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Full-Text Articles in Neuroscience and Neurobiology

Regulation And Function Of Trem2-Dependent Pathways In Neurodegeneration, Wilbur Madison Song May 2020

Regulation And Function Of Trem2-Dependent Pathways In Neurodegeneration, Wilbur Madison Song

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Carriers of the R47H allele of the microglia-specific lipid receptor TREM2 have a greatly increased risk of developing Alzheimerճ disease. The objective of this dissertation is to develop further mechanistic knowledge about how TREM2 is regulated and how TREM2 mutations affect microglia and neurodegeneration. Using an in vitro reporter assay, we find that several AD risk-associated TREM2 mutations decrease ligand-dependent activation. Using humanized TREM2 mice, we find that in vivo, the R47H mutation leads to reduced microglia activation and response to A_, as well as decreased shedding of soluble TREM2. These results suggest that TREM2 is protective during disease. We …


Integrative Analysis To Investigate Complex Interaction In Alzheimer’S Disease, Zeran Li May 2019

Integrative Analysis To Investigate Complex Interaction In Alzheimer’S Disease, Zeran Li

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder featuring progressive cognitive and functional deficits. Pathologically, AD is characterized by tau and amyloid β protein deposition in the brain. As the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S., the disease course usually last from 7 to 10 years on average before the consequential death. In 2019 there are estimated 5.8 million Americans living with AD affecting 16 million family members. At certain stage of the disease course, patients with inability of maintaining their daily functioning highly depend on caregivers, primarily family caregivers, that incur estimated 18.4 billion unpaid hours of cares, …


The Role Of Apolipoprotein E In Regulating Tau Pathogenesis And Neurodegeneration In A Tauopathy Mouse Model, Yang Shi Dec 2018

The Role Of Apolipoprotein E In Regulating Tau Pathogenesis And Neurodegeneration In A Tauopathy Mouse Model, Yang Shi

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

APOE4 is the strongest genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD). APOE4 increases brain amyloid-β (Aβ) pathology relative to other APOE isoforms. However, whether APOE independently influences tau pathology, the other pathological hallmark of AD and other tauopathies, or tau-mediated neurodegeneration, is not clear. By generating P301S tau transgenic mice on either a human APOE knock in (KI) or APOE knockout (KO) background, we show that the presence of human APOE, regardless of APOE isoforms, leads to various degrees of brain atrophy in 9-month old P301S mice, whereas APOE ablation strongly protects against neurodegeneration. In particular, P301S/E4 mice develop …


Tissue Damage Quantification In Alzheimer's Disease Brain Via Magnetic Resonance Gradient Echo Plural Contrast Imaging (Gepci), Yue Zhao May 2017

Tissue Damage Quantification In Alzheimer's Disease Brain Via Magnetic Resonance Gradient Echo Plural Contrast Imaging (Gepci), Yue Zhao

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) affected approximately 48 million people worldwide in 2015. Its devastating consequences have stimulated an intense search for AD prevention and treatment. Clinically, AD is characterized by memory deficits and progressive cognitive impairment, leading to dementia. Over the past two to three decades, researchers have found that amyloidbeta (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tau tangles occur during a long pre-symptomatic period (preclinical stage) before the onset of clinical symptoms. As a result, identification of the preclinical stage is essential for the initiation of prevention trials in asymptomatic individuals. Currently, Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging with injected 11C or 18F …