Neuroplasticity Laboratory
Neuroprotection and regeneration are very important topics in the field of neural plasticity research. Therefore, our laboratory mainly combines cell and molecular biology and neurophysiology to explore related research on neural plasticity.
Parkinson's disease, a degenerative neurodegenerative disease, is mainly caused by the degeneration and death of dopamine neurons projecting from the substantia nigra to the striatum. In our previous studies using a rat experimental animal model, we showed that glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), which has a specific protective effect on dopamine neurons, can increase neuronal survival and improve motor function by enhancing the intracellular antioxidant system and promoting cell adhesion molecules. In further research, we confirmed that the cell signaling pathway regulated by protein kinase CK2 is involved in the mechanism of these neuroprotective effects. Our recent research has also found that protein kinase CK2 can also enhance neuronal survival by promoting anti-apoptotic mechanisms. Further research into the related cellular mechanisms and their neurophysiological functions is ongoing.
Since many studies in recent years have recognized the significant potential and research value of the role of protein kinase CK2 in the nervous system, and our related research has also found that CK2 is involved in the behavioral mechanisms of learning and memory formation in mammals, we believe that the research results related to protein kinase CK2 will contribute to the clinical application and treatment of degenerative neuropathies such as motor disorders or dementia.
Neuropharmacology Laboratory
field of study:
1. Developing bioactive components from traditional medicine and researching and synthesizing novel derivative drugs to prevent and treat neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.
2. Research on the neurotoxicology of drug abuse and develop novel drugs with the potential to prevent and treat neurotoxicity.
The research team's main research direction is to explore the protective and therapeutic effects of traditional Chinese medicine on central nervous system damage and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease or Alzheimer's disease. At the same time, they analyze the bioactive components of traditional Chinese medicine to understand their molecular structure, so as to develop novel synthetic derivatives, explore their preventive and therapeutic effects against neurodegenerative diseases, and explore their drug targeting and cellular and molecular pharmacological mechanisms.
The study will utilize animal models of neurodegenerative diseases, animal motor behavior, and pharmacological testing as its foundation. For example, it will employ models of Parkinson's disease in mice induced by genetic defects or neurotoxins to explore the targets and pharmacological mechanisms of neurobiologically active medicinal materials and novel synthetic derivatives in the prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. The research findings will provide new guidelines for the development of therapeutic drugs and the exploration of pharmacological mechanisms for neurodegenerative diseases.
On the other hand, the research team is also conducting studies on the neurotoxicity and toxicological mechanisms of abused drugs such as methamphetamine, toluene, and ketamine. Given the ever-increasing abuse of prohibited drugs, the medical community attaches great importance to this neuropsychiatric damage and abnormal behavioral reactions. However, information regarding addiction treatment and neuropsychiatric harm treatment remains unclear. Therefore, the research team will use animal behavioral testing to study central nervous system toxicity, deeply exploring the neuropsychiatric damage and cognitive and learning impairments caused by drug abuse, and searching for effective treatments, hoping to apply them to clinical treatment of neuropsychiatric harm caused by drug abuse as soon as possible.
Neurodevelopment Laboratory (The WLLab)
Our laboratory's research interests primarily lie in understanding the neural basis of developmental and behavioral disorders. We are using molecular, morphological, physiological, and behavioral methods to analyze disease-modifying mouse models in an attempt to elucidate the neural circuits involved in the pathogenesis of autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Ritter's syndrome, and CDKL5 deficiency. Current research is investigating the regulation of psychomotor function and early-onset epilepsy by the proteins MeCP2 and CDKL5 in both normal and diseased brains. We are also exploring the use of gene, cellular, drug, or electrical stimulation methods to improve symptoms related to movement disorders, autism, and epilepsy. For detailed research information, please visit the laboratory website: https://sites.google.com/site/thewllab/home.
Neuroimmunology Laboratory
Our laboratory focuses on how the immune system influences or regulates the nervous system. Current research explores the role of immune cells and molecules in the pathogenesis of mental illnesses. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of mental illness patients have revealed a strong correlation between many immune system-related genes and mental illness. Furthermore, many mental illness patients have been diagnosed with abnormal immune system activation, such as inflammation and autoimmunity. Based on these clinical findings, our laboratory will create corresponding mouse models to study the pathogenic mechanisms at the molecular, cellular, and systemic levels.
Sleep Science and Technology Laboratory
field of study:
1. To explore the physiological mechanisms of sleep, autonomic nervous system, and circadian rhythm in cardiovascular disease, mood disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases.
2. By combining biomedical signal analysis, animal disease models, and human studies, we will develop sleep assessment, health risk prediction, and intervention technologies.
The research team focuses on sleep science, using brain waves, electrocardiograms, blood pressure, blood oxygen, and activity signals to explore the physiological mechanisms of insomnia, sleep-disordered breathing, hypertension, mood disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases, and to search for physiological indicators that can be used for early detection and efficacy evaluation.
The team also combined heart rate variability analysis, nonlinear analysis and machine learning to develop tools for automatic sleep staging, sleep quality assessment and disease risk prediction, and evaluated interventions such as sensory stimulation, exercise, probiotics and nutrition, hoping to apply the research results to clinical care and home health management.
