Midori A. Yenari

Title
Assistant Professor

Department
Neurology and Neurological Sciences
Neurosurgery

Research Interests
Mechanisms of cerebral ischemic injury as it pertains to inflammation, oxidative stress and apoptosis.

Email
yenari@stanford.edu

Phone
736-1482

Fax
736-1949

Address
MSLS Bldg. P304
Mail Code: 5487

Faculty Research Description
Our laboratory studies the cellular and molecular mechanisms of cerebral ischemic injury and potential therapeutic interventions particularly as they pertain to the modulation of inflammation, apoptosis and gene transfer. Using mild hypothermia as a model of neuroprotection, we are actively investigating the brain's response to ischemia with modest decreases in temperature. The thought is that gene expression and the inflammatory response under hypothermic conditions may favor cell survival compared to the normothermic condition. By isolating those genes and inflammatory mediators that potentially play a role in protecting the brain from stroke, we apply gene transfer to selectively overexpress proteins that may confer ischemic resistance. It is the progressive goal that these studies will identify therapeutic targets for the ultimate treatment of stroke and related cerebrovascular diseases in humans.

Yenari MA, de Crespigny A, Palmer JT, Roberts S, Schrier SL, Albers GW, Moseley ME & Steinberg GK (1996). Improved Perfusion with tPA and Hirulog in a Rabbit Model of Embolic Stroke. J Cereb Blood Flow and Metab, 17 401-11.

Yenari MA, Fink SL, Sun GH, Chang LK, Patel MK, Kunis DM, Onley D, Ho DY, Sapolsky RM and Steinberg GK (1998). Gene therapy with Hsp72 is neuroprotective in rat models of stroke and epilepsy, Ann Neurol 44(4):584-591.

Yenari M, Kunis D, Sun GH, Onley D, Watson L, Cosgrove S, Whitaker S, and Steinberg G (1998). Hu23F2G, an Antibody Against the Leukocyte CD11/CD18 Integrin, Reduces Injury in a Rabbit Model of Transient Focal Cerebral Ischemia. Exp Neurol 153:223-233.

Maier CM, Ahern KvB, Cheng ML, Lee JE, Yenari MA, Steinberg GK (1998). Optimal depth and duration of mild hypothermia in a focal model of transient cerebral ischemia: effects on neurologic outcome, infarct size, apoptosis and inflammation. Stroke 29(10):2171-2180.

Yenari MA, Giffard RG, Sapolsky RM and Steinberg GK (1999). The neuroprotective potential of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70). Molecular Medicine Today 5(12):525-531.

Areas of Study
SBRC