Interest: Effects of Alcohol on the Developing Serotonin
System
Dr. Druse-Manteuffel’s laboratory is interested in understanding the causes
of the CNS damage that accompanies maternal alcohol consumption and exploring
the possibility that some of the damage might be prevented by a therapeutic treatment. The
major research emphasis of this laboratory is the elucidation of the mechanism
by which ethanol impairs the development of the serotonin (5-HT) system. Specifically,
they are studying whether ethanol impairs the development of 5-HT neurons by
interfering with pro-survival pathways. Dr. Druse-Manteuffel’s lab
is also studying the cellular signaling pathways that mediate the neuroprotective
effects of a t-HT-1A agonist. These questions are being studied using a
combination of in vivo and in vitro experiments. Techniques including cell
culture, immunohistochemistry, Western blots and PCR are involved.
