Wolff Kirsch, MD
Professor of Neurological Surgery and
Professor of Biochemistry
Director, Neurosurgery Center for Research, Training, and Education
Loma Linda University
Loma Linda, CA 92350
Phone: (909) 558-7070
Fax: (909) 558-0472
Email: wkirsch@llu.edu
Research Summary
Our laboratory is involved in three major projects. We continue with our objective to define the role of iron metabolism aberrations in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We are continuing to follow a cohort of carefully selected elderly control and mildly cognitively impaired (MCI) subjects with sequential psychometric studies, special MRI and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) brain images that have been specifically designed to evaluate iron content as well as peripheral blood studies that relate to cellular iron metabolism. The special brain MRI studies (known as SWI - susceptibility weighted imaging) continue to be validated by direct biochemical assays as well as SWI assays of human brains that are afflicted with amyloid angiopathy. SWI has proven to be a much more sensitive radiologic biomarker for microvascular brain disease than conventional GRE-T2* imaging. Another project is a search for biomarkers in schizophrenia. The diagnosis of schizophrenia (SZ) relies on subjective interviews and clinical observation and cannot be made until symptoms have been present for at least 6 months. A laboratory measurement for diagnosing SZ does not yet exist. Therefore, much effort is devoted to finding a biological marker for SZ. The present study is a small part of a much larger study in which our laboratory, in collaboration with
Selected Publications
Wheelan P, Kirsch WM, Koch T: Decarboxylation of peptide bound aminomalonic acid (AMA). J Org Chem. 1989;54:1364-1370.
Wheelan P, Kirsch WM, Koch T: Free radical carboxylation of peptide- and protein-bound glycine to form peptide- and protein-bound aminomalonic acid (AMA). J Org Chem. 1989;54:4360-4364.
Waddell WR, Kirsch WM: Testolactone, sulindac, warfarin and vitamin K1 for inoperable desmoid tumors. Am J Surg. 1991;161(4):416-421.
Copley SD, Frank E, Kirsch WM, Koch T: Detection and possible origins of aminomalonic acid in protein hydrolysates. Anal Biochem. 1992 Feb;201(1):152-57.
Chakrabarti M, Cheng Kt, Spicer KM, Kirsch WM, Fowler SD, Kelln W, Griende S, Nehlsen-Cannarella S, Willerson R, Spicer SS, Koch T. Biodistribution and radioimmunopharmacokinetics of I131-Ama monoclonal antibody in atherosclerotic rabbits. Nucl Med Biol 1995 Aug;22(6):693-697.
Johna S, Kirsch W, Robles A. Laparoscopy-Assisted Lumboperitoneal Shunt: A Simplified Technique. J Soc Laparoscopicendoscopic Surg. 2001;5:305-307.
Schild AF, Pruett CS, Newman MI, Raines J, Petersen F, Konkin T, Kim P, Dickson C, Kirsch WM. The utility of the VCS clip for creation of vascular access for hemodialysis: Long-term results and intraoperative benefits. Cardiovasc Surg. 2001;9(6):526-530.
Kirsch WM, Cavallo C, Anton T, Zhu YH, Rouse G, Martin R, Fukushima T, Rose J. An alternative system for cerebrovascular reconstructions: non-penetrating arcuate-legged clips. Cardiovasc Surg. 2001;9(6):531-539.
Kirsch WM, Gupta S, Zhu YH. Sutureless vascular anastomosis: the VCS® clip. Cardiovasc Surg. 2001;9(6):523-525.
Shenoy S, Miller A, Petersen F, Kirsch WM, Konkin T, Kim P, Dickson C, Schild AF, Stewart L, Reyes M, Anton L, and Woodward RS. A multicenter study of permanent hemodialysis access patency: The beneficial effect of clipped vascular anastomotic technique. J Vasc Surg. 2003;38:229-35.
Zeebregts CJ, Kirsch WM, van den Dungen JJ, van Schilfgaarde R. Five years’ world experience with nonpenetrating clips for vascular anastomoses. Am J Surg. 2004 (June);187(6):751-760.
Zeebregts CJ, Kirsch WM, van den Dungen JJ, van Schilfgaarde R., Zhu YN. The evolution of clips for vascular anastomosis. Int Surg. 2004;89:152-60.
