Dusan Matusica- PhD
- Senior Lecturer at Flinders University
Dusan Matusica
- PhD
- Senior Lecturer at Flinders University
About
31
Publications
8,999
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Citations
Introduction
Group Lead - Pain and Sensory Cell Biology Lab at the Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute (FHMRI) and Senior Lecturer in Human Anatomy in the College of Medicine and Public Health (CMPH). My primary research interests are molecular and cellular mechanisms regulating the the function and development of central and peripheral sensory neurons in the pathophysiology of chronic pain and neurodegenerative diseases. Our group has a strong interest in developing neuron based biosensors.
Current institution
Additional affiliations
March 2014 - July 2019
Position
- Lecturer
Description
- Responsible for flexible delivery of functional anatomy and physiology with the purpose of producing highly competent health care professionals in both primary and allied health care industries contribute to local, national and global wellbeing. As the course coordinator for the Musculoskeletal Topic in the Flinders University Medical Course (KHI2), I have been responsible for the organisation, delivery and assessment of both basic and clinical sciences within the MD, SpPath and BMedSci streams.
January 2019 - July 2020
Position
- Professor (Associate)
Description
- Pathophysiology of pain Macroscopical and microscopical human anatomy. Anatomy and physiology of the musculoskeletal and nervous system. Cellular neurobiology and mechanisms regulating neuronal transport. Team Based Learning (TBL) Learning Coach MD
March 2014 - present
Position
- Lecturer
Description
- The overarching focus of my research are molecular and cellular mechanisms regulating the neuronal trafficking, and signalling pathways involved in the function and development of central and peripheral neurons.
Education
June 2003 - August 2008
Publications
Publications (31)
Chronic pain is a global health issue that is poorly understood and challenging to treat. Improving pain classification and treatment requires new strategies that objectively discriminate between pain conditions and minimise subjectivity associated with the perception of pain. To address this, we have developed a microfluidic biosensor - termed ‘pa...
Telocytes are interstitial cells characterized by long processes that span considerable distances within tissues, likely facilitating coordination and interaction with various cell types. Although present in central and peripheral neuronal tissues, their role remains elusive. Dorsal root ganglia (DRG) house pseudounipolar afferent neurons responsib...
Dorsal root ganglia (DRG) contains thousands of sensory neurons that transmit information about our external and internal environment to the central nervous system. This includes signals related to proprioception, temperature, and nociception. Our understanding of DRG has increased tremendously over the last 50 years and has established the DRG as...
The embryonic rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neuron-derived 50B11 cell line is a promising sensory neuron model expressing markers characteristic of NGF and GDNF-dependent C-fibre nociceptors. Whether these cells have the capacity to develop into distinct nociceptive subtypes based on NGF- or GDNF-dependence has not been investigated. Here we show...
Sensory neurons with cell bodies situated in dorsal root ganglia convey information from external or internal sites of the body such as actual or potential harm, temperature or muscle length to the central nervous system. In recent years, large investigative efforts have worked toward an understanding of different types of DRG neurons at transcript...
Telocytes are interstitial cells with long processes that cover distances in tissues and likely coordinate interacts with other cell types. Though present in central and peripheral neuronal tissues, their role remains unclear. Dorsal root ganglia (DRG) house pseudounipolar afferent neurons responsible for signals such as temperature, proprioception...
Introduction
Improved understanding of vestibulodynia pathophysiology is required to develop appropriately targeted treatments. Established features include vulvovaginal hyperinnervation, increased nociceptive signalling and hypersensitivity. Emerging evidence indicates macrophage-neuron signalling contributes to chronic pain pathophysiology. Macro...
Background
The mechanochemical enzyme dynamin mediates endocytosis and regulates neuroendocrine cell exocytosis. Enteroendocrine L cells co-secrete the anorectic gut hormones glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and peptide YY (PYY) postprandially and is a potential therapeutic target for metabolic diseases. In the present study, we aimed to determine i...
Pain is one of the most significant causes of suffering and disability world-wide, and arguably the most burdensome global health challenge. The growing number of patients suffering from chronic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia, complex regional pain syndrome, migraine and irritable bowel syndrome, not only reflect the complexity and heterogene...
Vulvodynia is an idiopathic chronic pain disorder and a leading cause of dyspareunia, or pain associated with sexual intercourse, for women. The key pathophysiological features of vulvodynia are vaginal hyperinnervation and nociceptor sensitization. These features have been described consistently by research groups over the past 30 years, but curre...
Increasing non-shivering thermogenesis (NST), which expends calories as heat rather than storing them as fat, is championed as an effective way to combat obesity and metabolic disease. Innate mechanisms constraining the capacity for NST present a fundamental limitation to this approach, yet are not well understood. Here, we provide evidence that Re...
The bioactive lipid sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is an important regulator in the nervous system. Here, we explored the role of S1P and its receptors in vitro and in preclinical models of peripheral nerve regeneration. Adult sensory neurons and motor neuron-like cells were exposed to S1P in an in vitro assay, and virtually all neurons responded wi...
Background:
Peptidergic nerve fibers provide important contributions to urethral function. Urethral innervation of female mice is not well documented.
