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Rossignol, Julien

Ph.D.

Professor with Tenure

Biography

Dr. Julien Rossignol is a Professor of Biochemistry and Neuroscience (Founding Faculty) in the College of Medicine at Central Michigan University. Dr. Rossignol arrived at CMU in 2007 as a neuroscientist in the Department of Psychology. He joined the new College of Medicine in 2011, where he is the founding course director of the Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences course. He holds degrees in cell biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, biophysics and neuroscience from the University of Nantes and the University of Orleans in France. His graduate work involved studies on the therapeutic effect of adult stem cell transplantations in Huntington's disease rat model. Following post-doctoral fellowships at INSERM U643 in Nantes, France and in the Neuroscience Program and the Department of Psychology at Central Michigan University where he continued his work with stem cells as a potential cure for neurodegenerative diseases. As a CMED faculty member, Dr. Rossignol leads a team, involving, undergraduate, graduate, and medical students, working to deliver cell therapy and genomic editing to the brain through human-made dendrimer molecules. The approach could apply to treatment for conditions such as stroke, glioblastoma, Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s disease. The research has produced exciting data using stem cells, viral vectors and genomic editing to understand and find novel treatments for neurodegenerative diseases. Julien Rossignol's lab is part of the Field Neurosciences Institute laboratory for Restorative Neurology that he co-directs with Dr. Gary L. Dunbar. The lab was recently funded by the American Heart Association and a R21 from the National Institute of Health. The Field Neurosciences Institute (FNI) Laboratory for Restorative Neurology is part of the Brain Research and Integrative Neuroscience (BRAIN) Center, located on the second floor of the research wing in the Health Professions Building. The research mission of the FNI laboratory is to better understand the mechanisms involved in recovery of function following damage to the central nervous system and to devise strategies to promote these mechanisms in clinically relevant ways. Current research focuses on devising potential treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Huntington’s disease (HD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), stroke, and glioblastoma. https://www.cmich.edu/academics/colleges/college-of-medicine/research/basic/rossignol-lab/

More about Julien Rossignol

Maiti P, Hall TC, Paladugu L, Kolli N, Learman C, Rossignol J, Dunbar GL (2016). A comparative study of dietary curcumin, nanocurcumin, and other classical amyloid-binding dyes for labeling and imaging of amyloid plaques in brain tissue of 5×-familial Alzheimer's disease mice. Histochemistry and cell biology.

Maiti P, Manna J, Ilavazhagan G, Rossignol J, Dunbar GL (2015). Molecular regulation of dendritic spine dynamics and their potential impact on synaptic plasticity and neurological diseases. Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews.

Stadler, J, Schurr, H, Doyle, D, Garmo, L, Srinageshwar, B, Spencer, M.R, Petersen, R.B, Dunbar, G.L, Rossignol, J (2022). Temporal Profile of Reactive Astrocytes after Ischemic Stroke in Rats Neuroglia.

Dey ND, Bombard MC, Roland BP, Davidson S, Lu M, Rossignol J, Sandstrom MI, Skeel RL, Lescaudron L, Dunbar GL (2010). Genetically engineered mesenchymal stem cells reduce behavioral deficits in the YAC 128 mouse model of Huntington's disease. Behavioural brain research.

Srinageshwar B, Maiti P, Dunbar GL, Rossignol J (2016). Role of Epigenetics in Stem Cell Proliferation and Differentiation: Implications for Treating Neurodegenerative Diseases. International journal of molecular sciences.

Lamb LE, Bartolone SN, Tree MO, Conway MJ, Rossignol J, Smith CP, Chancellor MB (2018). Rapid Detection of Zika Virus in Urine Samples and Infected Mosquitos by Reverse Transcription-Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification. Scientific reports.

Story D, Gallien J, Al-Gharaibeh A, Sandstrom M, Rossignol J, Dunbar GL (2021). Housing R6/2 Mice with Wild-Type Littermates Increases Lifespan. Journal of Huntington's disease.

Thompson C, Otero P, Srinageshwar B, Petersen RB, Dunbar GL, Rossignol J (2020). Possible roles of epigenetics in stem cell therapy for Parkinson's disease. Epigenomics.

Srinageshwar B, Florendo M, Clark B, Johnson K, Munro N, Peruzzaro S, Antcliff A, Andrews M, Figacz A, Swanson D, Dunbar GL, Sharma A, Rossignol J (2020). A Mixed-Surface Polyamidoamine Dendrimer for In Vitro and In Vivo Delivery of Large Plasmids. Pharmaceutics.

