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 Karl Fernandes, Ph.D.
Karl Fernandes is a research assistant professor in the Department of Pathology and Cell Biology of the Faculty of Medicine at the Université de Montréal.
CONTACT
Université de Montréal
Roger-Gaudry Building,
Room S547
Montreal, Quebec
Canada
Phone: 514-343-5617
Email :karl.jl.fernandes@umontreal.ca
SUMMARY OF RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
During embryonic development, neural stem cells are essential for formation of the nervous system (brain, spinal cord and peripheral nervous system). After the tissues are formed, the stem cells remain present in adults where they are important for maintenance of the nervous system. The research in Karl Fernandes’ laboratory concentrates on the changes the cells undergo between the embryonic period and advanced adult age, their role in neurodegenerative diseases and nervous system damage and how they can be used to repair the nervous system. There are presently three main research projects in progress that focus on the following questions:
- What happens to neural precursors as the nervous system ages?
- How are neural precursors affected in transgenic mice carrying mutations associated with human Alzheimer’s disease? Is it possible to activate them in order to slow down the progression of the disease?
- Are there multipotent neural precursors in adult peripheral nerves? What are their functions and how are they implicated in common peripheral nerve diseases (neuropathies)?
STUDIED DISEASES
Alzheimer’s disease, neuropathies, aging
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Fernandes KJL, Toma JG, Miller FD. Skin-derived Precursors: adult neural crest-related precursors with multilineage differentiation potential. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2007 Feb 5; [Epub ahead of print].
Fernandes KJL*, Kobayashi NR*, Gallagher CJ, Barnabé-Heider F, Aumont A, Kaplan DR, Miller FD. Analysis of the neurogenic potential of multipotent Skin-derived Precursors. Exp Neurol 2006. 201(1): p. 32-48. *equal contributions
Barnabé-Heider F, Wasylnka JA, Fernandes KJL, Porsche C, Sendtner M, Kaplan DR, Miller FD. Evidence that embryonic neurons regulate the onset of gliogenesis via cardiotrophin-1 (2005). Neuron 48:253-265.
Nadeau S*, Hein P*, Fernandes KJL, Peterson AC, Miller FD (2005). A transcriptional role for C/EBP beta in the neuronal response to axonal injury. Mol Cell Neurosci 29(4):525-535.
Fernandes KJL*, McKenzie IA*, Mill P, Smith K, Akhavan M, Barnabé-Heider F, Biernaski J, Junek A, Kobayashi NR, Toma JG, Kaplan DR, Labosky PA, Rafuse V, Hui CC, Miller FD (2004). A dermal niche for multipotent adult skin-derived precursor cells. Nat Cell Biol 6(11):1082-1093 *equal contributions.
McPhail LT, Fernandes KJL, Chan CCM, Vanderluit JL, Tetzlaff W (2004). Axonal re-injury reveals the survival and re-expression of regeneration associated genes in chronically axotomized adult mouse motoneurons. Exp Neurol 188(2):331-40.
Vanderluit JL, McPhail LT, Fernandes KJL, Kobayashi NR, Tetzlaff W (2003) In vivo application of mitochondrial pore inhibitors blocks the induction of apoptosis in axotomized neonatal facial motoneurons. Cell Death Diff 10:969-976.
Toma JG, Akhavan M*, Fernandes KJL*, Barnabe-Heider F, Sadikot A, Kaplan DR, Miller FD (2001) Isolation of multi-potent adult stem cells from the dermis of mammalian skin. Nat Cell Biol 3(9):778-784. *equal contributions
Pataky DM, Borisoff JF, Fernandes KJ, Tetzlaff W, Steeves JD (2000) Fibroblast growth factor treatment produces differential effects on survival and neurite outgrowth from identified bulbospinal neurons in vitro. Exp Neurol 163(2):357-72.
Vanderluit JL, McPhail LT, Fernandes KJ, McBride CB, Huguenot C, Roy S, Robertson GS, Nicholson DW, Tetzlaff W (2000) Caspase-3 is activated following axotomy of neonatal facial motoneurons and caspase-3 gene deletion delays axotomy-induced cell death in rodents. Eur J Neurosci 12(10):3469-80.
USEFUL LINKS
Laboratoire Karl Fernandes,
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