The Duncan Laboratory
Faculty > Ian D. Duncan
Ian D. Duncan
Professor, Department of Medical Sciences,
School of Veterinary Medicine
duncani@svm.vetmed.wisc.edu
Organ System/Disease Focus
Inherited and acquired disorders of CNS myelin.
Research Description
Our major goal is to devise cellular strategies to repair the CNS in genetic or acquired myelin disease. To achieve this, we are investigating the origin and stages of development of the myelinating cells of the CNS, the oligodendrocytes.
With our collaborators Drs. Su-Chun Zhang and Steve Goldman we are exploring whether human embryonic stem cells and neural stem cells can give rise to large numbers of oligodendrocyte progenitors in vitro. Once these cells have been isolated in sufficient numbers, they will be transplanted into animal models of myelin disease, whose pathological milieu mimics that of the targeted human disorders, to determine whether these cells will give rise to mature, myelinating oligodendrocytes.
Selected References
Hammang JP, Archer DR, Duncan ID. Myelination following transplantation of EGF-responsive neural stem cells into a myelin-deficient environment. Exp. Neurol. 141:502-508. 1997.
Zhang S-C, Lundberg C, Lipsitz DL, Duncan ID. Generation of oligodendroglial progenitors from neural stem cells. J. Neurocytol. 27:475-489. 1998.
Zhang S-C, Ge B, Duncan ID. Adult brain retains the potential to generate oligodendroglial progenitors with extensive myelination capacity. Proc. Nat. Acad. of Sci. 96:4089-4094. 1999.
Brüstle O, Jones KN, Learish RD, Karram K, Choudhary K, Wiestler OD, Duncan ID, McKay RDG. Embryonic stem cell-derived glial precursors: a source of myelinating transplants. Science 285:754-756. 1999.
Bulte JWM, Douglas T, Witwer B, Zhang S-C, Strable E, Lewis BK, Zywicke H, Miller B, van Gelderen P, Moskowitz BM, Duncan ID, Frank JA. Magnetodendrimers allow endosomal magnetic labeling and in vivo tracking of stem cells. Nat. Biotech. 19(12):1141-1147. 2001.