New brain mapping technique identifies cells vulnerable to Alzheimer’s disease

Researchers from the University of Texas in Arlington and the University of California-San Francisco have used a new brain mapping technique to identify memory-related brain cells that are vulnerable to protein structure, a key factor in the development of Alzheimer’s disease, an incurable, progressive brain disorder.

Almost half a million people with Alzheimer’s disease live in Texas, a form of dementia that costs the state about $ 24 billion in care providers, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. Texas is in fourth place in the nation for the affairs of Alzheimer and second in Alzheimer-related deaths.

To understand why certain parts of the brain are more influenced by Alzheimer’s disease, researchers concentrated on Tau, a protein that accumulates in brain cells and disrupts normal activity. With the help of the Miss (matrixinversion and subset selection) Maping technology, which profiled around 1.3 million cells, the research team created detailed maps of different cell types in the brains of mice. They compared these maps with areas where Tau builds up to determine which cell types are the most influenced. Their findings are published in the Peer-Reviewed Journal Nature Communications Biology.

With the help of mathematical and computational models, we found that certain cells in the Hippocampus, a brain area that is important for memory and navigation, are more vulnerable to Tau building. These glutamatergic neurons showed a strong connection with TAU deposits, which means that they are more influenced. Brain cells in the cortex, on the other hand, the part of the brain that controls movement, sensory information, emotions and reasoning less chance of being influenced by Tau. “

Pedro Maia, author, mathematics university professor at Uta

Interestingly, the researchers also discovered that oligodendrocytes, brain cells that help to insulate nerve fibers were less influenced by Tau. This suggests that these cells can help protect the brain against Tau building.

The study also showed that the distribution of different cell types in the brain can better predict where TAU accumulation takes place than just genetic factors. This means that the types of cells that are present in different brain areas can be more important than Alzheimer-related genes in determining the vulnerability for Tau.

“In general, this study helps us to understand why certain brain areas are more influenced by the structure of Tau that leads to Alzheimer’s disease,” said Dr. Maia. “By identifying the cell types and gene functions involved, our study shows how theoretical and computational models can provide new insights into the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. This is another piece of valuable data that helps us specifically on the vulnerable cells and genes associated with Tau -Buildte in the future, potential potential”

For more information about Maia’s work, go to the NSF RTG Training in Mathematics for Human Health Program, which he co -leads about computational neurology.