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A Synthetic Human Brain Ecm Hydrogel For Tight Control Of Astrocyte Activation, Sualyneth Galarza
A Synthetic Human Brain Ecm Hydrogel For Tight Control Of Astrocyte Activation, Sualyneth Galarza
Doctoral Dissertations
Bioengineers have aimed to design instructive extracellular matrix (ECM) models that can tailor the protein composition and biomechanics of the brain in vitro in order to study how astrocytes remodel the brain during trauma and inflammation. However, these parameters cannot be independently controlled in protein-based models, and although tunable in synthetic systems, current astrocyte cultures fail to retain their characteristic stellate morphology without becoming activated. To this date, there is no biomaterial model that can retain astrocyte quiescence in vitro. This dissertation sought to develop such an in vitro model that would enable the study of specific ECM factors …
Role Of P-Glycoprotein In Alzheimer’S Disease For Enhanced Brain Elimination Of Amyloid-Β, Hope Holt
Role Of P-Glycoprotein In Alzheimer’S Disease For Enhanced Brain Elimination Of Amyloid-Β, Hope Holt
Theses and Dissertations
Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common form of neurodegenerative disorder, is characterized by deposition of amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques in the brain. Aβ monomer undergoes nucleation to form oligomers, then soluble aggregates, then fibrils which make up the plaques. Aβ oligomer species are believed to be the most neurotoxic aggregate species. Currently under investigation is a mechanism for Aβ removal from the brain, across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is a membrane-bound efflux protein located on the apical, or blood, side of the BBB, which transports a wide variety of substrates. Further complicating this potential clearance mechanism is the reduction …