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Papers by Shaila Ghanekar

Movement Disorders Clinical Practice

Degenerative Neurological and Neuromuscular Disease, 2019

Friedreich's Ataxia (FRDA) is a devastating and progressive ataxia, marked by mitochondrial dysfu... more Friedreich's Ataxia (FRDA) is a devastating and progressive ataxia, marked by mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress. Nrf2 activators such as omaveloxolone (Omav) modulate antioxidative mechanisms, and thus may be viable therapeutic agents in FRDA.

Clinics in Geriatric Medicine, 2019

Early Parkinson disease may be treated with dopamine agonists, monoamine oxidase B inhibitors, am... more Early Parkinson disease may be treated with dopamine agonists, monoamine oxidase B inhibitors, amantadine, or anticholinergic medications. However, patients eventually need to take levodopa to control their symptoms. The decision as to when to initiate treatment in early Parkinson disease depends on many factors, including age, employment status, and comorbid conditions. Bothersome symptoms that negatively affect quality of life should be treated.

Chinese Neurosurgical Journal, 2017

Here, we compiled ten papers detailing recent strides in the field of stem cell therapy, which ad... more Here, we compiled ten papers detailing recent strides in the field of stem cell therapy, which address critical issues relevant to pursuing this experimental treatment for clinical applications in brain disorders. Topics include efficacy, safety, and mechanism of action underlying cell therapy, emerging technologies and combination pharmacotherapies with cell transplantation directed at improving the functional outcomes, and evaluation of key translational components of advancing novel therapeutics to the clinic, including the need for vis-à-vis comparisons with the gold standard of treatment post-injury (i.e., physical rehabilitation). A bioethics paper is also incorporated here to further appreciate the current status of cell therapy in the community setting. The overall goal of this special volume is to provoke a meaningful assessment of the lessons we have learned in recent years and to use such knowledge to carefully translate safe and effective applications of cell therapy, and its mechanism of action for the treatment of neurological disorders.

Progress in Neurobiology, 2017

provides a critical analysis of clinically relevant stem cell types, by comparing their potential... more provides a critical analysis of clinically relevant stem cell types, by comparing their potential efficacy to sequester stroke-induced neuroinflammation and their feasibility as translational clinical cell sources.  We highlight that MSCs, with a proven track record of safety and efficacy as a transplantable cell for hematologic diseases, stand as an attractive cell type that confers superior anti-inflammatory effects in stroke both in vitro and in vivo. That stem cells can mount a robust anti-inflammatory action against stroke complements the regenerative processes of cell replacement and neurotrophic factor secretion conventionally ascribed to cell-based therapy in neurological disorders.

Chinese Neurosurgical Journal, 2016

There may be a pathological connection between cardiac failure and ischemic stroke. In this artic... more There may be a pathological connection between cardiac failure and ischemic stroke. In this article we describe pertinent research that demonstrates subsequent death of cardiac and neural myocytes in the post ischemic stroke brain. Current stroke therapy overlooks the connection between cardiac and cerebrovascular events and fails to address the shared risk factors. Current pre-clinical stroke investigations have provided evidence that suggests the presence of an indirect cell death pathway in which toxic molecules emanate from the stroke brain and trigger cardiac cell death. On the other hand, other studies highlight the presence of a reverse cell death cascade in which toxic molecules from the heart, following cardiac arrest, travel to the brain and induce ischemic cell death. Further examination of these putative cell death pathways between ischemic stroke and cardiac arrest will prompt the advancement of innovative treatments specifically targeting both diseases, leading to ameliorated clinical results of patients diagnosed with heart failure and ischemic stroke.

Tremors

Despite millions of people being affected by tremor worldwide, information regarding tremor patie... more Despite millions of people being affected by tremor worldwide, information regarding tremor patients’ ethnicity and racial diversity is limited. We examined diversity and inclusivity in two diseases, essential tremor (ET) and Parkinson disease (PD), primarily in the United States. There is little information regarding regional and ethnic differences of ET, although several studies suggest that Blacks are less likely to be affected by PD than Whites. Blacks appear to have less chance of being diagnosed with PD, reduced access to outpatient care, and less chance of being treated with newer PD medications. Black patients with PD may also be less likely to undergo DBS than White patients. There appears to be a disproportionate lack of minority representation in PD clinical trials. Education regarding ET and PD is essential so that first line healthcare providers can make appropriate referrals to specialists. Greater diversity and inclusion of non-White ET and PD patients is needed in cl...

Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics