2023 Alzheimer's Association Research Grant to Promote Diversity (AARG-D)
Aß42’s Cell Autonomous Effects on Adult Olfactory Neurogenesis
Can growing new neurons be a new therapeutic approach to treat Alzheimer’s?
Ankur Saxena, Ph.D.
University of Illinois at Chicago
Chicago, IL - United States
Background
One of the hallmark brain changes in Alzheimer’s is the accumulation of beta-amyloid, a protein fragment that clumps together to form beta-amyloid plaques. The formation of beta-amyloid plaques negatively impacts how nerve cells in the brain can communicate with one another and can ultimately lead to nerve cell death and cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s. Studies have shown that neurogenesis, or the process of growing new nerve cells, is impaired in Alzheimer’s and may be a potential new therapeutic approach to treating Alzheimer’s by combating the loss of nerve cells in the brain.
Dr. Ankur Saxena and colleagues believe that the loss of smell (olfaction), one of the common early symptoms of Alzheimer’s, may hold key to understanding how neurogenesis is impaired during the early stages of the disease.
Research Plan
Dr. Saxena and the team examine a specific type of nerve cell, called olfactory stem cells which can grow into new nerve cells, to study the role of neurogenesis in Alzheimer’s. The researchers will measure the impact of beta-amyloid accumulation on neurogenesis and identify the specific cell-to-cell communication pathways that are impacted. Next, they will expose the olfactory stem cells to copper, an element that can induce cell death, and evaluate their ability to grow new neurons in the presence or absence of amyloid.
Impact
This study may provide insights into the biological mechanisms associated with nerve cell loss in early Alzheimer’s. These findings could also shed new light on how neurogenesis could be harnessed as potential Alzheimer’s treatment.