Dr. Pappas is a well-known authority on the structure of synapses (junctional contacts between neurons) in relation to their function. He has also published several articles on the mechanism of cellular secretion. He and his colleagues have proposed the term porocytosis to explain both constitutive secretion and exocytosis. In other studies, Dr. Pappas has demonstrated that transplanting adrenal chromaffin cells into the subarachoid space of the spinal cord of rodents, monkeys and humans successfully alleviates chronic pain. This treatment is long-lasting and not only does not precipitate tolerance, but also appears to impede its development. Other areas of research include studies on relationship in the brain of extracellular matrix glycoprotein, reelin and the neurohormone oxytocin in schizophrenia and autism. Dr. Pappas has published over 250 peer-review articles on those subjects. Recently 2003, he also was selected for the Henry Gray Award by American Association of Anatomists for “meritorious service to the entire scientific community through scholarly accomplishment in original investigation, teaching and writing in the field of Anatomy.”

Representative Publications

Pappas, G. D., Lazothes, Y., Bes, J.C., Tafani, and Winnie, A., 1997. Relief of intractable cancer pain by human chromaffin cell transplants: Experience of two medical centers. Neurol. Res., 19: 71-77

Pappas, G.D., 1998. Transplantation of chromaffin cells for treatment of chronic pain: clinical, biochemical and morphological findings. In: The Adrenal Chromaffin Cell. pp 343-350. (Kanno, Nakazuto and Kumakura eds.) Hokkaido Univ. Press, Sapporo, Japan.

Bes, J.C., Tkaczuk, J., Czech, K.A., Tafani, M., Bastide, R., Caratero, C., Pappas, G.D., and Lazorthes, Y., 1998. One-year chromaffin cell allograft survival in cancer patients with chronic pain: morphological and functional evidence. Cell Transpl., 7:227-238.

Pappas, G.D., 1999. Fine structure of host-graft relationships between transplanted chromaffin cells and the CNS. FASEB J., 13:suppl:277-280.

Smalheiser, N.R., Costa, E., Guidotti, A., Impagnatiello, F., Auta, J., Lacor, P., Kriho, V., Pappas, G.D., 2000. Expression of Reelin in Adult Mammalian Blood, Liver, Pituitary Pars Intermedia and Adrenal Chromaffin Cells. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA., 97:1281-1286.

Costa, E., Davis, J.M., Grayson, D.R., Guidotti, A., Pappas, G.D., Pesold, C, 2001. Review: Dendritic Spine Hypoplasticity and Downregulation of Reelin and GABAergic Tone in Schizophrenia Vulnerability. Neurobiol. Dis., 8:723-742.

Pappas, G.D., Kriho, V., Pesold, C., 2001. Reelin in the Extracellular Matrix and Dendritic Spines of the Cortex and Hippocampus: A Comparison Between Wild-Type and Heterozygous Reeler Mice by Immunoelectron Microscopy. J. Neurocytol. 30:413-425

Pappas GD, Kriho V, Liu WS, Tremolizzo L, Lugli G, Larson J. 2003. Immunocytochemical localization of reelin in the olfactory bulb of the heterozygous reeler mouse: an animal model for schizophrenia. Neurol Res. 25:819-30.

Silver RB, Kriebel ME, Keller B, Pappas GD. 2003. Porocytosis: secretion from small and medium-diameter vesicles and vesicle arrays without membrane fusion. J Neurocytol. 32:277-91.

Lu Y, Jing R, Yeomans DC, Pappas GD. 2004. Porcine chromaffin cells, culture, and transplant for antinociceptive effects in rodents and primates. Neurol Res. 26:707-12.