During the past five years Dr. Paez have found new and novel functions of voltage and store-operated Ca ++ channels as modulators of intracellular Ca ++ levels in oligodendrocytes. They have shown that these ion channels affect many Ca ++ dependent functions in oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) as a consequence of their ability to modulate intracellular Ca ++ concentrations.
Our research program focuses on brain development, studying the development of the oligodendroglial and astroglial cell lineages in the central nervous system in normal, mutant and transgenic mice. The primary focus in the laboratory is on ion channels that regulate specification, migration and differentiation of these glial cells. The oligodendrocyte generates CNS myelin, which is essential for normal nervous system function. Thus, investigating the regulatory and signaling mechanisms that control its differentiation and the production of myelin is relevant to our understanding of brain development and of adult pathologies such as multiple sclerosis. Astrocytes are the most abundant cell of the human brain. They perform many functions, including biochemical support of endothelial cells that form the blood brain barrier, provision of nutrients to the nervous tissue and a role in the repair and scarring process of the brain and spinal cord following traumatic injuries. Therefore, understanding the role of ion channels on astrocyte development and function could lead to novel approaches to intervene in neurodegenerative diseases and brain injuries in which inflammation and astrogliosis play a detrimental role.
Dr. Pablo M. Paez is a Principal Investigator of the Institute for Myelin and Glia Exploration and Assistant Professor in Pharmacology and Toxicology in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo...