The Emborg Laboratory
Faculty > Marina Emborg
Marina Emborg
Senior Scientist, Wisconsin National Primate Research Center; Director, WNPRC Preclinical Parkinson's Research Program; Assistant Professor, Department of Medical Physics
Organ System/Disease Focus
Parkinson’s disease
Aligned Research Focus
Embryonic stem cells, nonhuman primate models, neural stem cells, GDNF, dopaminergic neurons, drug delivery
Research Description
My lab focuses on understanding the physiopathology of, and developing treatments for neurological disorders, in particular Parkinson's disease. We are working toward developing better animal models of neurodegenerative disorders. We are studying the effects of stem cells, embryonic or progenitors in the nonhuman primate brain. Ex vivo and in vivo approaches are used to deliver therapeutic molecules in the brain such as glial derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) on existing dopa neurons in the brains of parkinsonian animal models. Our research program also addresses the clinical translation of small molecules targeting antioxidative, anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic pathways for treatment of neurodegenerative disorders
Selected References
Emborg ME. Nonhuman primate models of Parkinson's disease. ILAR J. 48(4):339-55. 2007.
Emborg ME, Carbon M, Holden JE, During MJ, Ma Y, Tang C, Moirano J, Fitzsimons H, Roitberg BZ, Tuccar E, Roberts A, Kaplitt MG, Eidelberg D. Subthalamic glutamic acid decarboxylase gene therapy: changes in motor function and cortical metabolism. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 27:501-9. 2007.
Stephenson DT, Childs MA, Li Q, Carvajal-Gonzales S, Opsahl A, Tengowski M, Meglasson MD, Merchant K, Emborg ME. Differential loss of presynaptic dopaminergic markers in Parkinsonian monkeys. Cell Transplant 16:229-244. 2007.
Emborg ME, Moirano J, Schafernak KT, Moirano M, Evans M, Konecny T, Roitberg B, Ambarish P, Mangubat E, Ma Y, Eidelberg D, Holden J, Kordower JH, Leestma JE. Basal ganglia lesions after MPTP administration in rhesus monkeys. Neurobiol Dis 23:281-9. 2006.
Roitberg BZ, Mangubat E, Chen EY, Sugaya K, Thulborn KR, Kordower JH, Pawar A, Konecny T, Emborg ME. Survival and early differentiation of human neural stem cells transplanted in a nonhuman primate model of stroke. J Neurosurg 105:96-102. 2006.