Our current scientific interests encompasses both basic and clinical research, including the origins, mechanisms and maintenance of ionic and volume homeostasis in the CNS and the role of extrasynaptic transmission and glial cells in physiological and pathological states. We are particularly interested in the mechanisms and treatment of brain and spinal cord injury. We study the migration and fate of embryonic and adult stem cells using MRI and iron-oxide nanoparticles and explores the use of hydrogels and nanofibers as tissue bridges and 3D stem cell carriers after CNS injury, as well as the differentiation and role of stem cells in the rescue and replacement of damaged tissue. We are currently leading several clinical studies, including a Phase I/II study in patients with spinal cord injury as well as ongoing clinical studies of patients with ALS and ischemic leg injury.

Please see also: http://www.iem.cas.cz/research/departments/neuroscience.html#lab-diffusion-imaging

5 Selected Publications

Amemori T., Romanyuk N., Jendelova P., Herynek V., Turnovcova K., Prochazka P., Kapcalova M., Cocks G., Price J., Sykova E. (2013) Human conditionally immortalized neural stem cells improve locomotor function after spinal cord injury in the rat. Stem Cell Res. Ther., 4(3): 68.

Kubinová Š. and Syková E. (2012) Biomaterials combined with cell therapy for treatment of spinal cord injury. Regen. Med., 7(2): 207-224.

Hejcl A., Sedý J., Kapcalová M., Arboleda Toro D., Amemori T., Likavčanová-Mašínová K., Lesný P., Krumbholcová E., Přádný M., Michálek J., Burian M., Hájek M., Jendelová P., Sykova E. (2010) HPMA-RGD hydrogels seeded with mesenchymal stem cells improve functional outcome in chronic spinal cord injury. Stem Cells Dev., 19: 1535-46.

Kozubenko N., Turnovcova K., Kapcalova M., Butenko O., Anderova M., Rusnakova V., Kubista M., Hampl A., Jendelova P., Sykova E. (2010) Analysis of in vitro and in vivo characteristics of human embryonic stem cell-derived neural precursors. Cell Transplant., 19: 471-486.

Syková E. and Nicholson C. (2008) Diffusion in brain extracellular space. Physiol Rev., 88: 1277-1340.

Fellowships, Awards and Honours

2011            Elected member of The Learned Society of the Czech Republic
2009            Honorary Membership of the Czech Medical Society of J.E. Purkyně 
2009            Honorary Membership of the Czech Neuroscience Society
2009            Best publication, Czech Medical Society of J.E. Purkyně
2008            Medal of Jan Trapel
2005            Jansen-Cilag Foundation Award
2004            Elected  Fellow of Czech Medical Academy (FCMA)
2004            "Lady pro" Award
2003            Purkynje Medal AS CR
2002            Elected member of European Academy of Sciences
2000            Elected member of European DANA Aliance
1999            Elected member of Academia Europea
1997            Janssen-Cilag Award
1997            Prize of Czech Academy of Sciences
1994            Prize of Czech Medical Society of J.E. Purkyně
1993            Prize of Czech Neuroscience Society
1992            Prize of Czech Medical Society of J.E. Purkyně
1984            Prize of Czechoslovak Physiological Society
1982            Prize of Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences
1976            Awards of Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences (and 1978)

• Ion-selective microelectrodes
• TMA+ real-time iontophoretic method of diffusion analysis
• Intrinsic optical imaging
• Patch-clamp technique
• Multichannel recording
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS)
• Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
• Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI)
• Immunohistochemistry, image analysis techniques
• Fluorescein-activated cell sorting (FACS)
• Single and double photon confocal microscopy
• Electron microscopy
• Behavioral techniques for testing motor, sensory and memory deficits
• Cell culturing of stem cells
• Animal models of spinal cord and brain injury, stroke, ALS and Alzheimer’s disease
• Design and implementation of human clinical studies
• Design and construction of biopolymer hydrogels, nanofibers and cell-polymer constructs for bridging lesions of the central nervous system