Recent publication on 'Neuronal alterations at presymptomatic stages of Alzheimer’s disease' by Cristina Marchetti's laboratory at EBRI
Dr. Marchetti’s laboratory recently published an article in the journal Neurobiology of Disease. The work focused on neuronal alterations present at early, presymptomatic, stages of Alzheimer’s disease, in an animal model carrying a mutated form of the amyloid precursor protein (Tg2576). In this work, they demonstrated that excitatory neurons of the hippocampus, a region involved in memory formation, have higher firing rates than neurons in control mice. This increase correlated to lower expression levels of the protein HCN, a membrane channel important for neuronal signal transmission, and to higher susceptibility to epileptic seizures.
They also demonstrated that chronic treatment with lamotrigine, an antiepileptic drug that increases the action of HCN channels, prevents seizures-induced memory deficits in these mice.
Rizzello E, Pimpinella D, Pignataro A, Titta G, Merenda E, Saviana M, Porcheddu GF, Paolantoni C, Malerba F, Giorgi C, Curia G, Middei S, Marchetti C. Lamotrigine rescues neuronal alterations and prevents seizure-induced memory decline in an Alzheimer's disease mouse model. Neurobiol Dis. 2023, 181:106106.
doi: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106106. 2023