Department of Biology
Understanding mechanisms through which neurons and glia mediate the transmission, analysis and storage of information remains a challenging frontier in biology. Advances at this frontier lead not only to fundamental understanding of mind function but also to pharmacological therapies for treatment of emotional disorders, pain perception, traumatic brain injury and stroke-induced neurological deficits. Peptides are a diverse group of compounds that mediate communication among neurons and glia. N-Acetylaspartylglutamate (NAAG) is the third most prevalent chemical neurotransmitter in the mammalian nervous system behind only glutamate and GABA.
Our research group has pioneered the study of NAAG over more than two decades. We actively pursue the mechanisms through which NAAG chemically communicates information among cells. We identified the receptors that this peptide activates and cloned two enzymes that mediate its inactivation in the extracellular space. We pursue the function of NAAG using a variety of approaches from cell cultures of neurons and glia to behavioral analyses of knock-out mice. We apply methods of biochemistry, molecular biology, immunology, cell biology and electrophysiology with the goal of rigorously establishing the mechanisms of action of this peptide transmitter. Currently, we focus on determining the role of endogenous NAAG at identified synapses, further characterization of peptidases that hydrolyze NAAG in the nervous system, and development of novel compounds that inhibit these peptidases. We have characterized novel lead compounds that decrease the rate of inactivation of the peptide and enhance its activity in the nervous system. In a drug discovery program, we found that these compounds are efficacious in animal models of important human disorders including chronic and inflammatory pain perception, schizophrenia, and excitotoxicity associated with traumatic brain injury.
Our research group consists of senior research associates, post-doctoral fellows, doctoral candidates and undergraduate students. We participate in the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in the Neurosciences in collaboration with faculty in Biology and in the basic and clinical departments of the Georgetown University Medical Center with whom we collaborate and share a campus along the Potomac River in northwest Washington DC.
Dr. Neale's research laboratory group in 2003, including senior research associates, doctoral and undergraduate students.
Back Row, from left: Christos, Victoria Rafalski, Rafal Olszewski, Barbara Wroblewska, Laura Gehl, Tom Bzdega, Michael DeStefano, Iga Wegorzewska, Joe Neale
Sitting Front: Noreen Bukhari, Lou Ojeifo
Currently, Vicky is a Ph.D. student at Stanford, Michael is an MD student at Yale, Iga is an MD/Ph.D. student at Washington University, St. Louis, Noreen is an MD/Ph.D. student at SUNY, Stoney Brooke, and Lou is an MD student at Harvard
The Neale research group in 2007, including senior research associates, doctoral and undergraduate students.
From Left to Right: Christos Polymeropoulos, Kristyn Krolikowski, Rafal Olszewski, Barbara Wroblewska, Marta Wegorzewska, Ana Montiero, Tomasz Bzdega, Michael Lee, Mary Adedoyin and Joe Neale