Ian D Duncan
Department of Medical Sciences
Office: 4160
Education
- Professor of Neurology
- BVMS 1971, Glasgow University
- PhD 1975, Glasgow University, FRCVS, FRCPath, FRSE
Research
Our research is aimed at repairing the central nervous system in people with myelin disorders. While our major target is multiple sclerosis (MS), we also are devising strategies for myelin repair in the inherited childhood disorders, particularly Krabbe’s disease and Pelizaeus Merzbacher disease. We are attempting to identify and isolate in large numbers, myelinating cells from human embryonic or neural stem cells. We then test the myelinating capacities of these cells by transplanting them into animal models of human disease. These models either are mutants with disorders in myelin or myelin-related genes, or experimental immune mediated demyelinating disease. While much of our work involves the focal implantation of cells, we are also trying to devise methods of cell dissemination throughout the CNS.
Visit the Duncan Lab Website.
Responsibilities
Neurology
Recent Publications
Autophagy promotes oligodendrocyte survival and function following dys and demyelination in a long-lived myelin mutant. Smith CM, Mayer JA, and Duncan ID. J. Nuerosci. (2013, Submitted).
Myelin loss does not lead to axonal degeneration in a long-lived model of chronic demyelination. Smith CM, Cooksey E, Duncan ID. J. Neuroscience. (2012, 33, 2718-2727).
Spontaneous optic nerve compression in the osteopetrotic (op/op) mouse: a novel model of myelination failure. Kondo Y, Ramaker JM, Radcliff AB, Baldassari S, Mayer JA, Ver Hoeve JN, Chiu SY, Zhang CL, Colello RJ, and Duncan ID. J. Neuroscience. (2013, 33, 3516-3525)
CD44 is required for the migration of transplanted oligodendrocyte progenitor cells to focal inflammatory demyelinating lesions in the spinal cord. Piao J-H, Wang Y, Duncan ID. Glia. (In Press, 2012).
Quantitative MR imaging of two-pool magnetization transfer model parameters in the myelin mutant shaking pup. Samsonov A, Alexander AL, Mossahebi P, Wu YC, Duncan ID, Field AS. NeuroImage. ( 2012, 62, 1390-1398).