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Research Interests:
Dr. Wiley's research concentrates on the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases and in particular on viral induced nervous system diseases. Viruses damage the nervous system either by direct infection of neural cells or by secondary effects of an immune response. In recent years his studies have focused on central nervous system (CNS) retroviral infections and have pioneered the use of molecular techniques to quantitatively assess viral burden. This same technology is now being applied to quantitating neurologic damage and the immune response, including quantitating and localizing with laser confocal microscopy the production of cytokines neurotrophic factors and potential neurotoxins (e.g. reactive oxygen species). They have expanded these in vivo studies to include in vitro nervous system infections. Using embryonic human and murine nervous system cultures, they are evaluating the effects of various retroviral proteins and immune cytokines on CNS cell function and viability. Implantation of these in vitro systems into SCID mice and in the future simian brains, permit experimental studies of HIV mediated human neurologic damage.
Trainees in Dr. Wiley's laboratory have the opportunity to learn a wide variety of techniques related to gene expression in the nervous system. Whole organism techniques include; brain harvesting and sampling, and small animal perfusion, Histologic techniques include; immunocytochemistry, in situ hybridization and ultrastructural analysis. Training on laser confocal and electron microscopes is available. Protein techniques include; antibody purification and tagging. Molecular techniques include; RNA and DNA extraction from tissues, competitive PCR probe construction and quantitation. Lab rotation projects involve quantitation of mRNA and protein expression in human nervous system tissue in vivo or in vitro.
Dr. Wiley serves as the Editor of Brain Pathology and the Director of the University of Pittsburgh / Carnegie Mellon University MD/PhD Program.
Selected Publications:
View Dr. Wiley's publications on PubMed.
McFadden K, Hamilton RL, Insalaco SJ, Lavine L, Al-Mateen M, Wang G, Wiley CA. Neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease without polyglutamine inclusions in a child. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol. 2005 Jun;64(6):545-52.
Medina-Flores R, Wang G, Bissel SJ, Murphey-Corb M, Wiley CA. Destruction of extracellular matrix proteoglycans is pervasive in simian retroviral neuroinfection. Neurobiol Dis. 2004 Aug;16(3):604-16.
Yagi Y, Ahmed I, Gross W, Becich MJ, Demetris AJ, Wells A, Wiley CA, Michalopoulos GK, Yousem SA, Barnes B, Gilbertson JR. Webcasting pathology department conferences in a geographically distributed medical center. Hum Pathol. 2004 Jul;35(7):790-7.
Medina-Flores R, Germanwala A, Molina JT, Meltzer CC, Wiley CA. October 2003: a 59-year-old woman with sudden onset of diplopia. Listerial rhombencephalitis. Brain Pathol. 2004 Apr;14(2):225-6.
Bissel SJ, Wiley CA. Human immunodeficiency virus infection of the brain: pitfalls in evaluating infected/affected cell populations.
Brain Pathol. 2004 Jan;14(1):97-108. Review.
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