Expertise and current research performed: Lunds Universitet (University of Lund) is one of the leading centres in neuroscience in Sweden. Within this area, neurodegenerative and other neurological disorders is a main field of excellence. The specific activities of the Wallenberg Neuroscience Centre (WNC) is stem cells, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease, stroke, depression and epilepsy. WNC groups are members of various EU funded programmes such as integrated projects (APOPIS, PROMEMORIA), research training networks (NeuroNE, NSR, NEUROTRAIN, BIONEL) and Networks of excellence (DIMI). The current research activities of the Wallenberg Neuroscience Centre are: development of human stem cell lines, gene and cell replacement therapies, neurogenesis in epilepsy and stroke, clinical trials in transplantation in Parkinsons disease, mechanisms of epileptogenesis and gene therapy in epilepsy.

Facilities/Equipment: The WNC is equipped with: patch-clamp units for slice recordings, confocal microscopy, fully equipped histological laboratory, surgery lab, kindling and SE epilepsy models inducing electrophysiological equipment.

Personnel involved in the project

Principal investigator: Merab Kokaia (M). Professor, PhD in neuroscience. Actual position: Professor in neurophysiology at the Department of Neurology since 2008. Past position: Associate Professor at the Department of Neurology since 2002. Working in the field of neurophysiology of epilepsy since 1981. Research interests are: experimental epilepsy, transplantation, neurotrophic factors, neuropeptides, stem cells, neurogenesis.

Other personnel previously and currently involved in the project: Katherine Jakubs (F). former PhD student (posdoc at NIH at present). PhD in Neuroscience. Research interests: Epilepsy, neurogenesis, electrophysiology. Andreas Sörensen (M). former PhD student. PhD in neuroscience. Postdoc in the group at present. Research interests: Epilepsy, neuropeptides, neurotrophins, electrophysiology. Irene Schifke (F). former PhD student. PhD in Neuroscence. At ELSEVIER at present. Research interests: Epilepsy, gene therapy, in vivo models. Jan Tønnesen (M). PhD student. Master in neuroscience. Research interests: Stem cells, electrochemical detection of amines, electrophysiology. Monica Lundahl (F). Former Technical Assistant. Retired at present. Working in the field of Neuroscience since 1994. Litsa Nikitidou, (F). PhD student. Master in neuroscience. Research interests: Epileptogenesis, trpohic factors, neuropetides, gene therapy, in vivo models of epilepsy. Liev Savitskyi (M). Postgraduate student. Research interest: epileptogenesis, stem cell transplantation, in vivo models of epilepsy.

Recent relevant publications/patents

1. Jakubs K, Bonde S, Iosif RE, Ekdahl CT, Kokaia Z, Kokaia M, Lindvall O (2008) Inflammation regulates functional integration of neurons born in adult brain. J Neurosci 28:12477-12488.
2. Parish CL, Castelo-Branco G, Rawal N, Tonnesen J, Sorensen AT, Salto C, Kokaia M, Lindvall O, Arenas E (2008) Wnt5a-treated midbrain neural stem cells improve dopamine cell replacement therapy in parkinsonian mice. J Clin Invest 118:149-160.
3. Sorensen AT, Kanter-Schlifke I, Lin EJ, During MJ, Kokaia M (2008) Activity-dependent volume transmission by transgene NPY attenuates glutamate release and LTP in the subiculum. Mol Cell Neurosci 39:229-237.
4. Kanter-Schlifke I, Georgievska B, Kirik D, Kokaia M (2007) Seizure Suppression by GDNF Gene Therapy in Animal Models of Epilepsy. Mol Ther 15:1106-1113.
5. Jakubs K, Nanobashvili A, Bonde S, Ekdahl CT, Kokaia Z, Kokaia M, Lindvall O (2006) Environment Matters: Synaptic Properties of Neurons Born in the Epileptic Adult Brain Develop to Reduce Excitability. Neuron 52:1047-1059.
6. Woldbye DP, Nanobashvili A, Sorensen AT, Husum H, Bolwig TG, Sorensen G, Ernfors P, Kokaia M (2005) Differential suppression of seizures via Y2 and Y5 neuropeptide Y receptors. Neurobiology of Disease 20:760-772.
7. Englund U, Björklund A, Wictorin K, Lindvall O, Kokaia M (2002) Grafted neural stem cells develop into functional pyramidal neurons and integrate into host cortical circuitry. PNAS 99:17089-17094.