Astrocyte Senescence as a Component of Alzheimer’s Disease

Aging is the main risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD); however, the aspects of the aging process that predispose the brain to the development of AD are largely unknown. Astrocytes perform a myriad of functions in the central nervous system to maintain homeostasis and support neuronal function. In vitro, human astrocytes are highly sensitive to oxidative stress and trigger a senescence program when faced with multiple types of stress. In order to determine whether senescent astrocytes appear in vivo, brain tissue from aged individuals and patients with AD was examined for the presence of senescent astrocytes using p16(INK4a) and matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) expression as markers of senescence.…

• DU
  Drexel University
• NI
  National Institutes of Health

  Award: AG022443
• UO
  University of California, San Diego
• CO
  College of Medicine, Drexel University