Ajay Dass
Research Mentor(s): Kanagaraj Palsamy
Mentor Department: Neurology
Authors: Kanagaraj Palsamy
Session: Session 4 (1:00pm – 1:50pm)
Presentation Type: Poster 49
Abstract
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) represent a large global disease burden and can result in several short- and long-term deficits. Treatments for TBIs are limited, however stem cell therapies involving either transplantation of exogenous stem cells or stimulation of endogenous stem cells have been proposed. The mammalian brain, however, can be compared to brains of other species in which analysis could aid in the treatment and possible cure of TBIs. The purpose of this study is to compare zebrafish brain injury models to ensure similar positive results and produce an analogous mechanism for regeneration to the mammalian brain. Zebrafish exhibit robust elucidate mechanisms necessary for complete regeneration of the brain. In this study, we compared a modified blunt-force TBI (bfTBI) model with a penetration TBI model. The penetration based model is very controlled and only simulates rare human injuries (gunshot wounds, stab wounds, etc.). However, the blunt-force model is more variable and simulates more common brain injuries present in humans (impact-based injuries). Both injury methods aim to target the telencephalon, a part of the zebrafish forebrain which has proposed homology to the mammalian hippocampus and cortex, both of which are susceptible to TBI in humans. We also show that after TBI, cells in the zebrafish telencephalon, including radial glia, non-glial neural progenitors, and neuroblasts proliferate and differentiate into various neural cell types. Collectively, this study allows us to compare regeneration capabilities depending on injury type and ultimately sets a basis for relating fish and mammalian brains.
