Transplantation of Healthy GABAergic Interneuron Progenitors in Mice with Epilepsy

Material below summarizes the article Restrained Dendritic Growth of Adult-born Granule Cells Innervated by Transplanted Fetal GABAergic Interneurons in Mice with Temporal Lobe Epilepsy, published on March 27, 2019, in eNeuro and authored by Jyoti Gupta, Mark Bromwich, Jake Radell, Muhammad N. Arshad, Selena Gonzalez, Bryan W. Luikart, Gloster B. Aaron, and Janice R. Naegele.

Highlights

• Transplanting healthy inhibitory cells into the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus in mice was shown to inhibit new granule cells generated after temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE).

• The inhibitory connections formed by the transplanted cells are linked to changes in the structure of new granule cells, including smaller dendritic arbors.

• Many of these adult-born cells become highly abnormal in TLE and contribute to the development of spontaneous seizures, so these structural changes may be important for reducing the excitability of new granule cells in TLE and offer hope to people who suffer spontaneous seizures and sometimes seek relief through brain surgery.

About the Contributor

Janice R. Naegele, PhD

Janice R. Naegele, PhD, is Alan M. Dachs Professor of Science (Emerita) and Professor of Biology (Emerita) at Wesleyan University. Her research in the field of neuroscience focused on identifying novel treatments for epilepsy and brain damage. Naegele graduated from Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley Massachusetts, earned her PhD in neuroscience from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and conducted postdoctoral research at Rockefeller University. She conducted research at Yale University School of Medicine before becoming a tenure-track faculty member at Wesleyan University in 1991. She mentors scientists at all career stages through her service on SfN's Professional Development Committee and previously served on the SfN's Program Committee, and SfN's Awards Selection Committee.