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Ben BarresAcademic Appointments
Appointment
Organization
Professor
Professor
Member
Professor
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Administrative Appointments
Title
Organization
Start Year
End Year
Chair
Stanford University School of Medicine - Neurobiology
2008
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Postdoctoral Advisees
Dritan Agalliu,
Nicola Allen,
Richard Daneman,
Ben Emery,
Andrew Huberman,
Alexander Stephan,
Junryo Watanabe,
Jennifer Zamanian
Research Interests
THE MYSTERY AND MAGIC OF GLIA
We are interested in the development and function of glial cells in the mammalian central nervous system. To understand the interactions between neurons and glial cells we have developed methods to highly purify and culture retinal ganglion cells (neurons) as well as the glial cell types they interact with, oligodendrocytes and astrocytes, from the rodent optic nerve. We are using a large variety of methods to address these issues including cell purification by immunopanning, tissue culture, patch clamping, immunohistochemistry and molecular biology. Currently, we are focusing on several questions:
(1) What are the cell-cell interactions that control myelination and node of Ranvier formation?
(2) Do glial cells play a role in synapse formation and function?
(3) What are the signals that promote the survival and growth of retinal ganglion cells and can we use this knowledge to promote their survival and regeneration after injury?
(4) How do protoplasmic astrocytes, the main glial cell type in gray matter, develop and what is their function?.
We have found evidence of several novel glial signals that induce the onset of myelination, the clustering of axonal sodium channels, the survival and growth of retinal ganglion cells, and the formation of synapses. We are characterizing these processes and are attempting to identify these glial-derived molecules.
We are interested in the development and function of glial cells in the mammalian central nervous system. To understand the interactions between neurons and glial cells we have developed methods to highly purify and culture retinal ganglion cells (neurons) as well as the glial cell types they interact with, oligodendrocytes and astrocytes, from the rodent optic nerve. We are using a large variety of methods to address these issues including cell purification by immunopanning, tissue culture, patch clamping, immunohistochemistry and molecular biology. Currently, we are focusing on several questions:
(1) What are the cell-cell interactions that control myelination and node of Ranvier formation?
(2) Do glial cells play a role in synapse formation and function?
(3) What are the signals that promote the survival and growth of retinal ganglion cells and can we use this knowledge to promote their survival and regeneration after injury?
(4) How do protoplasmic astrocytes, the main glial cell type in gray matter, develop and what is their function?.
We have found evidence of several novel glial signals that induce the onset of myelination, the clustering of axonal sodium channels, the survival and growth of retinal ganglion cells, and the formation of synapses. We are characterizing these processes and are attempting to identify these glial-derived molecules.
Publications
- Stevens B, Allen NJ, Vazquez LE, Howell GR, Christopherson KS, Nouri N, Micheva KD, Mehalow AK, Huberman AD, Stafford B, Sher A, Litke AM, Lambris JD, Smith SJ, John SW, Barres BA "The classical complement cascade mediates CNS synapse elimination." Cell 2007; 131: 6: 1164-78 More »
- Cahoy JD, Emery B, Kaushal A, Foo LC, Zamanian JL, Christopherson KS, Xing Y, Lubischer JL, Krieg PA, Krupenko SA, Thompson WJ, Barres BA "A transcriptome database for astrocytes, neurons, and oligodendrocytes: a new resource for understanding brain development and function." J Neurosci 2008; 28: 1: 264-78 More »
- Huberman AD, Manu M, Koch SM, Susman MW, Lutz AB, Ullian EM, Baccus SA, Barres BA "Architecture and activity-mediated refinement of axonal projections from a mosaic of genetically identified retinal ganglion cells." Neuron 2008; 59: 3: 425-38 More »
- Dugas JC, Mandemakers W, Rogers M, Ibrahim A, Daneman R, Barres BA "A novel purification method for CNS projection neurons leads to the identification of brain vascular cells as a source of trophic support for corticospinal motor neurons." J Neurosci 2008; 28: 33: 8294-305 More »
- Dugas JC, Ibrahim A, Barres BA "A crucial role for p57(Kip2) in the intracellular timer that controls oligodendrocyte differentiation." J Neurosci 2007; 27: 23: 6185-96 More »
47 publications: view full list