Aims:
To determine the distribution and projection sites of nerve fibers immunoreactive for vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), substance P (SP), and neuro...
Alzheimer's disease is characterized by cognitive decline, neuronal degeneration, and the accumulation of amyloid-beta (Aβ). Although, the neurotoxic Aβ peptide is widely believed to trigger neuronal dysfunction and degeneration in Alzheimer's disease, the mechanism by which this occurs is poorly defined. Here we describe a novel, Aβ-triggered apop...
The vagina is innervated by a complex arrangement of sensory, sympathetic and parasympathetic nerve fibres that contain classical transmitters plus an array of neuropeptides and enzymes known to regulate diverse processes including blood flow and nociception. The neurochemical characteristics and distributions of peptide-containing nerves in the mo...
The neurotrophin receptor (p75(NTR)) can mediate neuronal apoptosis in disease or following trauma, and facilitate survival through interactions with Trk receptors. Here we tested the ability of a p75(NTR)-derived trophic cell-permeable peptide, c29, to inhibit p75(NTR)-mediated motor neuron death. Acute c29 application to axotomized motor neuron a...
Chronic pain is one of the most burdensome health issues facing the planet (as costly as diabetes and cancer combined), and in desperate need for new diagnostic targets leading to better therapies. The bioactive lipid sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) and its receptors have recently been shown to modulate nociceptive signaling at the level of periphera...
The bioactive sphingolipid, sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), is a multifunctional mediator that regulates a multitude of processes such as proliferation and differentiation, immune responses, airway constriction and nociception. S1P is synthesized by two sphingosine kinase isoforms, Sphk1 and Sphk2, which are expressed ubiquitously, but exhibit diffe...
A major challenge in neurological gene therapy is safe delivery of transgenes to sufficient cell numbers from the circulation or periphery. This is particularly difficult for diseases involving spinal cord motor neurons such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We have examined the feasibility of non-viral gene delivery to spinal motor neurons f...
Neurotrophins play a critical role in neuronal development and survival, as well as maintenance of the adult nervous system. Neurotrophins can mediate their effects by signalling locally at the nerve terminal, or signalling retrogradely from the axonal terminal to the cell soma to regulate gene expression. Given that the axon terminals of many nerv...
The common neurotrophin receptor P75NTR, its co-receptor sortilin and ligand proNGF, have not previously been investigated in Natural Killer (NK) cell function. We found freshly isolated NK cells express sortilin but not significant amounts of P75NTR unless exposed to interleukin-12 (IL-12), or cultured in serum free conditions, suggesting this rec...
Facilitation of nerve growth factor (NGF) signaling by the p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) is critical for neuronal survival and differentiation. However, the interaction between p75NTR and TrkA receptors required for this activity is not understood. Here we report that a specific 29 amino acid peptide derived from the intracellular-domain fragm...
Cleavage of transmembrane receptors by γ-secretase is the final step in the process of regulated intramembrane proteolysis
(RIP) and has a significant impact on receptor function. Although relatively little is known about the molecular mechanism
of γ-secretase enzymatic activity, it is becoming clear that substrate dimerization and/or the α-helical...
Neurotrophins comprise a group of neuronal growth factors that are essential for the development and maintenance of the nervous system. However, the immature pro-neurotrophins, promote apoptosis by engaging in a complex with sortilin and the p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75(NTR)). To identify the interaction site between sortilin and p75(NTR) we anal...
The common neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) regulates various functions in the developing and adult nervous system. Cell survival, cell death, axonal and growth cone retraction, and regulation of the cell cycle can be regulated by p75NTR-mediated signals following activation by either mature or pro-neurotrophins and in combination with various co-rec...
The common neurotrophin receptor (p75(NTR) ) regulates various functions in the developing and adult nervous system. Cell survival, cell death, axonal and growth cone retraction, and regulation of the cell cycle can be regulated by p75(NTR) -mediated signals following activation by either mature or pro-neurotrophins and in combination with various...
The common neurotrophin receptor P75NTR, its co-receptor sortilin and ligand proNGF, have not previously been investigated in Natural Killer (NK) cell function. We found freshly isolated NK cells express sortilin but not significant amounts of P75NTR unless exposed to interleukin-12 (IL-12), or cultured in serum free conditions, suggesting this rec...
Mutations in Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase are a cause of motor neuron death in about 20% of cases of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Although the molecular mechanism of which these mutations induce motor neuron cell death is to a large extent unknown, there is significant evidence that effects on mitochondrial function and development o...
This study addressed the suitability of the NSC-34 cell line as a motor neuron-like model for investigating neurotrophin receptor trafficking and associated subcellular processes. Initially, culture conditions were optimized for the use of NSC-34 cells in confocal microscopy. Cell surface markers, as well as markers associated with the regulated en...
In this study, p75NTREXONIII knockout mice were used as immune-naive hosts to produce functional antibodies to human p75NTR. Three monoclonal antibodies were produced and named MLR1, MLR2 and MLR3, and isotyped as IgG1, IgG2a and IgG2a, respectively. MLR1 and MLR2 bound to human p75NTR with higher affinity than the well-characterized ME20.4 in ELIS...
