Research in the Venero Galanternik lab focuses on the meninges, an extremely important but poorly understood set of membranous tissues that envelop and protect the vertebrate central nervous system (CNS). The meninges are essential for brain waste removal and homeostasis, and they protect the CNS from mechanical insults and infection. Meningeal dysfunction due to disease is both highly prevalent and associated with high levels of morbidity and mortality. Despite their critical roles, little is known about resident meningeal cell populations and how they work together to accomplish their important protective functions. Overall, there has been limited characterization of meningeal cell types, and few specific markers and genes associated with meningeal cell types have been identified. Similarly, we only have a shallow grasp on the biological roles the meninges play during brain and skull development, disease and aging.

Our lab is using zebrafish to answer some of these developmental questions. The genetic and experimental accessibility of the zebrafish, combined with the ability to perform high-resolution optical imaging of the brain surface through the thin, transparent skull of developing and even adult animals, make zebrafish an ideal research organism for studying the meninges. Our studies have revealed that, contrary to classical descriptions of teleost fishes, zebrafish have complex, multilayered meninges that strongly resemble those of mammals, making the fish a powerful and translatable model for comparative studies of meningeal development, function, and pathology. Our lab has established a strong anatomical, cellular and molecular foundation for zebrafish meningeal research. Our ongoing goals are focused on the understanding of the biological events regulating meningeal formation, meningeal cells functions and investigating the potential crosstalk between the meninges and their adjacent tissues during homeostasis and disease.