Faculty

 

 

 

 

Mark L. Weiss

PhD, Biology, University of Pennsylvania, 1986

Phone (785) 532-4520
e-mail weiss@vet.k-state.edu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Research Interests:

Dr. Weiss has two areas of research focus:

1. Neural circuitry involved with central autonomic control.
The central nervous system controls autonomic function. Dsyregulation of central autonomic control can contribute to disease processes. Our central hypothesis is that by understanding of the organization of the neural circuitry that controls the autonomic nervous system, we can design interventions that impact upon physiological regulation and disease.

To address this hypothesis, our lab is working on understanding the function and location of brain circuits that control blood pressure and fluid balance. We examine circuitry in the hypothalamus, brainstem, and spinal cord to understand how the neural circuitry that controls the autonomic nervous system and the neuroendocrine system.

Currently, we are investigating the neural circuitry acutely activated during renal damage or cyclosporine A treatment. Of his collaborators at KSU, Dr. Weiss acknowledges the significant contributions of Drs. M.J. Kenney (Anatomy and Physiology) and S.I. Chowdhury (Diagnostic Medicine/ Pathobiology) to this work. Dr. Weiss acknowledges the Howard Hughes Foundation (Brett Hembree, Melanie Dobbs, Chad Maurer) for supporting KSU undergraduates who contributed to this work. Funds from National Institutes of Health and American Heart Association support this research.


2. Stem cell biology.
The KSU Stem Cell Biotechnology Research team has been focused upon characterizing non embryonic stem cells that they have discovered in the umbilical cord matrix. We lead this group and organize research efforts.

To date, our published work indicates a propensity for these cells to differentiate along the neural lineage (Mitchell et al., 2003) and for these cells to engraft following xenografting into rats that are not receiving immune suppression treatment (Weiss et al., 2004; Medicetty et al. 2004). Currently, my laboratory is characterizing the role of human and animal umbilical cord matrix stem cells to reverse the behavioral deficits found in a rat model of Parkinson's disease.

Dr. Weiss acknowledges the support of KSU Cancer Center (Tyler Grindal, Cameron Fahrenholtz, and Amber Bledsoe), the KSU Developing Scholars Program (Camron Anderson and Rey Morales), the NIH K BRIN (Amber Bledsoe) for supporting KSU undergraduate students who contributed to our work. In addition to students and technicians in our lab, Dr. Weiss acknowledges the contributions of the KSU Stem Cell Biotechnology Research team which consists of members of the laboratories of Drs. D. Davis (Animal Sciences and Industry department) and D.L. Troyer (Anatomy and Physiology). Funds from the National Institutes of Health, the Agriculture Experiment Station, the KSU Research Foundation, KSU Provost's office (USRG) and College of Veterinary Medicine (Dean's Fund), the Terry Johnson Center for Cancer Research, and the Department of Anatomy and Physiology support the KSU Stem Cell Biology Research team.

Dr. Weiss is the founder of TheraStem Technologies, Inc, a company the umbilical cord matrix stem cells, a non embryonic stem cell, for transplantation.

Dr. Weiss is a consultant for the Regenerative Medicine Institute (Reno, NV).

Dr. Weiss is a Founding Fellow of the Midwest Institute for Comparative Stem Cell Biotechnology and he serves as Associate Director of the Terry C. Johnson Center for Basic Cancer Research.

Courses taught:

AP 700 Gross Anatomy I
AP 850 Anatomical Methods


Selected Publications:

Neural circuitry involved with central autonomic control

Ureteral ligation induces Fos expression in the dorsal horn. G.K. Fitch and M. L. Weiss. Brain Res., 723(1 2), 199 205, 1996.

C FOS expression in the rat dorsal horn following an increase in renal interstitial hydrostatic pressure. G. K. Fitch, K.P. Patel, and M. L. Weiss. Brain Res., 753(2): 340 347, 1997.

The renal afferent pathways in the rat: A pseudorabies virus study. M. L. Weiss and S.I. Chowdhury. Brain Res., 812: 227 241, 1998.

Characterization of the central cell groups regulating the kidney in the rat. J. Huang and M. L. Weiss. Brain Res., 845:77 91,1999.

