Skip to content
Mark David Noble, Ph.D.

Mark David Noble, Ph.D.

Contact

Research Lab

About Me

Faculty Appointments

Professor (Part-Time) - Department of Biomedical Genetics (SMD)

Credentials

Post-doctoral Training & Residency

MRC Neuroimmunology Project, Department of Zoology, University College London, London, UK 1977 - 1981

Education

PhD | Stanford University. Genetics. 1977

B.S. | Franklin & Marshall College. Biology & Philosophy. 1971

Research

Dr. Mark Noble is a pioneering researcher in the fields of stem cell biology and stem cell medicine. His laboratory has made major contributions in multiple areas of research, beginning in 1983 when, working with Martin Raff and Robert Miller in London, he co-discovered the first precursor cell isol...
Dr. Mark Noble is a pioneering researcher in the fields of stem cell biology and stem cell medicine. His laboratory has made major contributions in multiple areas of research, beginning in 1983 when, working with Martin Raff and Robert Miller in London, he co-discovered the first precursor cell isolated from the central nervous system (CNS). Dr. Noble and his colleagues then were the first to identify means of growing these cells in tissue culture, means of enabling expansion sufficient for carrying out repair, and the first to repair damaged tissue (in this case, the demyelinated spinal cord) by purifying progenitor cells, expanding them outside the body and transplanting them to obtain tissue repair.

Interest in cell-based therapies is now focused on collaborations with the laboratory of Dr. Chris Proschel on transplantation of a unique population of astrocytes to promote recovery and repair in acute and chronic injury to the central nervous system.

Along with work on cell transplantation and precursor cell biology, Dr. Noble and his colleagues:

• Established the importance of intracellular redox state as a critical regulator of precursor cell function and in the function of multiple extracellular signaling molecules. These findings laid the foundation for rapidly growing interest in metabolic regulation of stem and progenitor cell function.

• Discovered the redox/Fyn/c-Cbl pathway. This pathway provides the first molecular mechanism linking changes in redox state with regulation of precursor cell division, differentiation and survival

• Discovered the cellular foundations underlying the adverse neurological effects of treatment of cancer patients with a wide variety of chemotherapeutic agents (a problem generally referred to as chemobrain)

• Discovered novel mechanisms required for cancer stem cell function in glioblastoma, basal-like breast cancer, and other cancers

• Identified novel therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment, which offer the potential to be more effective and less toxic than existing therapies.

Current research efforts and collaborations are focused on developing pharmacological and cell-based approaches to treatment of spinal cord injury, development of novel treatments for peripheral nerve injury, better understanding the reasons why treatment with chemotherapy can cause profound neurological changes, developing safer cancer treatments that more effectively eliminate cancer cells while sparing the normal cells of the body and developing new therapeutic approaches for diseases involving lysosomal dysfunction in pediatric and adult populations, and for devastating pediatric neurological diseases.

Dr. Noble received his Ph.D. from Stanford University in 1977. He joined the faculty of the University of Rochester in 2000. He currently holds professorships in Genetics, Neurology, Neurobiology and Anatomy at University of Rochester School of Medicine, New York and is Director of the University of Rochester Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Institute. He is an inventor on 15 filed or pending patents and has consulted for multiple pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. He also was a member of the founding scientific advisory board of Acorda Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on the treatment of neurological disease. He is co-author of over 150 scientific publications.

Patents

Caspase Inhibitors as Anti-Cancer Agents

Issue date: June 25, 2009

Patent #: 2003279035

Country: Australia

Inventors: Jorg Dietrich, Mark D Noble

Transplantation of Glial Restricted Precursor - Derived Astrocytes For Promotion of Axon Growth

Issue date: June 12, 2013

Patent #: ZL200680040380.5

Country: China, People's Republic of

Inventors: Jeannette Davies, Stephen Davies, Margot Mayer-Proschel, Mark D Noble, Christoph Proschel

Composition and Methods for the Treatment of Peripheral Nerve Injury

Issue date: June 12, 2018

Patent #: 9,993,429

Country: United States

Inventors: John C Elfar, Mark D Noble, Kuang-Ching Tseng

Erythropoietin for Gastrointestinal Dysfunction

Issue date: June 30, 2020

Patent #: 10,695,402

Country: United States

Inventors: John C Elfar, Walaa Elfar, Mark D Noble

Publications

Journal Articles

Heterozygous carriers of galactocerebrosidase mutations that cause Krabbe disease have impaired microglial function and defective repair of myelin damage.

