Correct functioning of the nervous system requires formation and maintenance of synaptic connections between neurons. Defects in these connections can contribute to neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer's Disease. Protein-based signals that occur at individual points of contact as they form and change in strength have been studied. However, new methods reveal that key signals influencing synaptic connections can change strongly and periodically over time across entire cells. The effects of these changes on physiological or pathological changes in connectivity are unknown. This project develops a platform to help understand the relation between these cellwide changes and the connections between human neurons. We use the platform to increase knowledge of the relation between cell signalling and how connections are lost in Alzheimer's disease. This information could accelerate the development of effective drugs for neurological disorders including Alzheimer's disease.

2022

2026