Effects of midbrain and spinal cord transections on frequency domain sympathetic nerve responses to hyperthermia. M.J. Kenney, J.G. Pickar, M. L. Weiss, C.S. Saindon and R.J. Fels. Am. J. Physiol., 278 (5): R1329 R1338, 2000.

Activation of renal afferent pathways following furosemide treatment: I. Effects of survival time and renal denervation. G.K. Fitch, K.P. Patel, and M. L. Weiss. Brain Res., 861:363 376, 2000.

Activation of renal afferent pathways following furosemide treatment: II. Effects of angiotensin blockade. G.K. Fitch and M. L. Weiss. Brain Res., 861: 377 389, 2000.

Neuronal expression of Fos protein in the hypothalamus of rats with heart failure. K.P. Patel, K. Zhang, M.J. Kenney, M. L. Weiss, and W. Mayhan. Brain Res., 865:27 34, 2000.

Renal sympathetic nerve regulation to heating is altered in rats with heart failure induced by myocardial infarction. M.J. Kenney, T.I. Musch, and M. L. Weiss. Am. J. Physiol., 280: H2868 H2875, 2001.

The estrous cycle affects pseudorabies virus (PRV) infection of the CNS. M. L. Weiss, M.E. Dobbs, P.S. MohanKumar, S.I. Chowdhury, K. Sawrey, R. Guevara Guzman and J. Huang. Brain Res., 893: 215 226, 2001.

Distribution of sympathetic preganglionic neurons innervating the kidney in the rat: PRV transneuronal tracing and serial reconstruction J.Huang, S.I. Chowdhury and M. L. Weiss. Autonom. Neurosci., 95: 57 70, 2002.

Neural circuitry of the kidney: NO containing neurons. M. L. Weiss, S.I. Chowdhury, K.P. Patel, M J. Kenney and J. Huang. Brain Res., 919: 269 282, 2001.

Paraventricular nucleus bicuculline alters the frequency components of sympathetic nerve discharge bursts. M.J. Kenney, M. L. Weiss, K.P. Patel, Y. Wang, R.J. Fels. Am. J. Physiol., 281 (3): H1233 H1241, 2001

Neuronal expression of Fos protein in the hypothalamus of diabetic rats. Y. F. Li, H. Zheng, M. L. Weiss, W.G. Mayhan and K.P. Patel. Brain Res., Accepted pending revision, 8/13/02.

Role of the paraventricular nucleus in regulation of sympathetic nerve frequency components. M. J. Kenney, M. L. Weiss, T. Gregory, Y. Wang, R.J. Fels. Am. J. Physiol., in press, 2003.

Stem Cell Biology

Xentotransplantation of bovine bone marrow stromal cells into pig fetuses: Incoroporation into skeletal muscle. P.L. Martin, D. Davis, M. L. Weiss, D. Grieger, K. Abou Easa, and D. Troyer. Animal Biotechnol. 12(2):183 191, 2001.

Incorporation of bovine bone marrow stromal cells into porcine fetal tissues after xenotransplantation. D.L. Troyer, M. L. Weiss, K.E. Mitchell, P.L. Martin, D. Davis. Anatomia Histologia Embryologia, Accepted, 4/25/02.

Matrix cells from Wharton's Jelly form neurons and glia. K.E. Mitchell, M. L. Weiss, B.M. Mitchell, P. Martin, D. Davis, L. Morales, B. Helwig, M. Beerenstrauch, K. Abou Easa, S. Medicetty, T. Hildreth and D. Troyer. Stem Cells, 21(1): 50 60, 2003.

Transplantation of porcine umbilical cord matrix cells into the rat brain. M.L. Weiss. K.E. Mitchell, J.E. Hix, S. Medicetty, S.Z. El-Zarkouny, D. Grieger, D.L. Troyer. Exp. Neurol., 182:288-299, 2003.

Transplantation of pig stem cells into rat brain: Proliferation during the first 8 weeks. S. Medicetty, C.B. Fahrenholtz, A. Bledsoe, D. Troyer and M.L. Weiss. Exp. Neurol., 190(1): 32-41, 2004

Umbilical cord matrix stem cells: Characterization and transplantation in Parkinsonian rats. Mark L. Weiss, Satish Medicetty, Amber R. Bledsoe, Shosh Merchav, Yonquan Luo, Mahendra S. Rao , Gopalrao Velagaleti , and Deryl Troyer. Stem Cells, online publication 10-10-05