**Speaker:  Dr. Long-Jun Wu, Rutgers University

**Time: Jan 8, 2013, 10:00 am

**Place: Research Building, Room B502, School of Medicine

**Speaker Brief Introduction:

Long-Jun Wu, Ph.D., Assistant Professor

Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience

Rutgers University

The long-term goal of Wu lab is to understand microglia-neuron communication in the brain. Microglia are the principal immune-response cells in the central nervous system. Resting microglia constantly survey the microenvironment in the normal brain. Upon brain dysfunction, microglia are activated and exert detrimental or beneficial effects on the surrounding neurons. Microglia have remarkably fast and dynamic activities in both the normal and pathological brain. An exciting possibility is that they are communicating with neurons through ion channel mechanisms. In neuronal circuits, microglia are assumed to be crucial to synaptic pruning and plasticity, yet no direct evidence has been identified. Microglia are strongly activated in pathological conditions such as pain, stroke and neurodegeneration, however, the molecular mechanisms for microglial activation and function in brain diseases are still controversial.

Overall, they are interested in three interrelated topics on microglia-neuron communication: (1) The ion channel mechanism of microglia-neuron communication; (2) Microglia in synaptic function; and (3) Microglia’s contribution to neuropathic pain. We have been exploring microglia chemotaxis (Wu et al., Glia, 2007, Fig.1), microglia in synaptic plasticity (Wu and Zhuo, J Neurophysiol, 2008), as well as an unique microglial voltage-gated proton channel, Hv1, in the brain (Wu et al., Nat Neurosci, 2012). Taking Hv1 proton channel as an entry point, their initial project will study direct communication from microglia to neurons through microglial Hv1. They will then explore how microglia function in neuronal circuits under normal and pain conditions. The results from their studies would advance the understanding of microglia function in the brain and provide therapeutic targets for neuropathic pain treatment.