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Figuring Out Alzheimer’s
19 November 2017

Figuring Out Alzheimer’s

Over half a million people in the UK suffer from Alzheimer’s – a progressive disease that causes symptoms that profoundly affect the patient’s daily life. As Alzheimer’s advances, structures called plaques [clusters of proteins] build up between nerve cells. Within nerve cells – which have a ‘body’ and a projection, the axonvesicles called lysosomes work as ‘refuse collectors’, moving through the cell body, breaking down old and damaged parts. In Alzheimer’s, these lysosomes can get stuck and accumulate within the axon, unable to carry out their work in the cell body, and are associated with the formation of plaques. Delving deeper, researchers found that loss of or a fault in a molecule in nerve cells called JIP3 also led to a build up of lysosomes, swelling cells (pictured), and contributing to larger plaques. This finding supports the idea that both genetic and environmental factors contribute to disease progression.

Written by Katie Panteli

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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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