
Nephi Stella, PhD
Personal Statement
My laboratory studies the therapeutic value and molecular mechanism of action of drugs targeting the cannabinoid signaling system. Our goal is to develop novel treatments for brain deficits and cognitive impairment linked to neurodegeneration (Huntington’s disease) and drug addiction. We are particularly interested in the cannabinoid signaling system expressed by medium spiny neurons (MSN), a neuronal cell population affected in both diseases.
To understand how cannabinoid receptors and their endogenous ligands, the endocannabinoids, control fundamental functions of MSN under healthy and disease states, we leverages a broad array of analytical approaches and molecular technics. Thus, over the years, my laboratory has acquired expertise in analytical chemistry (especially measuring drugs and lipids by GC-MS and LC-MS, and more recently proteins by SILAC), pharmacology (especially the pharmacodynamics characteristics of compounds acting at GPCR), biochemistry (second messengers and enzymatic activities), molecular biology (subcloning and genetic manipulations of protein expression), cell phenotype (gene arrays and qPCR), cell viability (both using metabolism and cell integrity-based assays), semi-quantitative immunocytochemistry and immunohistochemistry, pharmacokinetics, safety and toxicology and animal behavior (motor and motivated: e.g. drug sensitization and CPP).
Department Affiliations
Centers/Programs
Recent Publications
(2022 Apr)
Cannabis Cannabinoid Res 7(2): 188-198
Deng L, Viray K, Singh S, Cravatt B, Stella N
(2021)
J Exp Neurol 2(2): 81-85
Chuang SH, Westenbroek RE, Stella N, Catterall WA
(2021 Aug)
Eur J Neurosci 54(3): 4934-4952
Bonm AV, Elezgarai I, Gremel CM, Viray K, Bamford NS, Palmiter RD, Grandes P, Lovinger DM, Stella N
(2021 Jan-Dec)
Neurooncol Adv 3(1): vdaa165
Horne EA, Diaz P, Cimino PJ, Jung E, Xu C, Hamel E, Wagenbach M, Kumasaka D, Wageling NB, Azorín DD, Winkler F, Wordeman LG, Holland EC, Stella N
(2019)
Front Mol Neurosci 12(): 286
van Esbroeck ACM, Kantae V, Di X, van der Wel T, den Dulk H, Stevens AF, Singh S, Bakker AT, Florea BI, Stella N, Overkleeft HS, Hankemeier T, van der Stelt M
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