Arthur W. English
Professor of Cell Biology
Associate Professor of
Rehabilitation Medicine
Affiliate Scientist, Yerkes
Regional Primate Research Center
Ph.D., University of Illinois, 1974
Program: Neuroscience (NS)
medae@emory.edu
The main
interest in my laboratory is enhancing functional recovery following injury to
the peripheral nervous system. Peripheral nerve injuries are common clinically
but functional recovery from them is rare. Following nerve injury, denervated
muscles are deprived of neural control and sensory feedback regulating muscle
function is lost. In addition, synaptic inputs onto spinal motoneurons are
withdrawn. The slow growth of regenerating axons and the slow reformation of
synapses, both in the periphery and in the CNS, are the reasons given for poor
functional outcomes. We have found that exercise or electrical stimulation
enhances the growth of regenerating axons. Using a combination of transgenic
and knockout mice we are investigating the roles played by the neurotrophins
BDNF and NT-4/5 in that enhancement, as well as in the reformation of synapses
at both neuromuscular junctions and spinal motoneurons. Using chronic
electrophysiologic recordings in rats, we are evaluating the effects of
exercise or electrical stimulation on functional recovery following peripheral
nerve injury.
Recent Publications:
Sabatier, M.J., Redmon, N., Schwartz, G. and English,
A.W., Treadmill training promotes axon regeneration in injured peripheral
nerves. Exp. Neurol. 211: 489–493, 2008
English, A.W., Cucoranu, D., Mulligan, A., and
Sabatier, M.J., Treadmill training enhances axon regeneration in injured mouse
peripheral nerves without increased loss of topographic specificity. J. Comp. Neurol., 517:245-255, 2009
Sabatier, M.J., To, B.N., Nicolini, J., and English,
A.W., Effect of axon misdirection on recovery of EMG activity and kinematics
after peripheral nerve injury. Cells
Tissues Organs, In Presss, 2011
Hamilton SK, Hinkle ML, Kaufman MR, Jennifer Nicolini
J, Rambo L, Rexwinkle AR, Rose SR, Sabatier MJ, Backus D, English AW.
Misdirection of regenerating axons has little effect on functional recovery
following sciatic nerve injury in rats. J Comp Neurol 259: Jan. 2011.
Sabatier, M.J., To, B.N., and English, A.W., Effect
of slope and sciatic nerve injury on ankle muscle recruitment and hindlimb
kinematics during walking in the rat. J.
Exp. Biol. IN PRESS, 2011
English, A.W., Cucoranu, D., Mulligan, A., and
Sabatier, M.J., Neurotrophin-4/5 is implicated in the enhancement of axon
regeneration following peripheral nerve injury produced by treadmill training.
Eur. J. Neurosci. Under Review, 2010
Willis, D.E., Donnelly, C.J., Xu, M., Tep, C.,
Kendall, M., Erenstheyn, M., English, A., Schanen, N.C., Kirn-Safran, C., Yoon,
S.O., Bassell, G., Twiss, J.L. Axonal synthesis of b-actin protein facilitates nerve regeneration in
vivo. Neuron., under review, 2010.
Krakowiack, J., Wilhelm, J.C., and English, A.W. Effect
of treadmill training on synaptic stripping of axotomized mouse
motoneurons. J Comp. Neurol, Submitted,
2010.