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Unwanted Packages

Role of brain cell-derived exosomes – packages of cell content and membrane – in neurodegenerative changes

08 September 2022

Unwanted Packages

We all have those days when our brain seems to whirr more slowly, as if the internal cogs are all gummed up. Alzheimer’s disease does something similar, tangling wires and clogging the brain with plaques made of a protein called amyloid beta (Aβ). Aβ is generated by the amyloid precursor protein (APP), but the various ways it's created and distributed are not fully understood. Researchers examined brain cells called astrocytes cultured from rats (pictured, with APP in green) to observe how little packages of material including APP and Aβ might contribute. Building on previous studies that had linked cholesterol accumulation and APP levels, they found that astrocytes with greater levels of cholesterol released fewer packages, but with greater concentrations of APP and Aβ. Explaining how these secreted packages impact brain function, and how cholesterol and Aβ could be targeted, is an important step in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease.

Written by Anthony Lewis

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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