Scott-Hewitt NJ, Folts CJ, Noble MD

Neural regeneration research.. 2018 March 13 (3):393-401. Epub 1900 01 01.

Heterozygote galactocerebrosidase (GALC) mutants have reduced remyelination and impaired myelin debris clearance following demyelinating injury.

Scott-Hewitt NJ, Folts CJ, Hogestyn JM, Piester G, Mayer-Pröschel M, Noble MD

Human molecular genetics.. 2017 August 126 (15):2825-2837. Epub 1900 01 01.

Erythropoietin accelerates functional recovery after moderate sciatic nerve crush injury.

Geary MB, Li H, Zingman A, Ketz J, Zuscik M, De Mesy Bentley KL, Noble M, Elfar JC

Muscle & nerve.. 2017 July 56 (1):143-151. Epub 02/06/2017.

4-Aminopyridine promotes functional recovery and remyelination in acute peripheral nerve injury.

Tseng KC, Li H, Clark A, Sundem L, Zuscik M, Noble M, Elfar J

EMBO molecular medicine.. 2016 December 8 (12):1409-1420. Epub 12/01/2016.

Lysosomal Re-acidification Prevents Lysosphingolipid-Induced Lysosomal Impairment and Cellular Toxicity.

Folts CJ, Scott-Hewitt N, Pröschel C, Mayer-Pröschel M, Noble M

PLoS biology.. 2016 December 14 (12):e1002583. Epub 12/15/2016.

Erythropoietin Enhanced Recovery After Traumatic Nerve Injury: Myelination and Localized Effects.

Sundem L, Chris Tseng KC, Li H, Ketz J, Noble M, Elfar J

The Journal of hand surgery.. 2016 October 41 (10):999-1010. Epub 09/01/2016.

Mutation of ataxia-telangiectasia mutated is associated with dysfunctional glutathione homeostasis in cerebellar astroglia.

Campbell A, Bushman J, Munger J, Noble M, Pröschel C, Mayer-Pröschel M

Glia.. 2016 February 64 (2):227-39. Epub 10/15/2015.

A novel mouse model for ataxia-telangiectasia with a N-terminal mutation displays a behavioral defect and a low incidence of lymphoma but no increased oxidative burden.

Campbell A, Krupp B, Bushman J, Noble M, Pröschel C, Mayer-Pröschel M

Human molecular genetics.. 2015 November 1524 (22):6331-49. Epub 08/26/2015.

cFLIP is critical for oligodendrocyte protection from inflammation.

Tanner DC, Campbell A, O'Banion KM, Noble M, Mayer-Pröschel M

Cell death and differentiation.. 2015 September 22 (9):1489-501. Epub 01/30/2015.

Redox biology in normal cells and cancer: restoring function of the redox/Fyn/c-Cbl pathway in cancer cells offers new approaches to cancer treatment.

Noble M, Mayer-Pröschel M, Li Z, Dong T, Cui W, Pröschel C, Ambeskovic I, Dietrich J, Han R, Miranda Yang Y, Folts C, Stripay J, Chen HY, Stevens BM

Free radical biology & medicine.. 2015 February 79 :300-23. Epub 12/04/2014.

Cool-1-mediated inhibition of c-Cbl modulates multiple critical properties of glioblastomas, including the ability to generate tumors in vivo.

Stevens BM, Folts CJ, Cui W, Bardin AL, Walter K, Carson-Walter E, Vescovi A, Noble M

Stem cells.. 2014 May 32 (5):1124-35. Epub 1900 01 01.

Delayed transplantation of precursor cell-derived astrocytes provides multiple benefits in a rat model of Parkinsons.

Proschel C, Stripay JL, Shih CH, Munger JC, Noble MD

EMBO molecular medicine.. 2014 April 6 (4):504-18. Epub 01/29/2014.

Oligodendrocyte/type-2 astrocyte progenitor cells and glial-restricted precursor cells generate different tumor phenotypes in response to the identical oncogenes.

Wang J, Bushman J, Wang X, Mayer-Proschel M, Johnson M, Noble M

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience.. 2013 October 1633 (42):16805-17. Epub 1900 01 01.

MEK1/2 inhibition suppresses tamoxifen toxicity on CNS glial progenitor cells.

