Gwendolyn Kartje, MD, PhD

Research Interests

Current Interests: neuronal plasticity and recovery of function after stroke and traumatic brain injury

 The overall goal of our research program is to use translational approaches to improve functional recovery after neural injury by enhancing plasticity, ie, the ability of the intact part of the brain to take over for the damaged area. This laboratory uses the rodent focal ischemic model to investigate recovery after stroke, or the controlled cortical impact method to investigate mechanisms of recovery after traumatic brain injury. A variety of methods to enhance neural plasticity and repair are tested, including blockade of the major neurite growth inhibitory protein Nogo-A, environmental and social enrichment and pharmacologic therapeutics paired with rehabilitation. Functional outcome is then assessed using a battery of specialized behavioral tests and outcome is correlated with neuroanatomical methods to determine axonal and dendritic plasticity, viral vectors to investigate synaptic plasticity or electrophysiological methods to directly stimulate and map new neuronal connections.

Selected Publications

• Son T Ton, Julia R. Laghi, Shih-Yen Tsai, Ashley A. Blackwell, Natalie S. Adamczyk, Jenna R Osterlund Oltmanns, Richard A. Britten, Douglas G. Wallace, Gwendolyn L. Kartje  Exposure to 5 cGy 28Si Particles Induces Long-Term Microglial Activation in the Striatum and Subventricular Zone and Concomitant Neurogenic Suppression Radiat Res. 2022 Apr 4. doi: 10.1667/RADE-21-00021.1. Online ahead of print. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35377458/
• Shepherd, D.J.; Tsai, S.Y.; Cappucci, S.P.; Wu, J.Y.; Farrer, R.G.; Kartje, G.L. The Subventricular Zone Response to Stroke is Not a Therapeutic Target of Anti-Nogo-A Immunotherapy Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology. 2017; 76(8):683-696
• Wayman,C.; Duricki,D. A.; Roy,L. A.; Haenzi,B.; Tsai,S. Y.; Kartje,G.; Beech,J. S.; Cash,D.; Moon,L. Performing Permanent Distal Middle Cerebral with Common Carotid Artery Occlusion in Aged Rats to Study Cortical Ischemia with Sustained Disability Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE 2016 ;(108). doi(108):10.3791/53106
• Shepherd, D.J.; Tsai,S.Y.; O'Brien, TE; Farrer, RG; Kartje, G.L. Anti-Nogo-A Immunotherapy Does Not Alter Hippocampal Neurogenesis after Stroke in Adult Rats Frontiers in Neuroscience 2016; 10:467
• Vaagenes,I. C.; Tsai,S. Y.; Ton,S. T.; Husak,V. A.; McGuire,S. O.; O'Brien,T. E.; Kartje,G. L.Binge ethanol prior to traumatic brain injury worsens sensorimotor functional recovery in rats PLoS ONE 2015 ;10(3):e0120356
• Wolf,W. A.; Martin,J. L.; Kartje,G. L.; Farrer,R. G.Evidence for Fibroblast Growth Factor-2 as a Mediator of Amphetamine-Enhanced Motor Improvement following Stroke PLoS ONE 2014 ;9(9):e108031
• Braun,R. G.; Andrews,E. M.; Kartje,G. L.Kinematic Analysis of Motor Recovery With Human Adult Bone Marrow-Derived Somatic Cell Therapy in a Rat Model of Stroke Neurorehabilitation & Neural Repair 2012 ;26(7):898-906
• Tsai,S. Y.; Papadopoulos,C. M.; Schwab,M. E.; Kartje,G. L.Delayed anti-nogo-a therapy improves function after chronic stroke in adult rats. Stroke 2011 ;42(1):186-190
• Sarkey,J. P.; Chu,M.; McShane,M.; Bovo,E.; Mou,Y. A.; Zima,A. V.; de Tombe,P. P.; Kartje,G. L.; Martin,J. L.Nogo-A knockdown inhibits hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced activation of mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis in cardiomyocytes. Journal of Molecular & Cellular Cardiology 2011 ;50(6):1044-1055
• Beltran,E. J.; Papadopoulos,C. M.; Tsai,S. Y.; Kartje,G. L.; Wolf,W. A.Long-term motor improvement after stroke is enhanced by short-term treatment with the alpha-2 antagonist, atipamezole. Brain research 2010 ;1346:174-182
• Gillani,R. L.; Tsai,S. Y.; Wallace,D. G.; O'Brien,T. E.; Arhebamen,E.; Tole,M.; Schwab,M. E.; Kartje,G. L.Cognitive recovery in the aged rat after stroke and anti-Nogo-A immunotherapy. Behavioural brain research 2010 ;208(2):415-424
