Clemson/MUSC investigator wins Parkinson's grantXuejun Wen, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor at Clemson University and an MUSC adjunct assistant professor and member of the Clemson-MUSC Bioengineering Program at MUSC , is among four researchers to be awarded grants by the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.The grants, totaling nearly $1 million, are awarded through the foundation's Cell Line II program, “Cell Replacement Therapy: Developing Dopaminergic Cell Lines with Long-Lasting Functional Impact in Transplant Models of Parkinson's Disease.” The program seeks to address current obstacles in achieving the therapeutic potential of cell replacement, including poor survival and function of stem cell-derived dopaminergic neurons after transplantation into the brain. Leading researchers have identified cell replacement therapy as one of the most promising potential treatments for Parkinson’s, capable of halting disease progression and even restoring lost function. In 2002, the Michael J. Fox Foundation launched its first cell line initiative focused on generating a dopamine-producing cell line, which represented the next critical step in advancing the field. With this support in place, several scientists were able to isolate and grow the cells in the laboratory, as well as to induce differentiation into dopamine neurons. However, the cells quickly lost their dopaminergic characteristics and had overall poor viability after transplantation into animal models of Parkinson’s disease. Some of the research funded under the Cell Line II program will seek to better understand the molecular mechanisms that regulate the generation of dopaminergic neurons and to map the complex cell signals that direct stem cell differentiation and maturation (into dopaminergic neurons). The next step will be to test the approach in animal models of Parkinson’s. To date, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research has funded more than $50 million in research aimed at finding a cure for the disease. For more information on The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, visit http://www.michaeljfox.org. Researchers
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