Smeyne Research

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Name: Richard J. Smeyne, PhD
Position: Professor

900 Walnut Street
444 JHN
Philadelphia, PA 19107

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Highlighted Publications

Sadasivan, S., Sharp, B. Schultz-Cherry, S.A. and Smeyne, RJ. 2017. Synergistic effects of influenza and 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) can be eliminated by the use of influenza therapeutics: Experimental evidence for the multi-hit hypothesis. npj Parkinson’s Disease. Online. doi: 10.1038/s41531-017-0019-z. PMID: 28649618.

In this paper, we show that mice infected with a strain of Type A influenza that is circulating among humans today (H1N1) can synergize with environmental agents to increase the risk for development of Parkinson’s disease. We highlight two important finding.  First, this synergistic effect can occur long after the influenza infection has resolved. Second, we show that vaccination against the virus, or antiviral medications such as Tamiflu administered at the time of infection prevented this synergism.

Smeyne, M., Sladen, P., Jiao, Y., Dragatsis, I., Smeyne, R.J. 2015. HIF1alpha is Necessary for Exercise-Induced Neuroprotection while HIF2alpha is Needed for Dopaminergic Neuron Survival in the Substantia Nigra pars compacta. Neuroscience, 295:23-38. PMID: 25796140.

In this paper, we show that the induction of hypoxia in dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra is critical for the induction of exercise-induced neuroprotection. We also show, using a conditional knockout protocol, that the expression of the transcription factor, Hypoxia Inducing Factor 1alpha (HIF1alpha) in these cells is critical for this exercise mediated neuroprotection. 

Faherty CJ, Shepherd KR, Herasimtschuk A and Smeyne RJ. 2005. Environmental enrichment eliminates neuronal death in experimental Parkinsonism. Mol Brain Res 134: 170-179. PMID: 15790541 and Gerecke KM, Jiao Y, Pani A, Pagala V, Smeyne RJ. 2010. Exercise protects against MPTP-induced neurotoxicity in mice. Brain Res. 1341:72-83. PMID: 20116369

In these papers, we show that the 3 months of environmental enrichment or exercise alone can protect dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta from MPTP-induced parkinsonism. This was the critical work that showed an animals housing condition could: 1) affect its susceptibility to environmental toxins and 2) showed that exercise was a critical part of this neuroprotective environment. This preclinical work lead to the (now standard) use of exercise as a treatment modality in patients diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

Recent Publications

Microglia-specific knock-out of NF-κB/IKK2 increases the accumulation of misfolded α-synuclein through the inhibition of p62/sequestosome-1-dependent autophagy in the rotenone model of Parkinson's disease

Neuroanatomical and neurochemical effects of prolonged social isolation in adult mice

Mutant LRRK2 in lymphocytes regulates neurodegeneration via IL-6 in an inflammatory model of Parkinson’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease-associated U1 snRNP splicing dysfunction causes neuronal hyperexcitability and cognitive impairment

COVID-19 Infection Enhances Susceptibility to Oxidative Stress–Induced Parkinsonism

Rotenone induces regionally distinct α-synuclein protein aggregation and activation of glia prior to loss of dopaminergic neurons in C57Bl/6 mice

The impact of isolation on brain health

Astrocyte inflammatory signaling mediates α-synuclein aggregation and dopaminergic neuronal loss following viral encephalitis

Effect of Chronic Methylphenidate Treatment in a Female Experimental Model of Parkinsonism

Infection and risk of Parkinson's disease

Manganese exposure in juvenile C57BL/6 mice increases glial inflammatory responses in the substantia nigra following infection with H1N1 influenza virus

COVID-19 and possible links with Parkinson’s disease and parkinsonism: from bench to bedside

Synaptic alterations and immune response are sexually dimorphic in a non-pertussis toxin model of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

Infection with mosquito-borne alphavirus induces selective loss of dopaminergic neurons, neuroinflammation and widespread protein aggregation

Two distinct GUCY2C circuits with PMV (hypothalamic) and SN/VTA (midbrain) origin

Exogenous activation of tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 promotes recovery from sensory and motor disease in a model of multiple sclerosis

Murine MPDZ-linked hydrocephalus is caused by hyperpermeability of the choroid plexus

Mutant LRRK2 mediates peripheral and central immune responses leading to neurodegeneration in vivo

Restoring auditory cortex plasticity in adult mice by restricting thalamic adenosine signaling

Synergistic effects of influenza and 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) can be eliminated by the use of influenza therapeutics: experimental evidence for the multi-hit hypothesis

Assessment of the effects of MPTP and paraquat on dopaminergic neurons and microglia in the substantia nigra pars compacta of C57BL/6 mice

Erratum: Bacterial Peptidoglycan Traverses the Placenta to Induce Fetal Neuroproliferation and Aberrant Postnatal Behavior (Cell Host and Microbe (2016) 19 (388399))

Bacterial Peptidoglycan Transverses the Placenta to Induce Fetal Neuroproliferation and Aberrant Postnatal Behavior

SCYL2 protects CA3 pyramidal neurons from excitotoxicity during functional maturation of the mouse hippocampus

HIF1α is necessary for exercise-induced neuroprotection while HIF2α is needed for dopaminergic neuron survival in the substantia nigra pars compacta