Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Neuron To Microglia Communication; A Study Of Cx3cl1 Signaling Implications In Cognitive Function, Inflammation, And Neurodegeneration, Joshua M. Morganti

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As a consequence of aging, the brain is subject to chronic neuroinflammatory conditions. The resident immune cells of the brain, microglia, act similarly to peripheral macrophages to protect the brain from insults, infection, and physical trauma. However, without proper regulation of their respective host defense mechanisms, these actions can become neurotoxic. In the healthy brain neurons have several signaling systems that directly interact with microglia in order to maintain a calming influence upon their actions, one of particular interest is the chemokine CX3CL1. This chemokine is found predominantly on neurons, while its cognate receptor CX3CR1 is found exclusively on microglia. …

Effects Of G-Csf On Monocytes And Neurons: In Vitro And In Vivo Studies In A Mouse Model Of Alzheimer's Disease, Amanda Renee Pennington

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

G-CSF is routinely used to treat neutropenia/leukopenia or to increase hematopoietic stem cell generation in bone marrow donors. G-CSF and its receptor, G-CSFR, are produced by various cell types both in the peripheral circulation and within brain. As a consequence, exogenous administration of G-CSF results in a broad spectrum of effects involving hematopoietic, immune and central nervous systems.

G-CSF administration in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has revealed both cognitive benefits and disease modifying effects: a) decreased Aβ plaque burden, b) increased microgliosis, c) increased neurogenesis and d) improved performance in radial arm water maze (RAWM). In clinical …