Role of microglia in Alzheimer's disease
The role of microglia in Alzheimer’s disease is an attractive topic of research, but molecular patterns are partially defined and available in vitro models have technical limitations. This research line is focused on validating a relatively unexplored cellular model of Alzheimer’s disease, through the characterization of immortalized astrocytes generated from the hippocampus of a well-established Alzheimer’s disease mouse model, and from the wild-type counterpart, specifically focusing on proteasomal and autophagic proteolytic pathways. These cells are treated with natural and synthetic molecules in order to define the mechanism of action of potential neuroprotective compounds. Moreover, the interaction between mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum is altered in Alzheimer’s disease astrocytes, with consequent imbalance in intracellular calcium signaling. Upon strategic modulation of the distance between mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum, the effects on proteolysis are explored. Studies are performed using immunometric and spectrofluorimetric assays, fluorescent and confocal microscopy.
Keywords - ENGLISH
Alzheimer’s disease, microglia, immortalized astrocytes, proteolysis
Active participants in the research line (PI last author or *)
Laura Bonfili; Valentina Cecarini; Massimiliano Cuccioloni; Anna Maria Eleuteri
External Collaborations
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale; Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences - Università di Catania.
Pillar
Human Health
Macroareas in Human Health
Biology of health and disease
Email Address
laura.bonfili@unicam.it
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