Faculty Research

Matthew T. Lorincz, MD, PhD (lorincz@umich.edu)
Assistant Professor

Dr. Lorincz' research focuses on the neurodegenerative diseases caused by expanded CAG repeats in a group of otherwise unrelated genes, the so called CAG repeat or polyglutamine disorders. His currently funded NIH NINDS Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Award (K08), "Embryonic Stem Cell Model of Polyglutamine Disease" is an interdisciplinary grant combining the fields of stem cell biology and neurodegeneration. Therapeutic use of stem cells for neurodegenerative disorders is an extremely active area that holds tremendous but as yet largely untapped potential. His use of neuronally differentiated murine embryonic stem cells as a disease model is a powerful alternative stem cell application. He has characterized two separate murine ES cells models, one represents a general model of CAG diseases and the other is a more specific model of Huntington's disease, the most common CAG repeat disorder. His current studies strive to identify molecular mechanisms of CAG repeat disorders and to identify potential therapeutic compounds. It is anticipated that model systems based on human cells will be more directly applicable to human disease than any current disease model. A possible future application of his research is development of human embryonic stem cell models of CAG repeat diseases.