An early dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the amyloid β (Aβ)-dependent neuronal hyperactivity of certain brain regions. However, the cellular mechanisms underlying this hyperactivity remained unknown. In my graduate work, I demonstrate that Aβ suppresses the reuptake of synapticaly released glutamate, which hyperactivates neurons with already high levels of preceding baseline activity. These findings provide a mechanistic explanation for the Aβ-induced cellular dysfunctions and encourage the search for targeted anti-glutamatergic drugs against AD.
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An early dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the amyloid β (Aβ)-dependent neuronal hyperactivity of certain brain regions. However, the cellular mechanisms underlying this hyperactivity remained unknown. In my graduate work, I demonstrate that Aβ suppresses the reuptake of synapticaly released glutamate, which hyperactivates neurons with already high levels of preceding baseline activity. These findings provide a mechanistic explanation for the Aβ-induced cellular dysfunctions and encoura...
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