Research summary
Studies developed lentiviral gene-delivery vectors and characterized adult mammalian neurogenesis. An HIV-based retroviral vector system was shown to transduce nondividing cells, including HeLa cells and rat fibroblasts blocked in the cell cycle and human primary macrophages, in contrast to a murine leukemia virus vector that requires cell division; the same vector mediated stable in vivo gene transfer into terminally differentiated neurons, broadening the applicability of retroviral vectors for gene therapy targets that are post-mitotic [1]. A perspective on mammalian neural stem cells consolidated the evidence that such cells persist not only in the developing nervous system but in the adult brain of all mammals, including humans, and can also be derived from embryonic stem cells; the article highlighted unresolved questions about adult niche location, progeny migration, and regulation, and discussed therapeutic possibilities including transplantation to replace lost cells and pharmacological activation of endogenous stem cells for self-repair [2]. Behavioral and electrophysiological work in mice tested whether voluntary exercise modulates adult hippocampal function by housing animals with or without running wheels, labeling dividing cells with bromodeoxyuridine, and training subjects in the Morris water maze; running improved spatial-learning performance, increased BrdU-positive cell counts in the dentate gyrus, and selectively enhanced dentate-gyrus long-term potentiation while leaving CA1 LTP unchanged, demonstrating a behavior-dependent regulation of hippocampal neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity [3]. Together these contributions provided a gene-delivery platform applicable to neurons and an experimental framework for relating adult neurogenesis to behavior.
Recent publications
- Neurogenesis in the adult human hippocampusDOI
- In Vivo Gene Delivery and Stable Transduction of Nondividing Cells by a Lentiviral VectorDOI
- Mammalian Neural Stem CellsDOI
- Running increases cell proliferation and neurogenesis in the adult mouse dentate gyrusDOI
- More hippocampal neurons in adult mice living in an enriched environmentDOI
- Mechanisms Underlying Inflammation in NeurodegenerationDOI
- Mechanisms and Functional Implications of Adult NeurogenesisDOI
- Running enhances neurogenesis, learning, and long-term potentiation in miceDOI
- Functional neurogenesis in the adult hippocampusDOI
- Neural consequences of enviromental enrichmentDOI
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External profiles
- ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0938-4106
- OpenAlex: openalex.org
Profile compiled from public sources (Researchmap, OpenAlex, Nara Institute of Science and Technology faculty directory). Last refreshed 2026-05. Report incorrect information.