Principal Investigator: Dr. Alan Verkman

Project Title: NMO: New Therapies, Models and pathogenesis

This project will build on unique discoveries, methodologies and research tools made in past projects. The research will focus on the following five specific aims, each representing a continuation of productive line of research with direct implications for the treatment and/or management of NMO: 1) continue the development of Aquaporumab monoclonal antibody therapy for NMO, 2) continue the development of small-molecule blocker therapy for NMO, 3) continue to develop and characterize novel animal models of NMO, 4) continue the elucidation of NMO pathogenesis mechanisms with focus on discovery of new therapeutic targets, and 5) continue studies of NMO-IgG / AQP4 interaction with focus on NMO-IgG-based NMO disease ‘markers’ and improvements in NMO-IgG assay sensitivity.

UCSF, Verkman Lab Team

• Alan S. Verkman, M.D. Ph.D., Professor of Medicine and Physiology, UCSF
• Puay-wah Phaun, Ph.D., Assistant Researcher, UCSF
• Lukmanee Tradtrantip, Ph.D., Assistant Researcher, UCSF
• Hua Zhang, Ph.D., Assistant Researcher, UCSF
• Julien Ratelade, Ph.D., Post-doctoral Fellow, UCSF
• Andrea Rossi, Ph.D., Post-doctoral Fellow, UCSF