The Neuro Team
Philip Barker, PhD, Coordinator
Dr. Barker studies cell surface receptors and signaling pathways that
regulate life and death decisions in the normal nervous system and in cancer.
One focus of the Barker lab is on neurotrophins, secreted factors that play
crucial roles in the development and maintenance of the nervous system. A
cell surface protein, the p75 neurotrophin receptor, binds neurotrophins and
in doing so, activates a form of cellular suicide known as apoptosis.
Understanding how this suicide process is initiated and regulated will have
important therapeutic implications for treatment of neurodegenerative
conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
(ALS).
Another area of interest for Dr. Barker’s lab is a group of poorly
characterized secreted proteins called LGI1, LGI2, LGI3 and LGI4. Dr.
Barker’s team is studying a novel LGI1 cell surface receptor that appear to
play crucial roles in nervous system development and in synaptic
function.
Dr. Barker’s lab also studys a group of proteins termed the inhibitors of
apoptosis (IAPs). The IAPs were initially characterized for their ability to
block cell death but for most IAPs, the molecular mechanisms that regulate
this function have remained obscure. Determining the cellular function of
these proteins is important clinically, since IAPs are over-expressed in
cancer and are widely believed to support cancer cell survival. Dr. Barker’s
group is exploring IAP signaling mechanisms in cancer and in normal cells and
tissues.
Dr. Barker’s laboratory combines cellular and molecular biological techniques
with genetic approaches in a variety of model organisms. He actively
collaborates with several MNI colleagues including Drs. Alyson Fournier and
Tim Kennedy, examining signaling events involved in neuronal regeneration;
Dr. Philippe Seguela, deciphering neurotrophin signaling events involved in
neuropathic pain and Dr. Ted Fon, examining signaling events in Parkinson’s
disease.
See Publications
E-mail: Philip Barker
Web Site: Barker
Lab
