Uttermost Health - Michelle Sexton ND CPM

FINDING UTTERMOST HEALTH

Dr. Sexton is a clinical researcher at the University of Washington in the Department of Pharmacology. She is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) from the division of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) to study the effects of a common supplement on novel inflammation markers in Multiple Sclerosis.

If you would like more information regarding her study, or would like to be considered as a subject in the study please contact her at: msexton@u.washington.edu

2008: ICRS: “Targeting the Cannabinoid 2 Receptor for medical imaging”

2008: UCLA : Alternative Medicine Conference “Alternative Laboratory Tests: The good, the bad, the unproven” (co-authored with Cheryl Berman Ph.D)

2006: American Society for Neurochemistry “Development of a Molecular Imaging Agent Capable of Assessing PBR Expression”.

2005: WSMRF: “Development of a high Sensitivity, High Throughput Screen for Neuroinflammatory Response Using a Molecular marker and Microglial Activation.”

2005: Keystone Conference: “High Sensitivity, High Throughput Screen for Inflammatory Response Using Molecular Imaging and Microglial Activation”.

2004: ACS: “Ex-vivo marking for diagnostic imaging of Glioblastoma by Lanthanide Chelate.”

Manning HC, Smith SM, Sexton M, Haviland S, Bai M, Cederquist K, Stella N, Bornhop DJ. “A peripheral benzodiazepine receptor targeted agent for in vitro imaging and screening”. Bioconjug Chem. 2006 May-Jun;17(3):735-40.

2001-2002: Research assistant to Dr. Ellen Peffley at Texas Tech University, Department of Agriculture. I worked to quantify onion solids in development of an Onion strain expressing high quercetin content well-suited for agricultural use in Northwestern Texas.
Teaching assistant in horticulture greenhouse labs.
Internship in the design and installation of a medicinal plant garden at the Horticultural Gardens at Texas Tech University.







	FINDING UTTERMOST HEALTH
	Research
	Dr. Sexton is a clinical researcher at the University of Washington in the Department of Pharmacology. She is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) from the division of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) to study the effects of a common supplement on novel inflammation markers in Multiple Sclerosis. If you would like more information regarding her study, or would like to be considered as a subject in the study please contact her at: msexton@u.washington.edu

	Link: http://depts.washington.edu/stellalb/index.shtml

	RESEARCH INTERESTS: Biological pharmacological interactions, with an emphasis on neuroinflammation.

	Current projects:
	Selected phyto-chemicals’ effect on immune cell migration Endocannabinoids as immune markers in Multiple Sclerosis patients

	Previous projects:
	Ellagic Acid content in Punica granatum,Texas Tech University Ellagic Acid content in Rubus Idaeus, Bastyr University Assay development for Neuroinflammation. Bastyr University, University of Washington, Vanderbilt University Assay development for live cell screening for Cannabinoid Receptor 2 as an indicator of neuroinflammation, University of Washington. Lignan content in Schisandra chinensis, Bastyr University

	ABSTRACTS SUBMITTED:

	2008: ICRS: “Targeting the Cannabinoid 2 Receptor for medical imaging” 2008: UCLA : Alternative Medicine Conference “Alternative Laboratory Tests: The good, the bad, the unproven” (co-authored with Cheryl Berman Ph.D) 2006: American Society for Neurochemistry “Development of a Molecular Imaging Agent Capable of Assessing PBR Expression”. 2005: WSMRF: “Development of a high Sensitivity, High Throughput Screen for Neuroinflammatory Response Using a Molecular marker and Microglial Activation.” 2005: Keystone Conference: “High Sensitivity, High Throughput Screen for Inflammatory Response Using Molecular Imaging and Microglial Activation”. 2004: ACS: “Ex-vivo marking for diagnostic imaging of Glioblastoma by Lanthanide Chelate.”

