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| author | Samantha A. Cassidy |
| title | Developing a novel co-culture model and testing the effects of placental derived stem cells on inflammation in Alzheimer's disease |
| abstract |
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an abhorrent disease that robs people of their memories and personalities. Researchers have yet to develop an effective disease-modifying
treatment for this multifaceted disease. Inflammation is one of the main hallmarks of AD and is caused by the over-activation of the main immune cells of the brain:
neuroglial cells. High concentrations of nitric oxide (NO) associated with this heightened immune response have been known to cause neuronal damage and cellular loss.
The aim of this study was to develop a viable co-culture system in which placental derived stem cells (PDSCs) and neuroglial cells are cultured together in systems
involving transwells and cover slips for further analysis. A transwell co-culture system resulted in no effect of PDSCs on the NO concentration mediated by LPS stimulation
or the modulation of NGF in glia cultures. This suggests that NGF may not necessarily be the neurotrophin causing the decrease of NO in activated glia. A second co-culture
system, a cell-to-cell contact cover slip system in which glia were grown in a welled plate and PDSCs grown on cover slips, revealed a decrease in NO concentration in LPS
stimulated glia when compared to controls. There were several problems with this model however, including cell disruption stemming from execution flaws. Using
Immunocytochemistry, this study also qualified and quantified the morphological differences in activated glial cells that had been treated with stem cells visualized
through an induced nitric oxide synthase antibody (iNOS). LPS stimulated glia showed a shrunken, shriveled appearance typical of apoptosis with a high intensity of iNOS
stain and a high area percentage covered by stain. Control glia, however, showed healthy spread and flattened glial formations with a minor but widespread intensity of
iNOS. These studies, though preliminary, offer a platform on which to conduct further experiments in glia and PDSC co-culture as well as clues about how iNOS gets
activated in glial inflammation in a model of AD.
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| school | The College of Liberal Arts, Drew University |
| degree | B.A. (May 2014) |
| advisor | Roger Knowles |
| committee | Christina McKittrick
Hilary Kalagher
Sandra Keyser |
| full text | SACassidy.pdf |
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