Effect of stem cell quality on therapy outcome – Alzheimer.
PhD Supervisor(s): Dr Alex Stolzing and Dr Marie Pardon
Alzheimer’s disease is a debilitating, incurable and increasingly common condition especially in the elderly. Adult stem cells transplants have a potential therapeutic role in the treatment of age-related neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s, by exerting an immune-modulatory function. However, actual transplant-related pre-clinical research in this field is still in the early stages in the UK. The project explores these questions using adult stem cells from the mesenchymal lineage (MSC) in a mouse model that has been genetically modified to mimic aspects of human Alzheimer’s disease. Cells will be grown using a variety of specialised culture conditions with a view to enhance their potential in-vivo effects. Mice will receive cells via a nasal or systemic application and will be tested for AD related pathology changes, inflammation markers and neurogenesis. The brain will be removed and analysed utilising a selection of innovative analytical techniques.
