Timothy R. Brazelton, Ph.D.

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Contact information
34th Street & Civic Center Boulevard, 5th Floor Wood Center
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Office: 267-426-0201
Fax: 215-590-3324
Education:
B.A. (Biology, Chemistry)
Saint Olaf College, Northfield, MN, 1991.
Ph.D. (Cell Biology)
Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 2002.
M.D.
Stanford University School of Medicine, 2005.
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Description of Research Expertise

The focus of my research is tissue regeneration and the plasticity of adult stem cells. Currently, my research is directed at determining the molecular regulators of the pathway(s) by which circulating, bone marrow-derived cells contribute to skeletal muscle in adult mice. We are also continuing to study the contribution of circulating recipient cells to chronic rejection lesions and mesenchymal cell remodeling in rejecting cardiac and lung allografts. In the recent past, we have also demonstrated that bone marrow-derived cells contribute to CNS neurons, most notably Purkinje neurons in the cerebellum.

The primary techniques that we routinely use include the transplantation of GFP-labeled cells into recipient mice using either irradiation-based bone marrow ablation, PU.1 knockout recipients, or parabiosis. We also routinely utilize several murine models of skeletal muscle injury and regeneration. Cell fates are evaluated by standard immunohistochemistry followed by confocal microscopy. Alternatively, we evaluate gene expression using RT-PCR, single cell PCR, real time PCR, and microarrays.

Keywords:
muscle development, muscle regeneration, neuronal regeneration, hematopoietic stem cells, neural stem cells, CNS regeneration, satellite cells, mesenchymal stem cells, bone marrow-derived cells, muscular dystrophy, GFP, bone marrow transplantation, organ transplantation, chronic rejection, tissue remodeling, immunosuppression, immunosuppressants, xenotransplantation, Okabe GFP mice

Selected Publications

Brazelton, T.R., and H.M. Blau: Optimizing techniques for tracking transplanted stem cells in vivo. Stem Cells 23(9): 1251-65, 2005.

Briffa NP., Shorthouse R., Chan J., Silva H., Billingham M., Brazelton T., Morris RE.: Histological and immunological characteristics of, and the effect of immunosuppressive treatment on, xenograft vasculopathy. Xenotransplantation 11(2): 149-59, Mar 2004.

Brazelton, T.R. and H.M. Blau: Plasticity of circulating adult stem cells. Lung Development and Regeneration. Massaro, D.J., G.D. Massaro, P. Chambon (eds.). Marcel Dekker, New York, 2004.

Brazelton TR., Nystrom M., Blau HM.: Significant differences among skeletal muscles in the incorporation of bone marrow-derived cells. Developmental Biology 262(1): 64-74, Oct 1 2003.

Corbel SY., Lee A., Yi L., Duenas J., Brazelton TR., Blau HM., Rossi FM.: Contribution of hematopoietic stem cells to skeletal muscle. Nature Medicine 9(12): 1528-32, Dec 2003.

Singer LG., Brazelton TR., Doyle RL., Morris RE., Theodore J., International Lung Transplant Database Study Group.: Weight gain after lung transplantation. Journal of Heart & Lung Transplantation 22(8): 894-902, Aug 2003.

Springer ML., Ozawa CR., Banfi A., Kraft PE., Ip TK., Brazelton TR., Blau HM.: Localized arteriole formation directly adjacent to the site of VEGF-induced angiogenesis in muscle. Molecular Therapy: the Journal of the American Society of Gene Therapy 7(4): 441-9, Apr 2003.

Weimann JM., Charlton CA., Brazelton TR., Hackman RC., Blau HM.: Contribution of transplanted bone marrow cells to Purkinje neurons in human adult brains. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 100(4): 2088-93, Feb 18 2003.

Blau H., Brazelton T., Keshet G., Rossi F.: Something in the eye of the beholder. Science 298(5592): 361-2; author reply 362-3, Oct 11 2002.

M.L. Springer, C.R. Ozawa, P.E. Kraft, T.K. Ip, T.R. Brazelton, and H.M. Blau: Arteriogenesis Occurs Adjacent to Sites of Constitutive VEGF Delivery via Myoblast Implantation. American Society for Gene Therapy, Boston 2002.

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Last updated: 01/06/2011
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