene array. The application of the gene array may lead to discovery of novel genes, molecules and proteins that may turn out to be essential to the process of nerve regeneration and return of function after nerve injuries. Therefore, findings of this research project have strong potential in greatly improving our understanding of how to optimize functional recovery in patients with nerve injuries.

Biography
Dr. Wale Sulaiman completed a combined MD/MSc degree at Medical University, Varna, Bulgaria in Europe. His interests in Nerve and Spinal cord injury and regeneration research led him to the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada where he also completed a PhD in Neurosciences under the supervision of Dr Tessa Gordon. He completed his Neurosurgery residency at University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He is board-certified in Neurosurgery by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and completed two world-renowned clinical fellowships in both complex nerve reconstruction surgery (under the tutelage of world authority in clinical management of nerve pathologies, Dr David Kline at Louisiana State University) and complex spine surgery (Larson Fellowship, Dr Dennis Maiman, Medical College of Wisconsin). In addition to his outstanding clinical expertise, Dr. Sulaiman has extensive research experience in both nerve and spinal cord injury and regeneration, and has authored several peer reviewed publications and book chapters in these areas. He was invited to take over the clinical practice of Dr David Kline in 2008 and has developed a very busy nerve and spine clinical practice at Ochner clinic foundation. He is the medical director of Ochsner Spine Center and the director of Ochsner’s laboratory of neural injury and regeneration.