Chen HY, Yang YM, Han R, Noble M

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience.. 2013 September 1833 (38):15069-74. Epub 1900 01 01.

iOPs: a new tool for studying myelin pathologies?

Noble M, Mayer-Pröschel M, Pröschel C

Cell stem cell.. 2013 May 212 (5):503-4. Epub 1900 01 01.

Inhibition of redox/Fyn/c-Cbl pathway function by Cdc42 controls tumour initiation capacity and tamoxifen sensitivity in basal-like breast cancer cells.

Chen HY, Yang YM, Stevens BM, Noble M

EMBO molecular medicine.. 2013 May 5 (5):723-36. Epub 04/22/2013.

Cell therapies for the central nervous system: how do we identify the best candidates?

Noble M, Mayer-Pröschel M, Davies JE, Davies SJ, Pröschel C

Current opinion in neurology.. 2011 December 24 (6):570-6. Epub 1900 01 01.

Precursor cell biology and the development of astrocyte transplantation therapies: lessons from spinal cord injury.

Noble M, Davies JE, Mayer-Pröschel M, Pröschel C, Davies SJ

Neurotherapeutics : the journal of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics.. 2011 October 8 (4):677-93. Epub 1900 01 01.

Transplantation of specific human astrocytes promotes functional recovery after spinal cord injury.

Davies SJ, Shih CH, Noble M, Mayer-Proschel M, Davies JE, Proschel C

PloS one.. 2011 March 26 (3):e17328. Epub 03/02/2011.

Oxidative-reductionist approaches to stem and progenitor cell function.

Noble M, Pröschel C, Mayer-Pröschel M

Cell stem cell.. 2011 January 78 (1):1-2. Epub 1900 01 01.

A composite likelihood approach to the analysis of longitudinal clonal data on multitype cellular systems under an age-dependent branching process.

Chen R, Hyrien O, Noble M, Mayer-Pröschel M

Biostatistics.. 2011 January 12 (1):173-91. Epub 08/23/2010.

Mathematical and experimental approaches to identify and predict the effects of chemotherapy on neuroglial precursors.

Hyrien O, Dietrich J, Noble M

Cancer research.. 2010 December 1570 (24):10051-9. Epub 11/05/2010.

Saddlepoint approximations to the moments of multitype age-dependent branching processes, with applications.

Hyrien O, Chen R, Mayer-Pröschel M, Noble M

Biometrics.. 2010 June 66 (2):567-77. Epub 06/09/2009.

Transplanted astrocytes derived from BMP- or CNTF-treated glial-restricted precursors have opposite effects on recovery and allodynia after spinal cord injury.

Davies JE, Pröschel C, Zhang N, Noble M, Mayer-Pröschel M, Davies SJ

Journal of biology. 2008 September 197 (7):24. Epub 09/19/2008.

Systemic 5-fluorouracil treatment causes a syndrome of delayed myelin destruction in the central nervous system.

Han R, Yang YM, Dietrich J, Luebke A, Mayer-Pröschel M, Noble M

Journal of biology. 2008 7 (4):12. Epub 04/22/2008.

Chemically diverse toxicants converge on Fyn and c-Cbl to disrupt precursor cell function.

Li Z, Dong T, Pröschel C, Noble M

PLoS biology.. 2007 February 5 (2):e35. Epub 1900 01 01.

Cancer stem cells.

Jordan CT, Guzman ML, Noble M

The New England journal of medicine.. 2006 September 21355 (12):1253-61. Epub 1900 01 01.

Stochastic modeling of oligodendrocyte generation in cell culture: model validation with time-lapse data.

Hyrien O, Ambeskovic I, Mayer-Proschel M, Noble M, Yakovlev A

Theoretical biology & medical modelling. 2006 May 173 :21. Epub 05/17/2006.

Implications for CNS repair of redox modulation of cell survival, division and differentiation.

Noble M

Current Alzheimer research.. 2006 February 3 (1):37-47. Epub 1900 01 01.

Astrocytes derived from glial-restricted precursors promote spinal cord repair.

Davies JE, Huang C, Proschel C, Noble M, Mayer-Proschel M, Davies SJ

Journal of biology. 2006 5 (3):7. Epub 04/27/2006.

CNS progenitor cells and oligodendrocytes are targets of chemotherapeutic agents in vitro and in vivo.

Dietrich J, Han R, Yang Y, Mayer-Pröschel M, Noble M

Journal of biology. 2006 5 (7):22. Epub 1900 01 01.

