Dr. Mehler's stem cell interests are centered on defining the regional localization and the biological properties of neural stem cells during embryonic and postnatal development, and in the mature and aging mammalian brain. Stem cells are also being utilized as "biological probes" to elucidate the pathogenesis of a spectrum of complex and poorly understood acquired and genetic nervous system disorders. These insights have allowed the laboratory to "reprogram" specific regional stem and progenitor cell subpopulations, both in vitro and in vivo, to acquire the cellular properties of specific neuronal and glial subtypes invariably affected in different classes of neurological diseases. The overall aim of these studies is to identify innovative approaches to brain repair by activation/molecular modulation of latent neural stem cell pools throughout the neuroaxis, and to engage in selective regeneration of those cell types and neural network connections that have been compromised in specific disease states in the adult brain.
Mercer TR, Qureshi IA, Gokhan S, Dinger ME, Li G, Mattick JS, Mehler MF. Long noncoding RNAs in neuronal-glial fate specification and oligodendrocyte lineage maturation. BMC Neurosci. 2010 Feb 5;11(1):14.
Abrajano JJ, Qureshi IA, Gokhan S, Zheng D, Bergman A, Mehler MF. REST and CoREST modulate neuronal subtype specification, maturation and maintenance. PLoS One. 2009 Dec 7;4(12):e7936.
Molero AE, Gokhan S, Gonzalez S, Feig JL, Alexandre LC, Mehler MF. Impairment of developmental stem cell-mediated striatal neurogenesis and pluripotency genes in a knock-in model of Huntington's disease. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009 Dec 22;106(51):21900-5.
Abrajano JJ, Qureshi IA, Gokhan S, Zheng D, Bergman A, Mehler MF. Differential deployment of REST and CoREST promotes glial subtype specification and oligodendrocyte lineage maturation. PLoS One. 2009 Nov 3;4(11):e7665.
Qureshi IA, Mehler MF. Regulation of non-coding RNA networks in the nervous system--what's the REST of the story? Neurosci Lett. 2009 Dec 4;466(2):73-80.
Zheng D, Zhao K, Mehler MF. Profiling RE1/REST-mediated histone modifications in the human genome. Genome Biol. 2009;10(1):R9.
Mattick JS, Amaral PP, Dinger ME, Mercer TR, Mehler MF. RNA regulation of epigenetic processes. Bioessays. 2009 Jan;31(1):51-9. Review.
Mehler MF, Purpura DP. Autism, fever, epigenetics and the locus coeruleus. Brain Res Rev. 2009 Mar;59(2):388-92.
Mehler MF. Epigenetic principles and mechanisms underlying nervous system functions in health and disease. Prog Neurobiol. 2008 Dec 11;86(4):305-41.
Mattick JS, Mehler MF. RNA editing, DNA recoding and the evolution of human cognition. Trends Neurosci. 2008 May;31(5):227-33.
Mercer TR, Dinger ME, Sunkin SM, Mehler MF, Mattick JS. Specific expression of long noncoding RNAs in the mouse brain. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008 Jan 15;105(2):716-21.
Mehler MF, Mattick JS. Noncoding RNAs and RNA editing in brain development, functional diversification, and neurological disease. Physiol Rev. 2007 Jul;87(3):799-823. Review.