Home > Faculty > Dr. W. Dalton Dietrich

W. Dalton Dietrich, Ph.D. Kinetic Concepts Distinguished Chair in Neurosurgery Professor of Neurological Surgery, Neurology and Cell Biology & Anatomy Scientific Director, The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis 1095 N.W. 14th Terrace (R-48) Miami, Florida 33136 Telephone: (305) 243-2297 Fax: (305) 243-3207 DDietrich@miami.edu

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Curriculum Vitae

B.S., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University 1974
Ph.D., Medical College of Virginia 1979
Postdoctoral Fellow, Washington University, 1979-1981
Assistant Professor, University of Miami 1981-1986
Associate Professor, University of Miami 1989-1993
Professor, University of Miami 1993-present
Scientific Director, Miami Project to Cure Paralysis 1997-present

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Research Interests

My research interest is the pathobiology and treatment of CNS injury in both the acute and chronic setting. Animal models of cerebral ischemia, and brain and spinal cord trauma are utilized to investigate the mechanisms of tissue injury. The ultimate goal is to target specific injury processes for pharmacological intervention, including the addition of growth factors, to promote circuit plasticity, regeneration and recovery of function.

Recent studies have demonstrated the neuroprotective effects of moderate hypothermia following traumatic brain injury. Brain cooling has been shown to protect the brain histopathologically and to improve functional outcome. These experimental studies have led to the initiation of clinical trials for hypothermia in humans in traumatic brain injury. Studies are currently in progress to demonstrate the potential benefits of hypothermia following spinal cord injury. In contrast to hypothermia, brain hyperthermia following ischemia and trauma significantly aggravates outcome. Thus, fever appears to be a potentially severe secondary injury mechanism that must be avoided in head or spinal cord injured (SCI) patients.

Various potentially neuroprotective agents are currently being tested in models of CNS trauma. The neurotrophic factor, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), has recently been shown to be neuroprotective in models of cerebral ischemia and traumatic brain injury. These experimental data have led to the initiation of a multicenter clinical trial of bFGF in acute stroke patients. A clinical trial in traumatic brain injury is currently being organized.

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Selected Publications

Urea C, Castellanos DA, Sagen J, Tsoulfas P, Bramlett HM, Dietrich WD (2006) Widespread cellular proliferation and focal neurogenesis after traumatic brain injury in the rat. Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience (submitted).

Chen S, Atkins CM, Liu C, Alonso OF, Dietrich WD, Bingren HR (2006) Alterations in mammalian target of rapamycin signaling pathways after traumatic brain injury. J Cereb Blood Flow Metb (In press).

Lotocki G, Keane RW, Alonso OF, Curbello K, Dietrich WD (2006) Therapeutic hypothermia modulates TNFR1 signaling in the traumatized brain via the JNK pathway. Eur J Neurosci (In press).

Fleming JC, Norenberg MD, Ramsay DA, Dekaban GA, Marcillo AE, Saenz AD, Dietrich WD, Weaver LC (2006) The cellular inflammatory response after human spinal cord injury. Brain (submitted).

Atkins CM, Chen S, Alonso OF, Dietrich WD, Hu B (2006) Activation of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinases after traumatic brain injury. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab (In press).

Truettner JS, Alonso OF, Dietrich WD (2005) Influence of therapeutic hypothermia on matrix metalloproteinase activity after traumatic brain injury in rats. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 25:1505-1516.

Pearse DD, Lo TP, Cho KS, Lynch MA, Garb MS, Marcillo AE, Sanchez AR, Bunge MB, Dietrich WD (2005) Histopathological and behavioral characterization of a novel cervical spinal cord displacement contusion injury in the rat. J Neurotrauma 22:680-702.

Bramlett HM, Dietrich WD. (2004) Pathophysiology of cerebral ischemia and brain trauma. Similarities and differences. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab, 24(2):133-150.

Hu B, Liu C, Bramlett H, Sick TJ, Chen S, Alonso OF, Dietrich WD. (2004) Activation of TrkB – ERK ½ - CREB/Elk-1 Pathways in hippocampal mossy fiber organization after traumatic brain injury. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 24 (8):933-943.

Lotocki G, Alonso OF, Dietrich WD, Keane RW (2004) TNF receptor 1 and its signaling intermediates are recruited to lipid rafts in the traumatized brain. J Neurosci 24(49):11010-11016.

Bethea JR, Dietrich WD (2002) Targeting the host inflammatory response in traumatic spinal cord injury. Curr Opin Neurol. 2002 Jun;15(3):355-60.

Chatzipanteli K, Garcia R, Marcillo A, Kraydieh S, Dietrich WD (2002) Temporal and regional distribution of constitutive and inducible nitric oxide synthases following traumatic spinal cord injury. J Neurotrauma;19:639-51.

Yanagawa Y, Marcillo A, Garcia-Rojas R, Loor KE, Dietrich WD (2001) Influences of post-traumatic hypoxia or behavioral recovery and histopathological outcome following moderate spinal cord injury in rats. J Neurotrauma 18(6):635-44.

Yu C-G, Jagid J, Ruenes G, Dietrich WD, Marcillo AE, Yezierski RP (2001) Detrimental effects of systemic hyperthermia on locomotor function and histopathological outcome after traumatic spinal cord injury in the rat. Neurosurgery 49:152-159.

Keane RW, Kraydieh S, Lotocki G, Bethea JR, Krajewski S, Reed JC, Dietrich WD (2001) Apoptotic and anti-apoptotic mechanisms following spinal cord injury. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 60:422-429.

Yu CG, Jimenez O, Marcillo AE, Weider B, Bangerter K, Dietrich WD, Castro S, Yezierski RP (2000) Beneficial effects of modest systemic hypothermia on locomotor function and histopathological damage following contusion-induced spinal cord injury in rats. J Neurosurg 93:85-93.

Bruce JH, Norenberg MD, Kraydieh S, Puckett W, Marcillo A, Dietrich WD (2000) Schwannosis: Role of gliosis and proteoglycan in human spinal cord injury. J Neurotrauma 17:781-788.

Chatzipanteli K, Yanagawa Y, Marcillo A, Kraydieh S, Dietrich WD (2000) Post-traumatic hypothermia reduces polymorphonuclear leukocyte accumulation following spinal cord injury in rats. J Neurotrauma 17:321-332.

Bethea JR, Nagashima H, Acosta MC, Briceno C, Gomez F, Marcillo AE, Green J, Jagid JR, Dietrich WD (1999) Systemically administered Interleukin-10 (IL-10) reduces tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-") production and significantly improves functional recovery following traumatic spinal cord injury in rats. J Neurotrauma 16:851-863.

Lee TT, Dietrich WD, Green BA, Yezierski RP (1999) Neuroprotective effects of basic fibroblast growth factor following spinal cord contusion injury in the rat. J Neurotrauma 16:347-356.

View published research articles by Dr. Dietrich in the National Library of Medicine

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