Kirsch WM, Dayes L. Complications of Neurosurgery. Surgical Complications: Diagnosis and Treatment. Eds. V. Papalois and N. Hakim. World Scientific Publishing. 2006. Pages 663-687.
Haacke EM, Cheng NYC, House MJ, Liu Q, Neelavalli J, Ogg R, Khan A, Ayaz M, Kirsch WM, Obenaus A. Imaging iron stores in the brain using magnetic resonance imaging. Magnetic Resonance Imaging. 2005(Jan);23(1):1-25.
Miller A, Kirsch WM. The role of vascular clips in vascular access surgery. Endovascular Today, June 2005, pages 2-6.
Zeebregts CJ, Kirsch WM, Reijnen MMPJ, Zhu YH, van den Dungen JJAM. Expanding use of non-penetrating clips in various surgical specialties. Surgical Technology International, 2006; XIV: 85-95.
Whang HS, Zhu YH, Kirsch W, Yang C-Z, Hudson SM. Hemostatic agents derived from chitin and chitosan. Journal of Macromolecular Science – Polymer Reviews. 2005(Dec);45(4):309-322.
Oyoyo U, Yi A, Cruise RJ, Larsen J, Kido DK, Kirsch W. Hippocampal subsegmentation versus traditional total volumetric measurements in detecting early changes in Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s Association International Conference on Prevention of Dementia: Early diagnosis and intervention, 7/18-21/05, Washington, D.C. Alzheimers & Dementia. The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, 2005;1(1):S35-S36. (abstract).
Kirsch W. Book Review of Bioimaging in Neurodegeneration by Patricia A. Broderick, David N. Rahni, and Edwin H. Kolodny. J. Neurosurg. 2006(Mar);104:460-461.
Coon KD, Siegel AM, Yee SJ, Dunckley TL, Mueller C, Nagra RM, Tourtellottee WW, Reiman EM, Papassotiropoulos A, Petersen FF, Stephan DA, Kirsch WM. Preliminary demonstration of an allelic association of the IREB2 gene with Alzheimer’s Disease. J of Alzheimer’s Dis. 2006(Aug);9(3):225-233.
Kirsch WM. Book Review. Neurodegenerative Diseases, Neurobiology, Pathogenesis, and Therapeutics. Edited by M. Flint Beal, Anthony E. Lang, and Albert Ludolph. J. Neurosurg. 2006(June);104:983-985.
Kirsch WM, Patwardhan R, Nanda A, Anton T, Silva F, Zhu YH. Multimodality monitoring of the neurosurgical patient. In: Gilman S, editor. MedLink Neurology. Kirsch WM, Dayes L. Complications of Neurosurgery. Surgical Complications: Diagnosis and Treatment. Eds. V. Papalois and N. Hakim. World Scientific Publishing. 2006. Pages 663-687.
Haacke EM, Ayaz M, Khan A, Manova ES, Krishnamurthy B, Gollapailli L, Ciulla C, Kim I, Petersen F, Kirsch W. Establishing a baseline phase behavior in magnetic resonance imaging for determining normal versus abnormal iron content in the brain. Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging. 2007;26:256-264.
Magaki S, Mueller C, Dickson C, Kirsch W. Increased production of inflammatory cytokines in mild cognitive impairment. Experimental Gerontology, 2007(Mar);42(3):233-240.
Magaki S, Raghavan R, Mueller C, Oberg KC, Vinters HV, Kirsch WM. Iron, copper, and iron regulatory protein 2 in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Neuroscience Letters, 2007;4185:72-76.
Magaki S, Mueller C, Fox J, Kim J, Snissarenko E, Chin V, Ghosh MC, Kirsch WM. Regional dissection and determination of loosely bound and non-heme iron in the developing mouse brain. Brain Res, 2007;1158:144-150.
Larsen JP, Britt III W, Kido D, Bartnik Olson BL, Holshouser BA, Kirsch WM. Susceptibility-Weighted Magnetic Resonance imaging in the evaluation of dementia. Radiology Case Reports, 2007;2(4):1-4. Available: http://radiology.casereports.net/index.php/rcr/article/view/102/379
Magaki S, Yellon SM, Mueller C, Kirsch WM. Immunophenotypes in the circulation of patients with mild cognitive impairment. J of Psychiatric Research, 2008(Feb);42(3):240-246. Manova ES,