Using Stem Cell Models To Help Understand Dementia

In his work he uses induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to help understand the earliest, underlying causes of dementia. Working with skin cell donations from people who have inherited forms of dementia, I generate human, patient-derived brain cells in a dish. By generating neurons, astrocytes and microglia, my work aims to understand the interplay between the toxic amyloid proteins that accumulate in disease and brain inflammation. I will present some recent work on familial Alzheimer’s disease as well as a very rare dementia called familial British dementia, implicating the immune system in the onset of dementia.
What changes in the brain to bring about the onset of dementia? Why does it take many decades for the disease to manifest? Can we find ways to delay the onset of symptoms and improve the lives of people affected by dementia?