CORE--NEURAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL TOXICOLOGY

描述（由申请人提供）：核心的总体目标是促进对环境毒物损害神经系统的机制的理解。这一目标正在利用神经科学的当代方法，加上来自中心成员追求其他毒理学研究途径的方法来解决。具体目标是：a)阐明发育过程中的分子和细胞变化，这是对神经毒物的年龄特异性易感性的基础；B)表征神经系统的不同区域，这些区域对环境毒物表现出不同的敏感性；C)检查发育和区域对毒物的敏感性可能与神经退行性疾病或行为障碍相关或作为模型的程度；d)获得相关的分子、生化、形态学和行为学数据，以更好地了解神经毒性的机制。

Description (provided by applicant): The global aim of the core is to advance understanding of the mechanisms by which environmental toxicants damage the nervous system. This aim is being addressed using contemporary methods in neuroscience, coupled with approaches derived from Center members pursuing other avenues of toxicological research. The Specific Aims are to, a) elucidate the molecular and cellular changes during development, which underlie the age-specific susceptibilities to neurotoxicants; b) characterize the distinct regions of the nervous system, which exhibit differential sensitivity to environmental toxicants; c) examine the degree to which the developmental and regional sensitivity to toxicants might relate to or serve as models for neurodegenerative diseases or behavioral impairments; and d) obtain correlative molecular, biochemical, morphological and behavioral data to better understand mechanisms of neurotoxicity.