Scientists Discover New Architecture of Cells That Are Linked to Alzheimer's

A study from the Wellcome Sanger Institute published in Nature Neuroscience found that cells associated with Alzheimer's disease are far more diverse than previously thought, reports Being Patient . The researchers examined glial cells, which help maintain and shield neurons, to determine whether they exhibit a similar level of diversity and heterogeneity to neurons. They investigated astrocytes in mice and human brains, using the large-area spatial transcriptomic technique to map gene expressions of astrocytes within the cerebral cortex. The researchers integrated these maps with single-cell genomic data, building a three-dimensional, high-resolution visual of astrocytes within the brain. This revealed that astrocytes possess distinct molecular configurations in different regions of the cerebral cortex, and are structured into multiple layers that overlap neuronal layers in the cortex. Earlier research showed that astrocytes are linked to brain health and the risk of Alzheimer's disease, and one study led to a drug that blocks a receptor of astrocytes in mice, enhancing brain function and ability to learn new tasks. Researchers also discovered that astrocytes in people with Alzheimer's generate more beta-amyloid than in healthy people. The latest study's methodology will enable scientists to compare how molecular characteristics of glial cells in brains with Alzheimer's differ from brains lacking the disease, said Omer Bayraktar at the Wellcome Sanger Institute.