William P Melega
Professor-in-Residence, Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California Los Angeles
wmelega@mednet.ucla.edu
(310) 206-1797
BRI
Los Angeles, CA 90095
Affiliations
Member, Brain Research Institute, Molecular Pharmacology GPB Home Area
Research Interests
This research program is focused on molecular mechanisms of basal ganglia neuroplasticity associated with neurodegenerative diseases and drug abuse. Analytical techniques include a wide range of biochemical, molecular and behavioral approaches. Specific projects include: 1- Biochemical studies on the acute and long term effects of methamphetamine. Studies are investigating mechanisms of neuronal adaptation following long term methamphetamine exposure in rodents. 2- Intervention strategies for neurodegenerative diseases. Rodent models of Parkinson’s disease are evaluated after specific intervention procedures (antioxidants, growth factors, immunomodulation). This work will establish the methodology for central nervous system – intervention strategies that can be used to restore functional brain activity in humans with neurodegenerative diseases.
Publications
- Lacan G, Dang H, Middleton B, Horwitz MA, Tian J, Melega WP, Kaufman DL. Bacillus Calmette-Guerin vaccine-mediated neuroprotection is associated with regulatory T-cell induction in the 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine mouse model of Parkinson's disease.. Journal of neuroscience research, 2013.
- Lacan G, Hadamitzky M, Kuczenski R, Melega WP. Alterations in the striatal dopamine system during intravenous methamphetamine exposure: effects of contingent and noncontingent administration.. Synapse (New York, N.Y.), 2013.
- Melega WP, Lacan G, Gorgulho AA, Behnke EJ, De Salles AA. Hypothalamic deep brain stimulation reduces weight gain in an obesity-animal model.. PloS one, 2012.
- Mulgaonkar AP, Singh RS, Babakhanian M, Culjat MO, Grundfest WS, Gorgulho A, Lacan G, De Salles AA, Bystritsky A, Melega WP. A prototype stimulator system for noninvasive Low Intensity Focused Ultrasound delivery.. Studies in health technology and informatics, 2012.
- Bystritsky A, Korb AS, Douglas PK, Cohen MS, Melega WP, Mulgaonkar AP, DeSalles A, Min BK, Yoo SS. A review of low-intensity focused ultrasound pulsation.. Brain stimulation, 2011.
- Yong J, Lacan G, Dang H, Hsieh T, Middleton B, Wasserfall C, Tian J, Melega WP, Kaufman DL. BCG vaccine-induced neuroprotection in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease.. PloS one, 2011.
- Zhang X, Zhou JY, Chin MH, Schepmoes AA, Petyuk VA, Weitz KK, Petritis BO, Monroe ME, Camp DG, Wood SA, Melega WP, Bigelow DJ, Smith DJ, Qian WJ, Smith RD. Region-specific protein abundance changes in the brain of MPTP-induced Parkinson's disease mouse model.. Journal of proteome research, 2010.
- Kuczenski R, Segal DS, Melega WP, Lacan G, McCunney SJ. Human methamphetamine pharmacokinetics simulated in the rat: behavioral and neurochemical effects of a 72-h binge.. Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, 2009.
- Fears SC, Melega WP, Service SK, Lee C, Chen K, Tu Z, Jorgensen MJ, Fairbanks LA, Cantor RM, Freimer NB, Woods RP. Identifying heritable brain phenotypes in an extended pedigree of vervet monkeys.. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, 2009.
- Lee S, Deng H, Yu F, Melega WP, Damoiseaux R, Bradley KA, Sun R. Regulation of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus reactivation by dopamine receptor-mediated signaling pathways.. Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes (1999), 2008.
- Lacan G, Plenevaux A, Rubins DJ, Way BM, Defraiteur C, Lemaire C, Aerts J, Luxen A, Cherry SR, Melega WP. Cyclosporine, a P-glycoprotein modulator, increases [18F]MPPF uptake in rat brain and peripheral tissues: microPET and ex vivo studies.. European journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging, 2008.
- Chin MH, Qian WJ, Wang H, Petyuk VA, Bloom JS, Sforza DM, Lacan G, Liu D, Khan AH, Cantor RM, Bigelow DJ, Melega WP, Camp DG, Smith RD, Smith DJ. Mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and apoptosis revealed by proteomic and transcriptomic analyses of the striata in two mouse models of Parkinson's disease.. Journal of proteome research, 2008.
