Poster #086
From Thought to Tangle: How Alzheimer’s Affects the Brain
Mentor: Negar Seyedhassantehrani, Post-Doc
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by amyloid-β plaque accumulation and aggregation of hyperphosphorylated tau protein into neurofibrillary tangles. Despite being the most prevalent tauopathy, AD’s multifaceted pathology has hindered efforts to develop a cure. Our study aims to characterize the neuropathology in AD mice (PS19) carrying the P301S mutation, which models tau pathology observed in human AD. Alzheimer’s disease progression involves the activation of astrocytes and microglia in response to pathological tau accumulation. These reactive cells drive chronic neuroinflammation, which worsens brain cell damage and accelerates disease progression, resulting in cognitive decline. To study these changes, we cryosectioned brain tissue and used immunohistochemical staining to visualize and analyze the degeneration of these cell types in PS19 compared to control mice. Identifying cellular changes and connecting how these changes correlate to loss of cognitive and motor function through various behavioral tests is critical to developing effective AD treatments.