This state-of-the-art lab is the only facility in Canada that is totally dedicated to cell restoration strategies for brain repair in Parkinson's Disease and spinal cord injuries. Three talented Dalhousie Medical School-based neurosurgeons are leading these efforts: Dr. Ivar Mendez, Chair of the Brain Repair Cenrtre, Dr. Rob Brownstone, and Dr. David Clarke. These clinician scientists are pioneering stem cell transplants for brain and spinal cord repair – with a special focus on adult sources of stem cells. They have found that proteins called neurotrophic factors improve both the function and survival of transplanted stem cells in Parkinson patients. They are also unraveling the mysteries of the spinal cord and the role of various kinds of neurons in movement and walking.
Over the long term, research in the Cell Restoration Lab is expected to lead to a range of products and methodologies for brain repair – including novel cell lines, protocols for use in neural transplantation, instruments and methods for delivering stem cells and neurotrophic factors into the brain, and neurotransplantation kits.
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