Hollander’s research background includes the use of genetic, behavioral, electrophysiological, and pharmacological methods to study drug addiction and obesity. (Photo courtesy Steve McCaw / NIEHS).During a workshop titled “Modernizing Neurotoxicology at NIEHS. Technologies to Applications in Environmental Health Sciences,” experts shared state-of-the-art research tools that they say will boost understanding of how pollutants affect the brain and influence disease. The event was held April 19-20 and featured 17 presentations that covered topics ranging from advances on neuroimaging to In vitro (cell-based) approaches in developmental neurotoxicology.
“As the primary federal agency supporting medical and behavioral research for the nation, it is critical that NIH [the National Institutes of Health] stays in tune with recent scientific advances,” said event organizer Jonathan Hollander, Ph.D., program director in the Genes, Environment, and Health Branch at NIEHS. “It is important to examine the applicability of modern-day neuroscience approaches to toxicological research.”
Technology advancements and enhanced capabilities
The workshop’s goals were to review neurological research advancements, including lessons learned, identify key questions in environmental medicine that would benefit from these methods, and develop a strategy for encouraging adoption of emerging technologies. The conference consisted of the following four sessions.
- “Advances in Neuroimaging,” chaired by Robert Sills, D.V.M., Ph.D., from the NIEHS Division of the National Toxicology Program (DNTP), and Kimberly Gray, Ph.D., from the institute’s Population Health Branch.
- “In Vitro Approaches in Developmental Neurotoxicology Research,” chaired by Christopher McPherson, Ph.D., from DNTP, and Shannah Witchey, Ph.D., a former DNTP trainee who now works at the pharmaceutical company Inotiv.
- “Chemogenetic, Optogenetic, and Fiber Photometry for Advancing Neurotoxicology,” chaired by Hollander and Jesse Cushman, Ph.D., from the NIEHS Neurobehavioral Core Laboratory.
- “Emerging Spatial Technologies,” chaired by Jian-Liang Li, Ph.D., from the NIEHS Integrative Bioinformatics Support Group, and Benedict Anchang, Ph.D., from the institute’s Biostatistics and Computational Biology Branch.
Gray, left, and Sills, right, moderated a 45 minute panel discussion at the conclusion of the session they presided over. This encouraged lively conversation among presenters. (Photos by Steve McCaw / NIEHSResolving public health problems
“Adopting the technology discussed in this workshop will require greater collaboration among neuroscientists and environmental health scientists,” noted Rick Woychik, Ph.D., director of NIEHS and the National Toxicology Program. “There is a critical need to use cutting-edge research methods to advance our understanding of the neurotoxicological effects of environmental exposures,” he added.
“NIEHS has a strong interest in neuroscience and neurotoxicology in particular,” said DNTP Scientific Director Brian Berridge, D.V.M., Ph.D. “The evidence is growing that environmental exposures are probably significantly contributing to not only developmental neurological diseases but also chronic progressive diseases,” he told attendees. Berridge said that the environmental science community should be more open to new research technology and capabilities that can address this public health problem.
Letting the light shine on autism
Shen is an assistant professor at UNC School of Medicine and holds appointments in the UNC Neuroscience Center, the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, and the department of psychoiatry. (Photo by Mark ShenA method for identifying early risk markers of autism called longitudinal Neuroimaging sparked significant interest and discussion at this conference. His lab at UNC Chapel Hill (UNC) Mark Shen, Ph.D.MRI is used to detect the biological origins of neurodevelopmental disorders in infants and mice. It also helps to test for potential therapeutics.
Through funding from NIH, Dr. Shen’s team is following 500 infants who are part of the Infant Brain Imaging Study. He and his collaborators use MRI scans at 6-12 and 24 months to determine if a baby will be diagnosed with autism.
“Brain changes that are detectable with MRI in the first year of life actually precede the onset of behavioral symptoms and can predict later autism outcomes,” said Shen.
Shen reports that autism is indicated by accelerated brain growth between 6-12 month olds. Another indicator is The amygdala experiences an acceleration in its growthThe brain’s area responsible for interpreting emotions from the environment. Shen noted that other autism indicators include altered brain connections and excessive cerebrospinal liquid (CSF), surrounding the brain.
He stated that his team will continue to conduct NIH-funded pre-clinical and clinical studies over the next five-years in order to better understand CSF physiology, brain development of autism, and related conditions.
Fluorescent sensors bolster Parkinson’s research
Last November, Cui hosted an NIEHS Distinguished Lecture on links between mitochondrial damage and Parkinson’s disease. (Photo courtesy Steve McCaw/NIEHS)Guohong Cui (M.D., Ph.D.), who heads the NIEHS in Vivo Neurobiology group, is studying one of the fundamental questions in neuroscience.
Cui says that there are only a few methods to evaluate behavior. Cui has therefore developed multicolor fiber photometry to measure brain activity in rodent model animals.
Researchers can observe which neurons are involved in specific behaviors using genetically encoded fluorescent sensor, such as calcium, voltage, and neurotransmitter sensitors.
Cui is studying Parkinson’s disease and the death of dopamine neurons, some of which are particularly vulnerable due to their existing calcium levels.
Learn more Cui’s research.
Collaboration is encouraged, new tools are adopted
“I think it is important that we establish more collaboration to remove barriers between environmental health scientists and neuroscientists,” said Gray. “I believe there are exciting opportunities for us to use the imaging tools and other technologies discussed at this conference to bridge those gaps,” she added.
“I think those of us who are neuroscientists here at NIH have the perception that perhaps the field could be quicker at adopting and assimilating some of these modern tools,” said Cindy Lawler, Ph.D., Chief of the Genes, Environment and Health Branch at NIEHS. “When you bring people together and give them opportunities to share, magic happens.”
(Susan Cosier is a contract author for the NIEHS Office of Communications and Public Liaison.