Gharaibeh A, Maiti P, Culver R, Heileman S, Srinageshwar B, Story D, Spelde K, Paladugu L, Munro N, Muhn N, Kolli N, Rossignol J, Dunbar GL (2020). Solid Lipid Curcumin Particles Protect Medium Spiny Neuronal Morphology, and Reduce Learning and Memory Deficits in the YAC128 Mouse Model of Huntington's Disease. International journal of molecular sciences.

Srinageshwar B, Petersen RB, Dunbar GL, Rossignol J (2020). Prion-like mechanisms in neurodegenerative disease: Implications for Huntington's disease therapy. Stem cells translational medicine.

Paladugu L, Gharaibeh A, Kolli N, Learman C, Hall TC, Li L, Rossignol J, Maiti P, Dunbar GL (2021). Liraglutide Has Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Amyloid Properties in Streptozotocin-Induced and 5xFAD Mouse Models of Alzheimer's Disease. International journal of molecular sciences.

Fana M, Gallien J, Srinageshwar B, Dunbar GL, Rossignol J (2020). PAMAM Dendrimer Nanomolecules Utilized as Drug Delivery Systems for Potential Treatment of Glioblastoma: A Systematic Review. International journal of nanomedicine.

Story D, Chan E, Munro N, Rossignol J, Dunbar GL (2019). Latency to startle is increased in the 5xFAD mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. Behavioural brain research.

Srinageshwar B, Dils A, Sturgis J, Wedster A, Kathirvelu B, Baiyasi S, Swanson D, Sharma A, Dunbar GL, Rossignol J (2019). Surface-Modified G4 PAMAM Dendrimers Cross the Blood-Brain Barrier Following Multiple Tail-Vein Injections in C57BL/6J Mice. ACS chemical neuroscience.

Stewart AN, Kendziorski G, Deak ZM, Bartosek NC, Rezmer BE, Jenrow K, Rossignol J, Dunbar GL (2018). Transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells that overexpress NT-3 produce motor improvements without axonal regeneration following complete spinal cord transections in rats. Brain research.

Bhupal PK, Anderson KA, Shall GP, Lynn JD, Hoolsema KS, Rossignol J, Dunbar GL, Sandstrom MI (2018). Behavioral and neurochemical responses derived from dopaminergic intrastriatal grafts in hemiparkinsonian rats engaged in a novel motor task. Journal of neuroscience methods.

Dunbar GL, Koneru S, Kolli N, Sandstrom M, Maiti P, Rossignol J (2019). Silencing of the Mutant Huntingtin Gene through CRISPR-Cas9 Improves the Mitochondrial Biomarkers in an In Vitro Model of Huntington's Disease. Cell transplantation.

Maiti P, Peruzzaro S, Kolli N, Andrews M, Al-Gharaibeh A, Rossignol J, Dunbar GL (2019). Transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells overexpressing interleukin-10 induces autophagy response and promotes neuroprotection in a rat model of TBI. Journal of cellular and molecular medicine.

Rossignol J, Srinageshwar B, Dunbar GL (2019). Current Therapeutic Strategies for Glioblastoma. Brain sciences.

Story D, Chan E, Munro N, Rossignol J, Dunbar GL (2019). Corrigendum to "Latency to startle is reduced in the 5xFAD mouse model of Alzheimer's disease" [Behav. Brain Res. 359 (2019) 823-827]. Behavioural brain research.

Florendo M, Figacz A, Srinageshwar B, Sharma A, Swanson D, Dunbar GL, Rossignol J (2018). Use of Polyamidoamine Dendrimers in Brain Diseases. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland).

Andrews MMM, Peruzzaro S, Raupp S, Wilks J, Rossignol J, Dunbar GL (2019). Using the behavioral flexibility operant task to detect long-term deficits in rats following middle cerebral artery occlusion. Behavioural brain research.

Munro N, Srinageshwar B, Shalabi F, Florendo M, Otero P, Thompson C, Kippe J, Malkowski C, Climie S, Stewart AN, Kim R, Zhou J, Swanson D, Dunbar GL, Sharma A, Rossignol J (2019). A novel approach to label bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells with mixed-surface PAMAM dendrimers. Stem cell research & therapy.

Matchynski-Franks JJ, Pappas C, Rossignol J, Reinke T, Fink K, Crane A, Twite A, Lowrance SA, Song C, Dunbar GL (2016). Mesenchymal Stem Cells as Treatment for Behavioral Deficits and Neuropathology in the 5xFAD Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease. Cell transplantation.

