On the horizon - a brainstorm
Neurobiology of Human Development Program

by Darla Brown

A child’s first words. First hug. First steps. Although all children progress at different rates, there are some children whose progress falls outside the realm of normal due to developmental disorders. Disorders such as autism, attention deficit disorder, and muscular dystrophy can have tragic consequences for families and loved ones who struggle to make sense of these diseases as well as enormous costs to society. Why did it happen? Could it have been prevented?

These are the types of questions that new researchers in the proposed Neurobiology of Human Development Program are planning to tackle.

“During the past quarter-century, there has been a veritable explosion of knowledge in our understanding of brain structure and function,” says Ian Butler, M.D., director of the Division of Pediatric Neurology. “Nowhere has this been more apparent than in studies of the developing nervous system, which includes the first two decades of life, beginning with the embryo.”

“There are so many programs that concentrate on the diseases of the aged – this one will focus on the developing brain, which we hope will lead to an improved quality and quantity of life,” says Dean Stanley Schultz, M.D.

To concentrate in this subspecialty is a natural evolution for the UT Health Science Center, which already has great strengths in multiple aspects of neurobiology and behavioral sciences, with more than 150 neuroscientists committed to furthering brain research.

“With this addition, we will become one of the leading institutions in the world for the understanding of brain function and the diagnosis, treatment, and cure of brain-related disabilities, including genetic diseases, behavioral disorders, and developmental disabilities,” says John Byrne, Ph.D., chairman of the Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy.

These additional researchers will help bridge the existing centers of excellence for neurosciences across the UT Health Science Center and foster collaboration, leading to translational research and ultimately improved patient care.

“We aim to understand the mechanisms underlying malfunctions of the developing brain, especially those hindering child development in order to develop preventative, diagnostic, and treatment programs,” Dr. Byrne said.

The three specific areas in which the new research will concentrate are:

• Developmental neurobiology. This study will allow UT to bridge gaps between clinical and basic science developmental research areas and help pioneer research leading to better understanding of the biologic mechanisms underlying developmental brain disorders.

• Neurogenetics. This field will help establish programs for the identification of genetic bases of neurologic disorders and for the development of new methods of diagnosis and treatment. A molecular genetics/proteomics core will support this activity by offering genotyping of transgenic animals sequencing of DNA and gene expression analysis using DNA chip technology. “Identification of these proteins is a key step toward the development of therapeutic agents,” Dr. Byrne says.

• Understanding and measuring complex mental operations and their basis in brain development will focus on identifying, treating, and preventing mental disorders such as autism, mental retardation, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, schizophrenia, and depression, which are among the most serious problems affecting children and adolescents.

The new program will comprised of both clinical and basic science faculty and will be an interdisciplinary effort across departments, health science center schools, the Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Disease and even across the Texas Medical Center to include Baylor College of Medicine’s genetics’ program. Such an interdisciplinary model has already proven its success with the use of folic acid to prevent birth defects such as anencephaly and spina bifida.

“This has been a great success worldwide. To understand the pathogenesis and treatment of these neural tube disorders, information was gained from the neurosciences, genetics, epidemiology, and the behavioral sciences – no single area or disciple was adequate,” Dr. Butler says. “This method works, and it is how we must approach this research of developmental disorders.”

With the advent of modern neuroimaging and the great progress of the Human Genome Project, the time is right, say Drs. Byrne and Butler, to study the developing nervous system in order to understand brain disorders that lead to premature death or disability.

Brain-related disorders that originate during development affect more than 180 million people and cost $634 billion a year in health care and lost productivity – not to mention the emotional toll.

“By reinforcing and focusing our efforts we will become a formidable force in this battle against developmental disorders,” Dr. Byrne says.