Topic: Models of Neurodegenerative Diseases

Charles Vite, DVM, PhD – University of Pennsylvania

The focus of my lab is to improve the characterization and treatment of neurological diseases by studying naturally-occurring feline and canine models of human diseases. Our lab develops and identifies ante mortem biochemical and nuclear magnetic resonance markers of disease severity and progression and uses these markers to evaluate the efficacy of gene therapy, cell-based therapy, and pharmacotherapy to treat disease.

We currently maintain breeding colonies that produce cats affected with Niemann-Pick type C disease and alpha-mannosidosis, and dogs affected with globoid cell leukodystrophy and mucopolysaccharidoses. We also maintain dogs with naturally occurring epilepsy for which we are evaluating neurophysiologically-based response pharmacotherapy using intracranially EEG. The goal of this work is to develop methods to predict seizure occurrence and to prevent them. We will implant devices and maintain epileptic dogs proposed for use in this study.