Скачать или смотреть Understanding cell behaviour to help treat brain disease. C&E Matheson Scholar, Alex van der Weerden

Understanding why cells fill with waste will help us treat brain diseases in the future

Batten disease, like many other diseases of the brain, are caused by cells filling up with waste that cannot be cleared away. Cells need a functioning recycling system. Just like if your house filled up with rubbish it would be hard to live in, if your brain cells fill up with waste it’s hard for them to normally function.
We are investigating how the cell recycling system is changed in different types of Batten disease. Batten disease is a severe brain disease that often causes childhood death and has no cure. By understanding the causes of Batten disease, new treatments can be developed that restore the recycling system of cells and clear away harmful waste. The project simulates Batten disease brain cells by growing them in a dish. We are using microscopes to study and photograph the Batten cells, revealing how these differ from healthy brain cells.
This project will help us understand how the accumulation of waste in cells causes Batten disease, revealing what could targeted by future Batten disease treatments.