	PUBLICATIONS:

	Manning HC, Smith SM, Sexton M, Haviland S, Bai M, Cederquist K, Stella N, Bornhop DJ. “A peripheral benzodiazepine receptor targeted agent for in vitro imaging and screening”. Bioconjug Chem. 2006 May-Jun;17(3):735-40. Mingfeng Bai, Michelle Sexton, Nephi Stella, and Darryl J. Bornhop “MBC94, A Conjugable ligand for cannabiod CB2 Receptor Imaging” Bioconjugate Chem. 2008 19:5 (988-992) Michelle Sexton, Eiron Cudaback, Mingfeng Bai, H. Charles Manning, Thomas Möller, Grace Woodruff, Darryl Bornhop and Nephi Stella “Visualizing malignant astrocytomas and microglial cell activation with near-infrared PK11195” (in process for submission).

	OTHER RESEARCH EXPERIENCE:

	2001-2002: Research assistant to Dr. Ellen Peffley at Texas Tech University, Department of Agriculture. I worked to quantify onion solids in development of an Onion strain expressing high quercetin content well-suited for agricultural use in Northwestern Texas. Teaching assistant in horticulture greenhouse labs. Internship in the design and installation of a medicinal plant garden at the Horticultural Gardens at Texas Tech University. 2002-2003: Undergraduate researcher in the lab or Dr. Darryl Bornhop, Texas Tech University, Department of Chemistry. I assessed the Peripheral Benzodiazepine Receptor (PBR) expression in human, ex-vivo glioblastoma tissue using a molecularly-targeted lanthanide chelate. Labeling of this reliable marker of neuroinflammatioin with the dye and subsequent fluorescence microscopy revealed that a higher stage of disease correlated with increased labeling with the dye. (abstract and poster) Research Assistant to Dr. Bornhop where I assisted in the preparation of proposals (NIH, NSF, DOD) during my employment. 2003: Independent laboratory research, Bastyr University under the supervision of Dr. Gowsala Sivam. I performed HPLC quantification of ellagic acid in fresh organic raspberries. Results showed that fresh raspberry has a relatively high amount of ellagic acid, a potent nutritional anti-oxidant. (unpublished) 2004-: T32 predoctoral fellow (T32ATO-0815-03), Bastyr University. My project was development of a live cell, fluorescent, moleculary-tartgeted assay for Peripheral Benzodiazepine Receptor, to screen compounds/botanicals for potential neuro-immunomodulatory effect. My conclusion was that the marker, NIR-PK11195 signal did not correlate with PBR expression, but greater fluorescence in “activated” microgia did correlate with increased production of IL1-alpha, indicating what is likely a specific subset of microglial activation. (publication in process) 2005-: T32 predoctoral fellow (T32ATO-0815-03), Bastyr University. I continued work on the above described assay and tested known inflammatory cytokines for their effect on microglial cell “activation”. We assessed primary microglia activation by quantifying the production of 21 cytokines and chemokines. Under basal conditions, primary microglia produced 15 cytokines and chemokines, four of which (IL-1, IL-3, IL-6 and RANTES) increased in response to IFN and TNF treatment. (publication in process) 2004-2006: Research Scientist to Dr. Bornhop, conducting experiments under the supervision of Dr. Nephi Stella at the University of Washington, Department of Pharmacology. 2006-2008: Research Scientist to Dr. Stella where we are labeling cannabinoid receptor two (CB2), a marker of neuroinflammation, with MBC94, synthesized in Dr. Bornhop’s lab. My previously developed assay was employed to determine the specificity and binding properties of this molecularly-targeted imaging agent, and then screen live microglia cells activated with selected cytokines. Our conclusion here is that the marker, a near infrared conjugated ligand (SR2) specific for the CB2 receptor, does selectively and specifically bind CB2 in our system. (chemistry manuscript accepted to Bioconjugate Chemistry; biology manuscript in preparation) Another set of experiments involves cell migration toward selected phytochemicals including an aklylamide from Echinacea angustifolia, beta-caryophyllene, an aromatic compound found in many medicinal plants, and selected cannabinoid compounds from Cannabis sativa. 2007-: Independent laboratory research at Bastyr University, I analyzed lignan compounds in various extractions from the plant, Schisandra chinensis, under the supervsion of Dr. Nancy Biery. We found that higher concentrations of ethanol used for extraction was correlated with greater amounts of lignan extracted. (unpublished)