Kolli N, Lu M, Maiti P, Rossignol J, Dunbar GL (2017). CRISPR-Cas9 Mediated Gene-Silencing of the Mutant Huntingtin Gene in an In Vitro Model of Huntington's Disease. International journal of molecular sciences.

Crane AT, Rossignol J, Dunbar GL (2014). Use of Genetically Altered Stem Cells for the Treatment of Huntington's Disease. Brain sciences.

Srinageshwar B, Peruzzaro S, Andrews M, Johnson K, Hietpas A, Clark B, McGuire C, Petersen E, Kippe J, Stewart A, Lossia O, Al-Gharaibeh A, Antcliff A, Culver R, Swanson D, Dunbar G, Sharma A, Rossignol J (2017). PAMAM Dendrimers Cross the Blood-Brain Barrier When Administered through the Carotid Artery in C57BL/6J Mice. International journal of molecular sciences.

Dunkerson J, Moritz KE, Young J, Pionk T, Fink K, Rossignol J, Dunbar G, Smith JS (2014). Combining enriched environment and induced pluripotent stem cell therapy results in improved cognitive and motor function following traumatic brain injury. Restorative neurology and neuroscience.

Matyas JJ, Stewart AN, Goldsmith A, Nan Z, Skeel RL, Rossignol J, Dunbar GL (2017). Effects of Bone-Marrow-Derived MSC Transplantation on Functional Recovery in a Rat Model of Spinal Cord Injury: Comparisons of Transplant Locations and Cell Concentrations. Cell transplantation.

Rossignol J, Fink KD, Crane AT, Davis KK, Bombard MC, Clerc S, Bavar AM, Lowrance SA, Song C, Witte S, Lescaudron L, Dunbar GL (2015). Reductions in behavioral deficits and neuropathology in the R6/2 mouse model of Huntington's disease following transplantation of bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells is dependent on passage number. Stem cell research & therapy.

Bowers Z, Maiti P, Bourcier A, Morse J, Jenrow K, Rossignol J, Dunbar GL (2021). Tart Cherry Extract and Omega Fatty Acids Reduce Behavioral Deficits, Gliosis, and Amyloid-Beta Deposition in the 5xFAD Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease. Brain sciences.

Gallien J, Srinageshwar B, Gallo K, Holtgrefe G, Koneru S, Otero PS, Bueno CA, Mosher J, Roh A, Kohtz DS, Swanson D, Sharma A, Dunbar G, Rossignol J (2021). Curcumin Loaded Dendrimers Specifically Reduce Viability of Glioblastoma Cell Lines. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland).

Stewart AN, Kendziorski G, Deak ZM, Brown DJ, Fini MN, Copely KL, Rossignol J, Dunbar GL (2017). Co-transplantation of mesenchymal and neural stem cells and overexpressing stromal-derived factor-1 for treating spinal cord injury. Brain research.

Welchko RM, Hulse TD, Dieffenbach SS, Shall GP, Huo W, Siegal LR, Watters JR, Leveque XT, Sandstrom MI, Rossignol J, Lu M, Dunbar GL (2018). Trans-Differentiation of Rat Mesenchymal Stem Cells into Dopaminergic Neurons for Cell Transplantation J Stem Cell Res Ther.

Maiti P, Rossignol J, Dunbar G.L (2017). Curcumin modulates molecular chaperones and autophagy-lysosomal pathways in vitro after exposure to Aβ42. Journal of Alzheimer's disease and Parkinsonism.

Kolli N, Lu M, Maiti P, Rossignol J, Dunbar GL (2018). Application of the gene editing tool, CRISPR-Cas9, for treating neurodegenerative diseases. Neurochemistry international.

Stewart AN, Matyas JJ, Welchko RM, Goldsmith AD, Zeiler SE, Hochgeschwender U, Lu M, Nan Z, Rossignol J, Dunbar GL (2017). SDF-1 overexpression by mesenchymal stem cells enhances GAP-43-positive axonal growth following spinal cord injury. Restorative neurology and neuroscience.

Al-Gharaibeh A, Culver R, Stewart AN, Srinageshwar B, Spelde K, Frollo L, Kolli N, Story D, Paladugu L, Anwar S, Crane A, Wyse R, Maiti P, Dunbar GL, Rossignol J (2017). Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Neural Stem Cell Transplantations Reduced Behavioral Deficits and Ameliorated Neuropathological Changes in YAC128 Mouse Model of Huntington's Disease. Frontiers in neuroscience.

