Neurotrophic factors are proteins essential for nervous system development and function.
My lab studies neurotrophic factor gene expression and regulation and their role in neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy and major depressive disorder. Molecular biology, biochemistry, cell culture. An NGF peptide retards seizure development and inhibits neuronal sprouting in a rat model of epilepsy. Method for quantitation of low abundance nerve growth factor mRNA expression in human nervous tissue using competititve reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Expression of human prohormone convertase PC2 in a baculovirus system.