Neuropathology Core

Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

Core Summary The Neuropathology Core (Core C) is critical to the clinical, research, and collaborative goals of the Johns Hopkins Udall Parkinson?s Disease Research Center (NS38377) as it interacts will all its Projects and the Clinical and Administrative Cores. Core C has three Specific Aims: to conduct autopsies and neuropathological evaluations, to provide well-characterized human postmortem tissues to Projects 1-3, and to collaborate on genetic characterizations of autopsy cases with the laboratory of Neurogenetics at the National Institute of Aging. Core C arranges and performs autopsies of cases of Parkinson?s disease (PD) and Lewy body disease (LBD), and control subjects followed by the Clinical Core B, and formulates pathological diagnoses. Autopsies will include brain and gastrointestinal tissues. The results of these autopsies are shared with the Clinical Core and Project 4. Tissues from these autopsies is prepared, stored, and distributed to researchers in Projects 1-3 for validation of hypothesis developed in molecular and cellular studies. Core C continues its collaboration with researchers at the laboratory of Neurogenetics at the National Institute of Aging to genetically characterize cases that come to autopsy. In the last funding period, genetic studies of the Udall Center autopsy cases using the Neurochip platform have revealed novel genetic changes underlying LBD and PSP. In this new cycle, we propose to continue the genetic study of this cohort using various genomic approaches, including Genome Wide SNP genotyping, RNAseq, exome and genome sequencing. This genetic information will greatly enhance the value of the postmortem tissues available for research in Core C.