Josh Russell and his collaborators in the ADRC Neuropathology Core use biotechnology to detect Alzheimer’s pathology in exosomes from worms and samples of cerebrospinal fluid from human patients. This project was selected for a talk at the 21st International C. Their studies to date indicate that exosomes in Alzheimer’s disease-model worms also package up toxic proteins and send them out of neurons. of Pathology, they uncovered that these worm vesicles act much like human exosomes. Through a collaborative effort with the groups led by Dr. elegans, as a model to study how toxic Alzheimer’s disease-related proteins affect exosome function. The Kaeberlein Lab and collaborators are developing the simple roundworm, C. However, some scientists strongly suspect that some exosomes may spill some of their toxic cargo, contributing to the spreading of Alzheimer’s disease pathology in human patients. They also scoop up waste in neurons, such as amyloid beta peptides, and clear it out. They are like text messaging for cells, carrying genetic signals and proteins to distant areas of the body. Here is a tour through the different ways that worms play starring roles in UW Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC)-related projects in the UW Medicine’s Department of Pathology and Department of Geriatrics & Gerontology.Įxosomes are nano-sized packages, called vesicles, floating around many cell types, including neurons. Researchers can use these worm models to quickly screen for any genes or compounds that modify the toxic effects of these pathologies or progression of diseases in the worm-a step towards finding therapeutic targets in humans. The worms develop paralysis, delayed swallowing, and other ‘phenotypes’ of disease. elegans because much of the cellular machinery for processing proteins is similar across all animal species. The toxicity of these proteins probably plays out similarly in C. To make a worm model of neurodegenerative disease, researchers insert a gene that triggers the worm’s genome to express one of the toxic proteins related to Alzheimer’s disease in humans-including tau, amyloid beta, TDP-43, or alpha synuclein. Because the body is transparent, researchers can use a light microscope to look at any tissue they want at a 200-nm resolution, which is enough to observe physiology in living detail. elegans has intestines, muscles, a pharynx, and a simple nervous system of 302 neurons, compared to our 100 billion. Why do they love this 1-mm creature?įirst, scientists find these little worms to be a valuable model to study aspects of human diseases, such as Alzheimer’s. “Powerful.” “Fantastic.” “Cute.” “Rad.” “Far out.” This is how UW ADRC researchers have been overheard talking about the Caenorhabditis elegans roundworm. As published in Dimensions, the Magazine of the UW Alzheimer's Disease Research Center - Fall 2017 ( Download the PDF or Read Online)
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