Start Date
17-12-2015 2:05 PM
Description
Can Drosophila melanogaster brains be studied in-vitro to model Huntington’s disease?
Caroline Fukawa
Abstract: Huntington’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that is caused by the mutation of the huntingtin gene. This mutation causes the aggregation of the protein, called the CAG protein, which inhibits the normal functioning of neuronal cells as a consequence of neuronal degeneration The organism, Drosophila melanogaster, otherwise known as the fruit fly, has proven to be a useful model for studying neurodegenerative diseases including Huntington’s disease. Prior studies in Drosophila have been in-vivo, which focuses on the organism as a whole. This experiment aims to answer the question of whether the Drosophila brain can be used to study Huntington’s disease in-vitro by extracting the brain from the organism and see if it provides similar results in models that are studied in-vivo. If this is successful, this provides a cost-effective as well as a more focused way to study neurodegenerative diseases in Drosophila. It can also put researchers on the path to test the effects of pharmacological interventions on neurological diseases.
An Innovative Approach to Studying Huntington's Disease
Can Drosophila melanogaster brains be studied in-vitro to model Huntington’s disease?
Caroline Fukawa
Abstract: Huntington’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that is caused by the mutation of the huntingtin gene. This mutation causes the aggregation of the protein, called the CAG protein, which inhibits the normal functioning of neuronal cells as a consequence of neuronal degeneration The organism, Drosophila melanogaster, otherwise known as the fruit fly, has proven to be a useful model for studying neurodegenerative diseases including Huntington’s disease. Prior studies in Drosophila have been in-vivo, which focuses on the organism as a whole. This experiment aims to answer the question of whether the Drosophila brain can be used to study Huntington’s disease in-vitro by extracting the brain from the organism and see if it provides similar results in models that are studied in-vivo. If this is successful, this provides a cost-effective as well as a more focused way to study neurodegenerative diseases in Drosophila. It can also put researchers on the path to test the effects of pharmacological interventions on neurological diseases.
