Cambridge study identifies astrocyte network as new therapeutic target for Parkinson’s disease

Cambridge study identifies astrocyte network as new therapeutic target for Parkinson’s disease

2023-03-08 0 次浏览

Nataly Hastings et al. at the University of Cambridge hypothesised that the astrocyte network is dysregulated in Parkinson’s disease and that normalising calcium transport in the astrocyte network could reduce a-syn aggregation and inflammation, it was learnt on 26 July 2023. Gap junctions (GJs) communication and Cx43 expression were reduced in cultured astrocytes attacked with a-syn and inflammatory cytokines, and Cx43 expression was down-regulated in a rat model of Parkinson’s disease and a human model of Parkinson’s disease induced by injections of a-syn prefabricated fibres (PFF). Astrocytes from different brain regions were affected to varying degrees. In humans, cortical Cx43 deletion showed a trend associated with NMS (e.g., depression). Down-regulation of Cx43 in cultured astrocytes was associated with calcium disturbances, which were similar to those induced by a-syn.