Dystrophic functions of aged astrocytes following traumatic brain injury

这项建议的广泛和长期目标是形成一个重要的知识基础 老化的星形胶质细胞在脑外伤后神经退行性后遗症的传播中的作用。 老年人群中的TBI代表了一个重大的未满足的医疗保健挑战， 衰老是获得TBI的最大风险因素， 神经退行性疾病，如痴呆症、阿尔茨海默病和帕金森病。 累积起来，研究设计利用了特定的炎症标志， 与营养不良星形胶质细胞相关的功能调节剂，试图描绘它们的 各自对神经元病理学和认知功能障碍的贡献。最终，我们将 确定在老年TBI模型中通过新型AAV构建体利用星形胶质细胞是否与 改善神经元和认知功能。

The broad and long-term goals of this proposal are to form a significant knowledge-base surrounding the role aged astrocytes in the propogation of neurodegenerative sequelae after TBI. TBI in the aged population represents a significant unmet healthcare challenge, as advanced aging is the greatest risk factor for acquiring a TBI, and subsequently developing neurodegenerative disease such as dementia, Alzheimer’s- and Parkinson’s disease. Cumulatively, the research design takes advantage of specific inflammatory hallmarks and functional modulators associated with dystrophic astrocytes, in an attempt to delineate their respective contributions to neuronal pathology and cognitive dysfunction. Ultimately, we will determine if harnessing astrocytes via novel AAV constructs in aged TBI models is associated with improving neuronal and cognitive outcome measures.