Ethics in the trenches: a multifaceted analysis of the stem cell debate.

Noble M

Stem cell reviews.. 2005 December 1 (4):345-76. Epub 1900 01 01.

EIF2B5 mutations compromise GFAP+ astrocyte generation in vanishing white matter leukodystrophy.

Dietrich J, Lacagnina M, Gass D, Richfield E, Mayer-Pröschel M, Noble M, Torres C, Pröschel C

Nature medicine.. 2005 March 11 (3):277-83. Epub 02/20/2005.

A stochastic model to analyze clonal data on multi-type cell populations.

Hyrien O, Mayer-Pröschel M, Noble M, Yakovlev A

Biometrics.. 2005 March 61 (1):199-207. Epub 1900 01 01.

Estimating the life-span of oligodendrocytes from clonal data on their development in cell culture.

Hyrien O, Mayer-Pröschel M, Noble M, Yakovlev A

Mathematical biosciences.. 2005 February 193 (2):255-74. Epub 01/22/2005.

Neural precursor cells and toxicant action: Addressing the analysis of low-level toxicant exposure

Noble, M.

Role of Glia in Neurotoxicity. 2005; 2nd Edition: 1-28.

Redox regulation of precursor cell function: insights and paradoxes.

Noble M, Mayer-Pröschel M, Pröschel C

Antioxidants & redox signaling.. 2005 7 (11-12):1456-67. Epub 1900 01 01.

Acute transplantation of glial-restricted precursor cells into spinal cord contusion injuries: survival, differentiation, and effects on lesion environment and axonal regeneration.

Hill CE, Proschel C, Noble M, Mayer-Proschel M, Gensel JC, Beattie MS, Bresnahan JC

Experimental neurology.. 2004 December 190 (2):289-310. Epub 1900 01 01.

The complex identity of brain tumors: emerging concerns regarding origin, diversity and plasticity.

Noble M, Dietrich J

Trends in neurosciences.. 2004 March 27 (3):148-54. Epub 1900 01 01.

Getting a GR(i)P on oligodendrocyte development.

Noble M, Pröschel C, Mayer-Pröschel M

Developmental biology.. 2004 January 1265 (1):33-52. Epub 1900 01 01.

The possible role of myelin destruction as a precipitating event in Alzheimer's disease.

Noble M

Neurobiology of aging.. 2004 January 25 (1):25-31. Epub 1900 01 01.

Directed nerve outgrowth is enhanced by engineered glial substrates.

Biran R, Noble MD, Tresco PA

Experimental neurology.. 2003 November 184 (1):141-52. Epub 1900 01 01.

Redox state as a central modulator of precursor cell function.

Noble M, Smith J, Power J, Mayer-Pröschel M

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.. 2003 June 991 :251-71. Epub 1900 01 01.

The cortical ancestry of oligodendrocytes: common principles and novel features.

Noble M, Arhin A, Gass D, Mayer-Pröschel M

Developmental neuroscience.. 2003 25 (2-4):217-33. Epub 1900 01 01.

Characterization of A2B5+ glial precursor cells from cryopreserved human fetal brain progenitor cells.

Dietrich J, Noble M, Mayer-Proschel M

Glia.. 2002 October 40 (1):65-77. Epub 1900 01 01.

Oligodendrocyte precursor cells from different brain regions express divergent properties consistent with the differing time courses of myelination in these regions.

Power J, Mayer-Pröschel M, Smith J, Noble M

Developmental biology.. 2002 May 15245 (2):362-75. Epub 1900 01 01.

Intersections between neurobiology and oncology: tumor origin, treatment and repair of treatment-associated damage.

Noble M, Dietrich J

Trends in neurosciences.. 2002 February 25 (2):103-7. Epub 1900 01 01.

The tripotential glial-restricted precursor (GRP) cell and glial development in the spinal cord: generation of bipotential oligodendrocyte-type-2 astrocyte progenitor cells and dorsal-ventral differences in GRP cell function.

Gregori N, Pröschel C, Noble M, Mayer-Pröschel M

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience.. 2002 January 122 (1):248-56. Epub 1900 01 01.

Are hypothyroidism and iron deficiency precursor cell diseases?

Mayer-Pröschel M, Morath D, Noble M

Developmental neuroscience.. 2001 23 (4-5):277-86. Epub 1900 01 01.

