2023 Alzheimer's Association Research Fellowship to Promote Diversity (AARF-D)
Regulation of Enteric Neurons by Nerve-Associated Macrophages
How does Alzheimer’s affect cells in the gut and why might individuals with Alzheimer’s experience gastrointestinal symptoms?
Anuradha Kumari, Ph.D.
Emory University
Atlanta, GA - United States
Background
Some individuals with Alzheimer’s also experience gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, such as constipation. Researchers believe this may be due to problems with nerve cell communication in the gut. The gut’s nervous system helps control intestinal movement and is directly connected to the brain.
Certain immune cells, called macrophages, are known to associate with nerve cells in the gut. These nerve-associated macrophages are highly dependent on the gut microbiome, which is the community of microorganisms that live within the intestine and impact overall human health. Researchers believe nerve-associated macrophages in the gut may also be affected by Alzheimer’s in the brain, but it is not clear exactly how this might occur.
Research Plan
Dr. Anuradha Kumari and colleagues will study changes in the gut microbiome that occur during Alzheimer’s and how these changes influence gut cells. First, the researchers will use fecal samples from genetically engineered Alzheimer’s like mice to track the quantity and types of microorganisms found in the gut. They will also collect nerve cells and macrophages from the mice over time to monitor these gut cell populations. Using these cells, they will collect and count the number of nerve-associated macrophages present in different gut regions of the mice at different ages (to represent early- through late-stage Alzheimer’s) and measure gene function in these cells Dr. Kumari’s goal is to explore how macrophages from Alzheimer’s-like mice might influence the shape, function, or survival of healthy nerve cells in the gut.
Impact
Results from this study could help clarify how the gut microbiome influences immune and nerve cell functions in the gut during Alzheimer’s. It may also lead to a deeper understanding of the gut brain connection.