Tonia S. Rex, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Ophthalmology
Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center
Hamilton Eye Institute
930 Madison Avenue, Suite 731
Memphis, TN 38163
Phone: (901) 448-2094
Fax: (901) 448-5028
Email: Tonia S. Rex
Grants Quick Links
Education
- Ph.D. Institution: Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Barbara
- Postdoctoral: University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Link
Research Interests
The goal of our laboratory is to develop gene therapy to protect against neurodegenerative diseases. We have developed a novel form of erythropoietin that we have packaged into a gene therapy vector. Single injection of this vector has protected against models of Parkinson's disease, Glaucoma, and retinal degeneration. We are performing additional studies on erythropoietin to further optimize it for clinical use, and we are testing it in additional models of neurodegeneration.
Representative Publications
- Beard JH, Desai S, Haag R, Esumi N, Surney LD, Parker S, Richardson C, Rex TS. Identification of a therapeutic dose of continuously delivered erythropoietin in the eye using an inducible promoter system. Curr Gene Ther. 2013 Jun 13. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 23773177.
- Templeton JP, Freeman NE, Nickerson JM, Jablonski MM, Rex TS, Williams RW, Geisert EE. Innate immune network in the retina activated by optic nerve crush. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2013 Apr 9;54(4):2599-606. doi: 10.1167/iovs.12-11175. PubMed PMID: 23493296; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3629889.
- Dhanushkodi A, Akano EO, Roguski EE, Xue Y, Rao SK, Matta SG, Rex TS, McDonald MP. A single intramuscular injection of rAAV-mediated mutant erythropoietin protects against MPTP-induced parkinsonism. Genes Brain Behav. 2013 Mar;12(2):224-33. doi: 10.1111/gbb.12001. Epub 2012 Nov 28. PubMed PMID: 23190369.
- Hines-Beard J, Marchetta J, Gordon S, Chaum E, Geisert EE, Rex TS. A mouse model of ocular blast injury that induces closed globe anterior and posterior pole damage. Exp Eye Res. 2012 Jun;99:63-70. doi: 10.1016/j.exer.2012.03.013. Epub 2012 Apr 7. PubMed PMID: 22504073.
- Sullivan TA, Geisert EE, Templeton JP, Rex TS. Dose-dependent treatment of optic nerve crush by exogenous systemic mutant erythropoietin. Exp Eye Res. 2012 Mar;96(1):36-41. doi: 10.1016/j.exer.2012.01.006. Epub 2012 Jan 27. PubMed PMID: 22306016; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3350094.
- Sullivan TA, Geisert EE, Hines-Beard J, Rex TS. Systemic adeno-associated virus-mediated gene therapy preserves retinal ganglion cells and visual function in DBA/2J glaucomatous mice. Hum Gene Ther. 2011 Oct;22(10):1191-200. doi: 10.1089/hum.2011.052. Epub 2011 Jun 8. PubMed PMID: 21542676; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3205793.