Fink KD, Crane AT, Lévêque X, Dues DJ, Huffman LD, Moore AC, Story DT, Dejonge RE, Antcliff A, Starski PA, Lu M, Lescaudron L, Rossignol J, Dunbar GL (2014). Intrastriatal transplantation of adenovirus-generated induced pluripotent stem cells for treating neuropathological and functional deficits in a rodent model of Huntington's disease. Stem cells translational medicine.

Shall G, Menosky M, Decker S, Nethala P, Welchko R, Leveque X, Lu M, Sandstrom M, Hochgeschwender U, Rossignol J, Dunbar G (2018). Effects of Passage Number and Differentiation Protocol on the Generation of Dopaminergic Neurons from Rat Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells. International journal of molecular sciences.

Lossia OV, Conway MJ, Tree MO, Williams RJ, Goldthorpe SC, Srinageshwar B, Dunbar GL, Rossignol J (2018). Zika virus induces astrocyte differentiation in neural stem cells. Journal of neurovirology.

Chabannes D, Hill M, Merieau E, Rossignol J, Brion R, Soulillou JP, Anegon I, Cuturi MC (2007). A role for heme oxygenase-1 in the immunosuppressive effect of adult rat and human mesenchymal stem cells. Blood.

Wyse RD, Dunbar GL, Rossignol J (2014). Use of genetically modified mesenchymal stem cells to treat neurodegenerative diseases. International journal of molecular sciences.

Dunbar GL, Sandstrom MI, Rossignol J, Lescaudron L (2006). Neurotrophic enhancers as therapy for behavioral deficits in rodent models of Huntington's disease: use of gangliosides, substituted pyrimidines, and mesenchymal stem cells. Behavioral and cognitive neuroscience reviews.

Matchynski JJ, Lowrance SA, Pappas C, Rossignol J, Puckett N, Sandstrom M, Dunbar GL (2013). Combinatorial treatment of tart cherry extract and essential fatty acids reduces cognitive impairments and inflammation in the mu-p75 saporin-induced mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Journal of medicinal food.

Pelletier M, Rossignol J, Oliver L, Zampieri M, Fontaine-Pérus J, Vallette FM, Lescaudron L (2006). Soluble factors from neuronal cultures induce a specific proliferation and resistance to apoptosis of cognate mouse skeletal muscle precursor cells. Neuroscience letters.

Srinageshwar B, Dunbar GL, Rossignol J (2022). Epigenetics, Stem Cells, Cellular Differentiation and Associated Hereditary Neurological Disorders “Handbook of Epigenetics, Third Edition”.

Rossignol J, Fink K, Davis K, Clerc S, Crane A, Matchynski J, Lowrance S, Bombard M, Dekorver N, Lescaudron L, Dunbar GL (2014). Transplants of adult mesenchymal and neural stem cells provide neuroprotection and behavioral sparing in a transgenic rat model of Huntington's disease. Stem cells (Dayton, Ohio).

Fink KD, Rossignol J, Lu M, Lévêque X, Hulse TD, Crane AT, Nerriere-Daguin V, Wyse RD, Starski PA, Schloop MT, Dues DJ, Witte SJ, Song C, Vallier L, Nguyen TH, Naveilhan P, Anegon I, Lescaudron L, Dunbar GL (2014). Survival and differentiation of adenovirus-generated induced pluripotent stem cells transplanted into the rat striatum. Cell transplantation.

Fink KD, Rossignol J, Crane AT, Davis KK, Bavar AM, Dekorver NW, Lowrance SA, Reilly MP, Sandstrom MI, von Hörsten S, Lescaudron L, Dunbar GL (2012). Early cognitive dysfunction in the HD 51 CAG transgenic rat model of Huntington's disease. Behavioral neuroscience.

Rossignol J, Boyer C, Lévèque X, Fink KD, Thinard R, Blanchard F, Dunbar GL, Lescaudron L (2011). Mesenchymal stem cell transplantation and DMEM administration in a 3NP rat model of Huntington's disease: morphological and behavioral outcomes. Behavioural brain research.

Rossignol J, Boyer C, Thinard R, Remy S, Dugast AS, Dubayle D, Dey ND, Boeffard F, Delecrin J, Heymann D, Vanhove B, Anegon I, Naveilhan P, Dunbar GL, Lescaudron L (2009). Mesenchymal stem cells induce a weak immune response in the rat striatum after allo or xenotransplantation. Journal of cellular and molecular medicine.

