Matthew Wood, PhD

Assistant Professor of Surgery

Development of therapeutics and diagnostics for peripheral nerve injuries Read More

Development of therapeutics and diagnostics for peripheral nerve injuries

My group broadly seeks to improve peripheral nerve regeneration and reconstruction. We use rodent nerve injury models and cell culture to gain insight into clinically-relevant procedures surgeons’ utilize for peripheral nerve reconstruction. A major focus has been to understand the causes of decreased axonal regeneration in long nerve grafts and therapeutics to improve regeneration. We have identified a distinct cellular pathology associated with the issues (senescent Schwann cells). We are currently determining the role of senescent Schwann cells in peripheral nerve regeneration and what causes their accumulation in nerve. We are also investigating the role of glial cell line derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) as a potential therapeutic to improve axonal regeneration across long distances. The second major focus has been the development of nerve injury diagnostics. We are collaborating with experts in optical imaging (Department of Radiology) to develop optical imaging techniques that would enhance diagnosis of injury and pathologies in peripheral nerve.

Updated June 2015