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1615 Poydras Street - Suite 1000
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Tulane University Health Sciences Center Areas of Research: Adults Stem Cells Biology and Viral Vector Development Dr. Bunnell, chairman of the Division of Gene Therapy at the Tulane National Primate Research Center, and his team are currently performing research in the area of stem cell biology and recombinant virus vector mediated gene transfer in the nonhuman primate model. Unraveling the molecular and cellular properties of adult stem cells is vital for a better understanding of their natural function as well as to revealing their potential in treating disease. A significant portion of Dr. Bunnell’s team efforts are directed to the characterization of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from both the bone marrow and adipose tissue of monkeys (rhesus macaques). These cells are currently undergoing extensive classification of their biological lineage and differentiation capabilities. Dr. Bunnell’s group has determined that MSCs isolated from either bone marrow or adipose tissue may be a viable source of stem cells for therapy of inherited genetic diseases. The successful isolation and characterization of rhesus MSCs will provide the opportunity to perform preclinical transplantation studies and therapeutic interventions in a nonhuman primate model of Krabbé’s disease. Dr. Bunnell’s team also performs research
on the biologic activity of recombinant virus vectors in the CNS
of rhesus macaques. They have isolated neural stem cells from brain
tissue of rhesus macaques, in hopes to compare MSCs and neural
stem cells for the treatment of CNS disease. Selected Publications O’Rourke, J.P., Olsen, J.C., and Bunnell, B.A. Optimization of equine infectious anemia derived vectors for hematopoietic gene transfer. Gene Therapy, (2005) 12:22-29 Wang, G., Bunnell, B.A., Painter, R., Tom, S., Lanson, N.A., Spees, J.L., Bertucci, D., Peister, A., Wiess, D.J., Valentine, V.G., Prockop, D.J., and Kolls, J.K. Human adult stem cells from bone marrow stroma differentiate into airway epithelial cells: potential for cystic fibrosis therapy. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, (2005) 102:186-191 Masullo, P., Druhan, L., Bunnell, B.A., Hunter, M.G., Robinson, J., Marsh, C.B., and Avalos, B.R. Aberrant subcellular targeting of the G185R neutrophils elastase mutant associated with severe congenital neutropenia induces premature apoptosis of differentiating promyelocytes. Blood, (2005) 105:3397-3404 Strayer, D.S., Akkina, R., Bunnell, B.A., Dropulic, B., Planelles, V., Pomerantz, R.J., Rossi, J.J., and Zaia, J.A. Current status of the use of gene therapy to treat HIV/AIDS. Molecular Therapy, (2005) 11:823-190 Bunnell, B.A., Baber, S.R., Deng, W., Robinson, C.M., Waldron, P.R., Bivalacqua, T.J., and Kadowitz, P.J. Potential application pf mesenchymal stem cells for cardiopulmonary disease. Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology, (2005) 83:529-539 Morgan, R.A., Walker, R., Carter, C.S., Natarajan, V., Tavel, J., Bechtel, C., Herpin, B., Muul, L., Zheng, Z., Jagannatha, S., Bunnell, B.A., Fellowes, V., Metcalf, J.A., Stevens, R., Baseler, M., Leitman, S.F., Read, E.J., Nlaese, R.M., and Lane, H.C. Preferential survival CD4 T-lymphocytes engineered with anti-HIV genes in HIV infected individuals. Human Gene Therapy, (2005) 16:1065-1074 Izadpanah, R., Joswing, T., Dufour, J., Kirijan, J.C., and Bunnell, B.A. Isolation and preliminary characterization of multipotential mesenchymal stem cells form the bone marrow of rhesus macaques. Stem Cells and Development, (2005) 14:440-451 |
Bruce Bunnell, PhD