Blanca Arango-Gonzalez

Current Research Projects

My current research focuses on neuroprotective strategies employing rat models for Retinitis Pigmentosa (P23H-1 and S334ter-3). Testing of trophic factors, cytokines and enzyme inhibitors on organotypic culture models of degenerating retina will provide us an approach to:

1. use neuroprotection to prevent or delay photoreceptor cell death;
2. study signalling pathways that govern live and death of photoreceptors and
3. proof principles for treatment and to study disease/rescue mechanisms.

Methodology

Organotypic rat retina cultures treated with a range of trophic factors, cytokines and enzyme inhibitors are evaluated using in situ enzyme activity assays, immunostaining, western blot and viability assays.

Selected Publications

1. Arango-Gonzalez B, Cellerino A, Kohler K
   Exogenous brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) reverts phenotypic changes in the retina of transgenic mice lacking the bdnf gene
   IOVS. Accepted
2. Sancho-Pelluz J, Arango-Gonzalez B, Kustermann S, Romero FJ, van Veen T, Zrenner E, Ekström P, Paquet-Durand F.
   Photoreceptor Cell Death Mechanisms in Inherited Retinal Degeneration
   Molecular Neurobiology. Accepted
   
3. Witkovsky P, Arango-González B, Haycock J, Kohler K.
   Rat retinal dopaminergic neurons: differential maturation of somatodendritic and axonal compartments
   Journal of Comparative Neurology 481:352-62. (2005)
   
4. Pinzón-Duarte G, Arango-González B, Kohler K, Guenther E.
   Effects of brain-derived neurotrophic factor on cell survival, differentiation and patterning of neuronal connections and Müller glia cells in the developing retina
   European Journal of Neuroscience 19: 1475-1484. (2004)
   
5. Cellerino A1, Arango-González B1, Pinzón-Duarte G, Kohler K.
   Brain-derived neurotrophic factor regulates expression of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide in retinal amacrine cells
   Journal of Comparative Neurology 467:97-104. [1, co-first authors]. (2003)
   
6. Pinzón-Duarte G, Kohler K, Arango-González B, Guenther E.
   Cell differentiation, synaptogenesis, and influence of the retinal pigment epithelium in a rat neonatal organotypic retina culture
   Vision Research 40:3455-3465. (2000)
   
7. Cellerino A, Arango-González B and Kohler K.
   Effects of brain-derived neurotrophic factor on the development of NADPH-diaphorase/nitric oxide synthase-positive amacrine cells in the rodent retina.
   European Journal of Neuroscience 11:2824-2834. (1999)