Can neural stem cells be used to track down and destroy migratory brain tumor cells while also providing a means of repairing tumor-associated damage?

Noble M

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.. 2000 November 797 (23):12393-5. Epub 1900 01 01.

Redox state is a central modulator of the balance between self-renewal and differentiation in a dividing glial precursor cell.

Smith J, Ladi E, Mayer-Proschel M, Noble M

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.. 2000 August 2997 (18):10032-7. Epub 1900 01 01.

Quantitative insight into proliferation and differentiation of oligodendrocyte type 2 astrocyte progenitor cells in vitro.

Yakovlev AY, Boucher K, Mayer-Proschel M, Noble M

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.. 1998 November 2495 (24):14164-7. Epub 1900 01 01.

A tripotential glial precursor cell is present in the developing spinal cord.

Rao MS, Noble M, Mayer-Pröschel M

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.. 1998 March 3195 (7):3996-4001. Epub 1900 01 01.

Evidence for the existence of at least two timing mechanisms that contribute to oligodendrocyte generation in vitro.

Ibarrola N, Mayer-Pröschel M, Rodriguez-Peña A, Noble M

Developmental biology.. 1996 November 25180 (1):1-21. Epub 1900 01 01.

LIM-kinase1 hemizygosity implicated in impaired visuospatial constructive cognition.

Frangiskakis JM, Ewart AK, Morris CA, Mervis CB, Bertrand J, Robinson BF, Klein BP, Ensing GJ, Everett LA, Green ED, Pröschel C, Gutowski NJ, Noble M, Atkinson DL, Odelberg SJ, Keating MT

Cell.. 1996 July 1286 (1):59-69. Epub 1900 01 01.

Limk1 is predominantly expressed in neural tissues and phosphorylates serine, threonine and tyrosine residues in vitro.

Pröschel C, Blouin MJ, Gutowski NJ, Ludwig R, Noble M

Oncogene.. 1995 October 511 (7):1271-81. Epub 1900 01 01.

N-acetyl-L-cysteine is a pluripotent protector against cell death and enhancer of trophic factor-mediated cell survival in vitro.

Mayer M, Noble M

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.. 1994 August 291 (16):7496-500. Epub 1900 01 01.

The characterization of astrocyte cell lines that display properties of glial scar tissue.

Groves AK, Entwistle A, Jat PS, Noble M

Developmental biology.. 1993 September 159 (1):87-104. Epub 1900 01 01.

Repair of demyelinated lesions by transplantation of purified O-2A progenitor cells.

Groves AK, Barnett SC, Franklin RJ, Crang AJ, Mayer M, Blakemore WF, Noble M

Nature.. 1993 April 1362 (6419):453-5. Epub 1900 01 01.

In vitro analysis of the origin and maintenance of O-2Aadult progenitor cells.

Wren D, Wolswijk G, Noble M

The Journal of cell biology.. 1992 January 116 (1):167-76. Epub 1900 01 01.

Cooperation between two growth factors promotes extended self-renewal and inhibits differentiation of oligodendrocyte-type-2 astrocyte (O-2A) progenitor cells.

Bögler O, Wren D, Barnett SC, Land H, Noble M

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.. 1990 August 87 (16):6368-72. Epub 1900 01 01.

Identification of an adult-specific glial progenitor cell.

Wolswijk G, Noble M

Development.. 1989 February 105 (2):387-400. Epub 1900 01 01.

Platelet-derived growth factor promotes division and motility and inhibits premature differentiation of the oligodendrocyte/type-2 astrocyte progenitor cell.

Noble M, Murray K, Stroobant P, Waterfield MD, Riddle P

Nature.. 1988 June 9333 (6173):560-2. Epub 1900 01 01.

Platelet-derived growth factor from astrocytes drives the clock that times oligodendrocyte development in culture.

Raff MC, Lillien LE, Richardson WD, Burne JF, Noble MD

Nature.. 1988 June 9333 (6173):562-5. Epub 1900 01 01.

Evidence for migration of oligodendrocyte--type-2 astrocyte progenitor cells into the developing rat optic nerve.

Small RK, Riddle P, Noble M

Nature.. 1987 328 (6126):155-7. Epub 1900 01 01.

Purified astrocytes promote the in vitro division of a bipotential glial progenitor cell.

Noble M, Murray K

The EMBO journal.. 1984 October 3 (10):2243-7. Epub 1900 01 01.