- Lacan G, De Salles AA, Gorgulho AA, Krahl SE, Frighetto L, Behnke EJ, Melega WP. Modulation of food intake following deep brain stimulation of the ventromedial hypothalamus in the vervet monkey. Laboratory investigation.. Journal of neurosurgery, 2008.
- Melega WP, Lacan G, Harvey DC, Way BM. Methamphetamine increases basal ganglia iron to levels observed in aging.. Neuroreport, 2007.
- Melega WP, Jorgensen MJ, Lacan G, Way BM, Pham J, Morton G, Cho AK, Fairbanks LA. Long-term methamphetamine administration in the vervet monkey models aspects of a human exposure: brain neurotoxicity and behavioral profiles.. Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, 2007.
- Melega WP, Cho AK, Harvey D, Lacan G. Methamphetamine blood concentrations in human abusers: application to pharmacokinetic modeling.. Synapse (New York, N.Y.), 2007.
- O'Neil ML, Kuczenski R, Segal DS, Cho AK, Lacan G, Melega WP. Escalating dose pretreatment induces pharmacodynamic and not pharmacokinetic tolerance to a subsequent high-dose methamphetamine binge.. Synapse (New York, N.Y.), 2006.
- Sacksteder CA, Qian WJ, Knyushko TV, Wang H, Chin MH, Lacan G, Melega WP, Camp DG, Smith RD, Smith DJ, Squier TC, Bigelow DJ. Endogenously nitrated proteins in mouse brain: links to neurodegenerative disease.. Biochemistry, 2006.
- Segal DS, Kuczenski R, O'Neil ML, Melega WP, Cho AK. Prolonged exposure of rats to intravenous methamphetamine: behavioral and neurochemical characterization.. Psychopharmacology, 2005.
- Solberg TD, Goetsch SJ, Selch MT, Melega W, Lacan G, DeSalles AA. Functional stereotactic radiosurgery involving a dedicated linear accelerator and gamma unit: a comparison study.. Journal of neurosurgery, 2004.
- Rubins DJ, Melega WP, Lacan G, Way B, Plenevaux A, Luxen A, Cherry SR. Development and evaluation of an automated atlas-based image analysis method for microPET studies of the rat brain.. NeuroImage, 2003.
- Segal DS, Kuczenski R, O'Neil ML, Melega WP, Cho AK. Escalating dose methamphetamine pretreatment alters the behavioral and neurochemical profiles associated with exposure to a high-dose methamphetamine binge.. Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, 2003.
- De Salles AA, Frighetto L, Lacan G, Melega W. Radiosurgery can achieve precision needed for functional neurosurgery.. Archives of neurology, 2003.
- Zheng S, Chou AH, Jimenez AL, Khodadadi O, Son S, Melega WP, Howard BD. The fetal and neonatal brain protein neuronatin protects PC12 cells against certain types of toxic insult.. Brain research. Developmental brain research, 2002.
- Brown VM, Ossadtchi A, Khan AH, Yee S, Lacan G, Melega WP, Cherry SR, Leahy RM, Smith DJ. Multiplex three-dimensional brain gene expression mapping in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease.. Genome research, 2002.
- Cho AK, Melega WP. Patterns of methamphetamine abuse and their consequences.. Journal of addictive diseases, 2002.
- Melega WP, Lacan G, Desalles AA, Phelps ME. Long-term methamphetamine-induced decreases of [(11)C]WIN 35,428 binding in striatum are reduced by GDNF: PET studies in the vervet monkey.. Synapse (New York, N.Y.), 2000.
- Melega WP, Cho AK, Schmitz D, Kuczenski R, Segal DS. l-methamphetamine pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics for assessment of in vivo deprenyl-derived l-methamphetamine.. The Journal of pharmacology and experimental therapeutics, 1999.
- Melega WP, Lacan G, Harvey DC, Huang SC, Phelps ME. Dizocilpine and reduced body temperature do not prevent methamphetamine-induced neurotoxicity in the vervet monkey: [11C]WIN 35,428 - positron emission tomography studies.. Neuroscience letters, 1998.