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Astrocytes, Ageing and Brain Dysfunction
Team Leader
Team Members
Research Assistants
- Ms. Hania Czerwinska
- Ms. Nikki Thompson-Vest
Laboratory-based Postgraduate Students
- Mr. Ron Ahlfeldt
- Ms. Joannah Cane
- Ms. Theresa Dang
- Ms. Samantha Fernandes
- Mr. Jeff Liddell
Clinically-based Postgraduate Students
- Ms. Kathryn Bruce
- Mr. Tim Friedman
- Ms. Michelle Roger
- Ms. Samantha Speirs
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Astrocytes compose about 30% of the volume of the CNS and they outnumber neurones, yet during the 20th century they were neglected by researchers who thought that brain function could be understood in terms of synaptic transmission between neurones. As we enter a new century there is a growing appreciation that neurones and astrocytes are united in an elaborate symbiosis and that normal brain function represents the outcome of these interactions. Astrocytes possess unique enzymes, proteins and transporters that allow them to supply neurones with energy, substrates for neurotransmitter synthesis, trophic factors and antioxidants. Impairment of these astrocytic functions is a common feature of neurological disorders.
Our research team is investigating the protective roles played by astrocytes in age-related neurodegenerative disorders such as stroke and Alzheimer's disease. Our focus is on the metabolism of iron, hemin and blood by astrocytes and on the response of astrocytes to oxidative stress. We are also investigating whether the capacity of astrocytes to protect neurones declines in old age.
The technical approaches used in our laboratory range from biochemistry and cell culture, to the use of in vivo models and the examination of human pathological tissue, all the way through to the cognitive testing of people in various clinical and community contexts. Our resources and expertise include:
- Biochemical assays on primary cultures of astrocytes and neurones derived from (neonatal, adult and senescent) rats and mice. We have particular expertise in the measurement of antioxidant capacity in cells and in the uptake and metabolism of iron.
- Culturing brain cells in 3-dimensional scaffolds to more closely mimic the conditions in the brain compared to conventional 2-dimensional cultures.
- A large colony of senescent mice that are used for cell culture and behavioural studies, to provide insights into changes that occur in the brain during the normal ageing process.
- Stereotaxic injection of neurotoxic agents (amyloid-beta, iron, hemin, blood) into the cerebral cortex and hippocampus of adult and senescent rats and mice.
- Immunohistochemical investigations of human brain tissue.
- Subtle Cognitive Impairment Test (SCIT), which is a computer-based test developed by us that can be used to screen for impairments in cognition resulting from a whole range of variables such as drug intoxication, brain damage, fatigue, etc.
This wide range of expertise provides us with the potential to assess the relevance of our basic research findings in the clinical setting.
We have enjoyed fruitful collaborations with many research groups in Australia and overseas. Our current research collaborations include the following:
- Dr. Greg Yelland: Use of the SCIT in a variety of clinical and community contexts.
- Prof. Julian Smith: Use of the SCIT in patients who undergo cardiac surgery.
- Dr. Tom Edwards and Dr. Gavin Lambert: Investigation of the role of astrocytes in post-traumatic stress disorder.
- Dr. Lisa Martin and Dr. Adam Mechler: Investigations of factors that influence the aggregation of amyloid-beta peptide.
- Dr. Stefan Przyborski: The use of 3-dimensional polystyrene inserts for growing brain cells in culture.
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