• Pradhan,A. D.; Case,A. M.; Farrer,R. G.; Tsai,S. Y.; Cheatwood,J. L.; Martin,J. L.; Kartje,G. L.Dendritic spine alterations in neocortical pyramidal neurons following postnatal neuronal Nogo-A knockdown Developmental neuroscience 2010 ;32(4):313-320
• Papadopoulos,C. M.; Tsai,S. Y.; Guillen,V.; Ortega,J.; Kartje,G. L.; Wolf,W. A.Motor recovery and axonal plasticity with short-term amphetamine after stroke Stroke 2009 ;40(1):294-302
• Reep,R. L.; Wu,J. H.; Cheatwood,J. L.; Corwin,J. V.; Kartje,G. L.; Mir,A.Quantification of synaptic density in corticostriatal projections from rat medial agranular cortex Brain research 2008 ;1233:27-34
• Brenneman,M. M.; Wagner,S. J.; Cheatwood,J. L.; Heldt,S. A.; Corwin,J. V.; Reep,R. L.; Kartje,G. L.; Mir,A. K.; Schwab,M. E.Nogo-A inhibition induces recovery from neglect in rats Behavioural brain research 2008 ;187(2):262-272
• Cheatwood,J. L.; Emerick,A. J.; Kartje,G. L.Neuronal plasticity and functional recovery after ischemic stroke Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation 2008 ;15(1):42-50
• Cheatwood,J. L.; Emerick,A. J.; Schwab,M. E.; Kartje,G. L.Nogo-A expression after focal ischemic stroke in the adult rat. Stroke 2008 ;39(7):2091-2098
• Andrews,E. M.; Tsai,S. Y.; Johnson,S. C.; Farrer,J. R.; Wagner,J. P.; Kopen,G. C.; Kartje,G. L.Human adult bone marrow-derived somatic cell therapy results in functional recovery and axonal plasticity following stroke in the rat. Experimental neurology 2008 ;211(2):588-592
• Tsai,S. Y.; Markus,T. M.; Andrews,E. M.; Cheatwood,J. L.; Emerick,A. J.; Mir,A. K.; Schwab,M. E.; Kartje,G. L.Intrathecal treatment with anti-Nogo-A antibody improves functional recovery in adult rats after stroke. Experimental Brain Research 2007 ;182(2):261-266
• Ramic,M.; Emerick,A. J.; Bollnow,M. R.; O'Brien,T. E.; Tsai,S. Y.; Kartje,G. L.Axonal plasticity is associated with motor recovery following amphetamine treatment combined with rehabilitation after brain injury in the adult rat Brain research 2006 ;1111(1):176-186
• Papadopoulos,C. M.; Tsai,S. Y.; Cheatwood,J. L.; Bollnow,M. R.; Kolb,B. E.; Schwab,M. E.; Kartje,G. L.Dendritic plasticity in the adult rat following middle cerebral artery occlusion and Nogo-a neutralization. Cerebral Cortex 2006 ;16(4):529-536
• Papathanasiou,E. S.; Peachey,N. S.; Goto,Y.; Neafsey,E. J.; Castro,A. J.; Kartje,G. L.Visual cortical plasticity following unilateral sensorimotor cortical lesions in the neonatal rat. Experimental neurology 2006 ;199(1):122-129
• Seymour,A. B.; Andrews,E. M.; Tsai,S. Y.; Markus,T. M.; Bollnow,M. R.; Brenneman,M. M.; O'Brien,T. E.; Castro,A. J.; Schwab,M. E.; Kartje,G. L.Delayed treatment with monoclonal antibody IN-1 1 week after stroke results in recovery of function and corticorubral plasticity in adult rats. Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism 2005 ;25(10):1366-1375
• Markus,T. M.; Tsai,S. Y.; Bollnow,M. R.; Farrer,R. G.; O'Brien,T. E.; Kindler-Baumann,D. R.; Rausch,M.; Rudin,M.; Wiessner,C.; Mir,A. K.; Schwab,M. E.; Kartje,G. L.Recovery and brain reorganization after stroke in adult and aged rats. Annals of Neurology 2005 ;58(6):950-953
• Emerick,A. J.; Richards,M. P.; Kartje,G. L.; Neafsey,E. J.; Stubbs,E. B.,JrExperimental diabetes attenuates cerebral cortical-evoked forelimb motor responses. Diabetes 2005 ;54(9):2764-2771
• Emerick,A. J.; Kartje,G. L.Behavioral recovery and anatomical plasticity in adult rats after cortical lesion and treatment with monoclonal antibody IN-1 Behavioural brain research 2004 ;152(9):315-325
• Emerick,A. J.; Neafsey,E. J.; Schwab,M. E.; Kartje,G. L.Functional reorganization of the motor cortex in adult rats after cortical lesion and treatment with monoclonal antibody IN-1. Journal of Neuroscience 2003 ;23(12):4826-4830
• Papadopoulos,C. M.; Tsai,S-Y; Alsbiei,T.; O'Brien,T. E.; Schwab,M. E.; Kartje,G. L.Functional recovery and neuroanatomical plasticity following middle cerebral artery occlusion and IN-1 antibody treatment in the adult rat Annals of Neurology 2002 ;51(4):433-441
• Z'Graggen,W. J.; Fouad,K.; Raineteau,O.; Metz,G. A.; Schwab,M. E.; Kartje,G. L.Compensatory sprouting and impulse rerouting after unilateral pyramidal tract lesion in neonatal rats The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience 2000 ;20(17):6561-6569