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Pavel Belichenko, M.D., Ph.D.
Training:
1978 - Doctor of Medicine, Brain Institute, Moscow;
1975 - PhD in Biochemistry, Institute of Bilogical Chemistry,
Moscow;
1972 - BS in Chemistry, Moscow, Russia
Research Interest:
Age-related degeneration of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons (BFCNs)
contributes to cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease and Down's syndrome.
With aging, the partial trisomy 16 (Ts65Dn) mouse model of Down's syndrome
exhibited reductions in BFCN size and number and regressive changes
in the hippocampal terminal fields of these neurons with respect to
diploid controls. The changes were associated with significantly impaired
retrograde transport of nerve growth factor (NGF) from the hippocampus
to the basal forebrain. Intracerebroventricular NGF infusion reversed
well established abnormalities in BFCN size and number and restored
the deficit in cholinergic innervation. The findings are evidence that
even BFCNs chronically deprived of endogenous NGF respond to an intervention
that compensates for defective retrograde transport. We suggest that
age-related cholinergic neurodegeneration may be a treatable disorder
of failed retrograde NGF signaling |
