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Tanycytes in Alzheimer's Disease and Frontotemporal Dementia
Sponsor: University Hospital, Lille
Summary
Metabolic and hormonal deregulations are both a risk factor and a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), occurring early in the course of the disease. In FTD in particular, hyperorality and dietary changes are associated with metabolic and hormonal changes such as altered levels of the anorexigenic hormone leptin. The hypothalamus is a brain region that controls metabolism and hormonal systems. Hypothalamic function depends on its ability to sense peripheral signals. The hypothalamus sits on a circumventricular organ called the median eminence (ME) that puts it in contact with systemic blood circulation. In the ME, fenestrated capillaries allow the diffusion of bloodborne factors. However, despite the lack of blood-brain barrier at brain microvessels, diffusion is controlled by specialized ependymoglial cells, the tanycytes, which exert a barrier function between the ME and the third ventricle and controls the access of blood-borne molecules into the hypothalamus. Previous work from our laboratory and the ERC consortium has highlighted the role of tanycytes not only in the regulation of the release of neurohormones from neuroendocrine nerve terminals into the pituitary portal blood circulation, but also in the transport of circulating leptin into the hypothalamus. Hence hypothalamic dysfunction in AD and FTD can result either from dysregulation of neuroendocrine secretions, direct neuronal loss or from defective transport (and hence resistance) to hormones like leptin. This study is to demonstrate that leptin transport though tanycytes is early altered in FTD and AD and correlates
Official title: TANYCYTES' ROLE IN ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE AND FRONTOTEMPORAL DEMENTIA: ARE THEY THE KEY TO WELL AGING?
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
40 Years - 85 Years
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
102
Start Date
2022-09-06
Completion Date
2026-10
Last Updated
2025-05-14
Healthy Volunteers
Yes
Conditions
Interventions
Lumbar puncture
5 mL of CSF
blood sample
6x5 mL of blood sample collected :1 dry tube, 2 EDTA tubes, 1 fluoride tube, and 2 polypropylene tubes
Locations (1)
Memory Resources and Research Center Lille
Lille, France