Fink KD, Rossignol J, Crane AT, Davis KK, Bombard MC, Bavar AM, Clerc S, Lowrance SA, Song C, Lescaudron L, Dunbar GL (2013). Transplantation of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells into the striata of R6/2 mice: behavioral and neuropathological analysis. Stem cell research & therapy.

Oliver L, Hue E, Rossignol J, Bougras G, Hulin P, Naveilhan P, Heymann D, Lescaudron L, Vallette FM (2011). Distinct roles of Bcl-2 and Bcl-Xl in the apoptosis of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells during differentiation. PloS one.

Srinageshwar, B, Dunbar, G.L, Rossignol, J (2021). Induced pluripotent stem cells as a potential treatment for Huntington’s disease. Recent Advances in iPSCs for Therapy.

Peruzzaro ST, Andrews MMM, Al-Gharaibeh A, Pupiec O, Resk M, Story D, Maiti P, Rossignol J, Dunbar GL (2019). Transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells genetically engineered to overexpress interleukin-10 promotes alternative inflammatory response in rat model of traumatic brain injury. Journal of neuroinflammation.

Remy S, Tesson L, Usal C, Menoret S, Bonnamain V, Nerriere-Daguin V, Rossignol J, Boyer C, Nguyen TH, Naveilhan P, Lescaudron L, Anegon I (2010). New lines of GFP transgenic rats relevant for regenerative medicine and gene therapy. Transgenic research.

Rossignol J, Lescaudron L, Dunbar GL (2011). Nurturing Roles of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Reducing Deficits in Rodent Models of Huntington’s Disease, Mesenchymal stem cells.

Lowrance S, Matchynski JJ, Rossignol J, DeKorver NW, Sandstrom MI, Dunbar GL (2011). CXB-909 Reduces Cognitive Deficits in the mu-P-75 Saporin Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease Neuroscience & Medicine.

Lescaudron L, Boyer C, Bonnamain V, Fink KD, Lévêque X, Rossignol J, Nerrière-Daguin V, Malouet AC, Lelan F, Dey ND, Michel-Monigadon D, Lu M, Neveu I, von Hörsten S, Naveilhan P, Dunbar GL (2012). Assessing the potential clinical utility of transplantations of neural and mesenchymal stem cells for treating neurodegenerative diseases. Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.).

Leveque X, Fink KD, Rossignol J, Dunbar GL, Lescaudron L (2012). The use of xenotransplantation in neurodegenerative diseases; a way to go? Xenotransplantation.

Rossignol J, Crane AT, Fink KD, Dunbar GL (2014). Will Undifferentiated Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Ever have Clinical Utility? Journal of Stem Cell Research & Therapy.

Lowrance SA, Fink KD, Crane A, Matyas J, Dey ND, Matchynski JJ, Thibo T, Reinke T, Kippe J, Hoffman C, Sandstrom M, Rossignol J, Dunbar GL (2015). Bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells attenuate cognitive deficits in an endothelin-1 rat model of stroke. Restorative neurology and neuroscience.

Anderson JD, Pham MT, Contreras Z, Hoon M, Fink KD, Johansson HJ, Rossignol J, Dunbar GL, Showalter M, Fiehn O, Bramlett CS, Bardini RL, Bauer G, Fury B, Hendrix KJ, Chedin F, El Andaloussi S, Hwang B, Mulligan MS, Lehtio J, Nolta JA (2016). Mesenchymal stem cell-based therapy for ischemic stroke Chinese Neurosurgical Journal.

Srinageshwar B, Maiti P, Dunbar GL, Rossignol J (2017). Epigenetics, Stem Cells, Cellular Differentiation and Associated Hereditary Neurological Disorders Handbook of Epigenetics, Second Edition.
Oral Communication Award
Travel Award
SfN Postdoctoral Trainee Travel Award
International Symposium on Neural Transplantation & Restoration postdoc travel award
Post-doctorate poster award
CMED Excellence Research Award
Society for Neuroscience (SfN) Undergraduate Neuroscience Program of the Year, Faculty member
CMU Provost’s award for Outstanding Research and Creative Activity
Post-doctorate travel award
M.S., Université de Nantes
Ph.D., Université de Nantes, Nantes
B.S, Université de Nantes, Nantes
B.S, Université de Nantes, Nantes
M.S., University of Orleans
American Society for Neural Therapy and Repair
Federation of European Neuroscience Society
International Society for Stem Cell Research
Huntington’s Disease Society of America
Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience
Society for Neuroscience - Michigan Chapter
Society for Neuroscience
American Heart Association