Dr. Edwin Kolodny

Biography

Edwin H. Kolodny, MD, is a Research Professor in the Department of Neurology. He is also a Professor Emeritus of Neurology. His major research focus is on the Neurogenetics Laboratory, which studies the biochemical and molecular causes of inherited diseases, aiming to find effective treatment means. Over the years, his laboratory has characterized a variety of novel mutations responsible for G M2 -gangliosidoses and globoid cell leukodystrophy. The laboratory utilizes in vitro mutagenesis and transfection in COS cells to clarify genotype-phenotype relationships in lysosomal storage diseases, employing animal models for these diseases. He is involved in collaborations to investigate the gene loci associated with mucolipidosis IV and familial spastic paraparesis. Furthermore, he has developed gene therapy in his laboratory as a tool for treating malignant brain tumors, Parkinson's disease, and lysosomal storage diseases. Notably, glioma cells were transduced with recombinant retroviruses that express cytosine deaminase, making them sensitive to the prodrug 5-fluorocytosine, with effects being enhanced by interferons. His use of suicide gene approaches in combination with vectors expressing cytosine deaminase and thymidine kinase has significantly prolonged survival in rats with rapidly growing intracerebral gliomas. Dr. Kolodny also participates in a consortium dedicated to using gene therapy and bone marrow transplantation to successfully treat globoid cell leukodystrophy.

Research Interests