I am studying the neuroprotective effect of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) against glutamate toxicity in vitro. The hypotheses being tested in Professor Mike Kubek's lab are: 1) TRH protects against glutamate-induced toxicity; and 2) TRH signaling is selectively downregulated as part of this neuroprotective mechanism. Results derived from this work should provide data that heterologous receptor down-regulation may, in part, account for the neuroprotective effect of TRH against glutamate-induced neurotoxicity in cell, neuronal, or slice systems. Potential clinical applications exist in patients with neural trauma,chemical injury, seizure disorders and other situations where glutamate over-stimulation is known to elicit cell injury and death.