Ph.D., University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Tel: (617) 552-3563
E-mail: thomas.seyfried@bc.edu
Lab Website: http://www2.bc.edu/~seyfridt
Fields of Interest
Gene-environmental interactions in epilepsy and brain cancer
Academic Profile
Our research program focuses on dietary therapies for epilepsy, brain cancer,
and neurodegenerative lipid storage diseases. These therapies include caloric
restriction, fasting, and the ketogenic diet. Our goal is to manage complex
diseases through principles of metabolic control theory. This theory is based
on the idea that compensatory or redundant brain metabolic pathways are capable
of modifying the pathogenesis of complex diseases despite the continued presence
of the genetic or environmental defects responsible for the disease. By shifting
the brain metabolic environment, diet therapies can potentially mask or neutralize
molecular pathology. The neurochemical and genetic mechanisms of these phenomena
are under investigation in genetic animal models and include the processes of
inflammation, programmed cell death, angiogenesis, and bioenergetics.
Representative Publications
Todorova, M.T., Mantis, J.G., Le, M., Kim, C.Y., and Seyfried, T.N. 2006.
Genetic and environmental interactions determine seizure susceptibility in epileptic EL mice. Genes, Brain, and Behavior 5(7): 518–27.
Abate, L.E., Mukherjee, P., and Seyfried, T.N. 2006. Gene-linked shift in ganglioside distribution influences growth and vascularity in a mouse astrocytoma. Journal of Neurochemistry 98(6): 1973–84. Epub 2006 Aug 14.
Kasperzyk, J.L., d'Azzo A., Platt, F.M., Alroy, J., and Seyfried, T.N. 2005. Substrate reduction reduces gangliosides in postnatal cerebrum-brainstem and cerebellum in GM1 gangliosidosis mice. Journal of Lipid Research 46: 744–751.
Hauser, E.C., Kasperzyk, J.L., d'Azzo, A., and Seyfried, T.N. 2004. Inheritance of lysosomal acid beta-galactosidase activity and gangliosides in crosses of DBA/2J and knockout mice. Biochemical Genetics 42: 241–57.
Mukherjee, P., Abate, L.E., and Seyfried, T.N. 2004. Antiangiogenic and proapoptotic effects of dietary restriction on experimental mouse and human brain tumors. Clinical Cancer Research 10: 5622–5629.
Kasperzyk, J.L, El-Abbadi, M., Hauser, E.C., d'Azzo, A., Platt, F.M., and Seyfried, T.N. 2004. N-butyldeoxygalactonojirimycin reduces neonatal brain ganglioside content in a mouse model of GM1 gangliosidosis. Journal of Neurochemistry 89: 645–53.
Venit, E.L., Shepard, B., and Seyfried, T.N. 2004. Oxygenation prevents sudden death in seizure-prone mice. Epilepsia 45: 993–996.
Mantis, J.G., Centeno, N.A., Todorova, M. T., McGowan, R, and Seyfried, T.N. 2004. Management of multifactorial idiopathic epilepsy in EL mice with caloric restriction and the ketogenic diet: role of glucose and ketone bodies. Nutrition & Metabolism 1: 11.
Seyfried, T.N, Sanderson, T.M, El-Abbadi, M.M, McGowan, R, Mukherjee, P. 2003. Role of glucose and ketone bodies in the metabolic control of experimental brain cancer. British Journal of Cancer 89: 1375–82.
Todorova, M. T., Dangler, C. A., Drage, M. G., Sheppard, B. J., Fox, J.G., and Seyfried, T. N. 2003. Sexual dysfunction and sudden death in epileptic male EL mice: inheritance and prevention with the ketogenic diet. Epilepsia 44: 25–31.
Mukherjee, P., El-Abbadi, M., Kasperzyk, J., and Seyfried, T. N. 2002. Dietary restriction reduces angiogenesis and growth in an orthotopic mouse brain tumour model. British Journal of Cancer 86: 1615–1621.
El-Abbadi, M., Seyfried, T. N., Yates, A. J., Orosz, C., and Lee, M. C. 2001. Ganglioside composition and histology of a spontaneous metastatic brain tumour in the VM mouse. British Journal of Cancer 85: 285–292.
Greene, A., Todorova, M. T., McGowan, R., and Seyfried, T. N. 2001. Caloric restriction inhibits seizure susceptibility in epileptic EL mice by reducing blood glucose levels. Epilepsia 42: 1371–1378.
Ranes, M.K., El-Abbadi, M., Manfredi, M.G., Mukherjee, P., Platt, F.M., Seyfried, T.N. 2001. N-butyldeoxynojirimycin reduces growth and ganglioside content of experimental mouse brain tumours. British Journal of Cancer 84: 1107–1114.
Liang, D., and Seyfried, T. N. 2001. Genes differentially expressed in the kindled mouse brain. Mol. Brain Research 96: 94–102.
Seyfried, T. N. 2001. Perspectives on brain tumor formation involving macrophages, glia, and neural stem cells. Perspectives in Biology and Medicine 44: 263–282.
Todorova, M. T., Tandon, P., Madore, R. A., Stafstrom, C. E., and Seyfried, T. N. 2000. The ketogenic diet inhibits epileptogenesis in EL mice: a genetic model for idiopathic epilepsy. Epilepsia 41: 933–940.
Manfredi, M., Lim, G. S., Claffey, K. P., and Seyfried, T. N. 1999. Gangliosides influence angiogenesis in an experimental mouse brain tumor. Cancer Research 59: 5392–5397.
Todorova, M. T., Burwell, T. J., Seyfried, T. N. 1999. Environmental risk factors for multifactorial epilepsy in EL mice. Epilepsia 40: 1697–1707.
Poderycki, M. J., Simoes, J. M., Todorova, M. T., and Seyfried, T. N. 1998. Environmental influences on epilepsy gene mapping in EL mice. Journal of Neurogenetics 12: 67–86.
Brigande, J. V., Platt, F. M., and Seyfried, T. N. 1998. Inhibition of glycosphingolipid biosynthesis does not impair growth or morphogenesis of the postimplantation mouse embryo. Journal of Neurochemistry 70: 871–882.
Ecsedy, J. A., Yohe, H. C., Bergeron, A. J., and Seyfried, T. N. 1998. Tumor infiltrating macrophages influence the glycosphingolipid composition of mouse brain tumors. Journal of Lipid Research 39: 2218–2227.
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