Dr Lisa Pettingill is a post-doctoral research fellow for the Bionic Ear Institute.

Dr Pettingill’s research interests revolve around the potential of neurotrophic factors for survival and repair in neurodegenerative conditions. She received her B. Sci. (Honours) degree in 1997 from Monash University for a project investigating neurotrophic support of denervated spinal cord, and received her PhD from the University of Melbourne in 2004 for research investigating the potential of neurotrophic factors to protect the inner ear from the degenerative changes that occur in deafness.

Dr Pettingill’s post-doctoral studies are investigating the use of gene- and cell-therapy techniques designed to deliver neurotrophins to the deaf cochlea, in conjunction with simultaneous cochlear implantation, to prevent deafness-associated auditory neuron degeneration. This work is being performed with Professor Rob Shepherd (BEI) and Professor Alan Harvey, from the University of Western Australia.

▪ Protection of auditory neurons from degeneration in deafness
▪ Genetic manipulations for neurotrophin production
▪ Cell-based delivery of neurotrophins
▪ Cellular encapsulation
▪ Combined effects of cell-based neurotrophin treatment and cochlear implantation

Neurotrophin treatment can prevent deafness-induced auditory neuron degeneration; however, the survival effects are lost if the treatment stops (Gillespie et al., 2003). We are now using gene- and cell-based techniques to develop a way of providing long-term neurotrophin treatment to the auditory neurons.

We have previously demonstrated that Schwann cells genetically engineered to produce neurotrophins can support auditory neuron survival in vitro (see Figure 1; Pettingill et al., 2008).

Our current goal is to ensure the longevity of cell-based neurotrophin production, and subsequently combine the cell-based neurotrophin treatment with cochlear implantation in vivo.


Dr Pettingill has recently received funding from the Garnett Passe and Rodney Williams Memorial Foundation, as well as the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council with Professor Rob Shepherd, to support this research.

Research Project Links:

▪ Protecting auditory nerve cells using gene therapy and cell implants

▪ Protecting auditory nerve cells using Neurotrophin Cells

1. Pettingill LN , Minter RL and Shepherd RK (2008). Schwann cells genetically modified to express neurotrophins promote spiral ganglion neuron survival in vitro. Neuroscience 152(3) : 821-8.

2. Pettingill LN , Richardson RT, Wise AK, O’Leary S and Shepherd RK (2007). Neurotrophic factors and neural prostheses: potential clinical applications based upon findings in the auditory system. IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering 54 : 1138-1148.

3. Wise AK, Pettingill LN and Richardson RT (2007). Neurofilament proteins in the cochlea: Changes in response to deafening and neurotrophin administration. In: Arlen R.K. (ed). New Research on Neurofilament Proteins. Nova Science Publishers Inc., New York. pp: 1-24.

4. B Coleman, JB Fallon, LN Pettingill, MG de Silva and RK Shepherd (2007). Auditory hair cell explant co-cultures promote the differentiation of stem cells into bipolar neurons. Experimental Cell Research 313: 232-243.

5. Gillespie LN and Shepherd RK (2005). Clinical application of neurotrophic factors: the potential for primary auditory neuron protection. European Journal of Neuroscience 22(9): 2123-2133.

6. Gillespie LN , Clark GM, Marzella PL and Crook JM (2005). Netrin-1 as a guidance molecule in the postnatal mammalian cochlea. Hearing Research 199: 117-123.

7. Gillespie LN, Clark GM, Marzella PL (2004). Delayed neurotrophin treatment supports auditory neuron survival in deaf guinea pigs. NeuroReport 15(7) : 1121-1125.

8. Gillespie LN (2003). Brief Review: Regulation of axonal growth and guidance by the neurotrophin family of neurotrophic factors. Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology 30(10) : 724-33 .

9. Gillespie LN , Clark GM, Bartlett PF & Marzella PL (2003). BDNF-induced survival of auditory neurons in vivo: Cessation of treatment leads to accelerated loss of survival effects. Journal of Neuroscience Research 71(6): 785-790.

10. Marzella PL & Gillespie LN (2002). Brief Review: Role of trophic factors in the development, survival and repair of primary auditory neurons. Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology 29(5-6) : 363-371.

11. Gillespie LN , Clark GM, Bartlett PF & Marzella PL (2001). LIF is more potent than BDNF in promoting neurite outgrowth of mammalian auditory neurons in vitro. NeuroReport 12(2): 275-279.

12. Marzella PL, Gillespie LN , Clark GM, Bartlett PF & Kilpatrick TJ (1999). The neurotrophins act synergistically with LIF and members of the TGF- b superfamily to promote the survival of spiral ganglia neurons in vitro. Hearing Research 138: 73-80

See more publications by Dr Lisa Pettingill in PubMed

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