RESEARCH
Stroke or brain attack is the third leading cause of death and the leading cause of adult disability worldwide. Unfortunately, besides the tPA, no other treatment is available to limit brain damage. Because of the prevalence and seriousness of this disorder, there is a great need for intervention.
The major goal of our research is to unravel the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying neuronal injury and recovery following ischemia-reperfusion. Our recent study demonstrates angiogenesis is a plausible therapeutic regimen to combat cerebrovascular diseases. Taken our study for example, ectopically expression of cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) augments the level of angiogenic factor PGI2 that subsequently activates Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor-γ (PPAR-γ) and then reduces inflammation against ischemic stroke. PPAR-γ confers resistance to neuronal apoptosis and cerebral infarction by driving 14-3-3ε transcription. Upregulation of 14-3-3εenhances sequestration of phosphorylated Bad, thereby suppressing apoptosis. PPAR-γ can also inhibit ischemia-induced Bcl-2/Bcl-xl degradation and formation of ROS and ROS-related genes, leading to enhance neuronal survival.
We recently branch to study the effect of herbal medicine on ischemic brain injury. We reported that the extract of C. nutans mitigates neuronal death and reduces ischemic brain injury by activating PPAR-r while downregulating HDACs. As quoted from Louis Pasteur: "When meditating over a disease, I never think of finding a remedy for it, but instead a means of preventing it." \\\\
研究介紹
腦中風是造成死亡及成人殘疾的主因。但除了血栓溶解劑，並無其他方法可侷限腦的損傷。本實驗室的主要研究是要解開腦中風後神經傷害與功能復元的細胞與分子機制。我們的研究顯示，利用COX-1基因轉殖可增加血管新生因子(PGI2)進而刺激PPARγ而降低發炎反應和抑制Bad/ROS所造成的細胞凋亡，因此增強細胞的存活而有效的降低梗塞體積。所以，促進血管新生可作為是治療腦中風的方法之一。其他研究方向還包含: 血管新生的機制及中樞神經的基因與細胞治療。
我們最近也在研究中草藥對腦中風的影響. 我們發現忘憂草的萃取物藉由活化PPAR-r與抑制HDACs活性, 來降低神經細胞的死亡與腦梗塞的面積. 誠如 Louis Pasteur 所言: 預防勝於治療.
