Research Grants and Contract Activity: Pediatric Division
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Project Title:
PARS Activation After Traumatic Brain Injury  (PP - Project #5)

Funding Agency:
NIH/Neurological Institute

Total Project Period:
May 11, 2000 - Feb 28, 2005

Principal Investigator:
Robert Clark, MD

Co-Investigator(s):
Jun Chen

Project Summary:
Cellular energy failure contributes to cell death seen after traumatic brain injury.  Recent studies using cell cultures and in vivo experimental models suggest that a key participant in cellular energy failure is the abundant nuclear enzyme poly (ADP-ribose) synthetase (PARS).  The aims of this project are to establish the role of PARS in traumatic brain injury.  Pharmacologic inhibition of PARS may prove to be a powerful means of reducing energy failure, cell death, and neuropathologic sequelae after traumatic brain injury.