Neurons that are not proliferating depend on mitochondrial transport to maintain energy. This process slows down with aging and neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers used fluorescence to measure the viscosity of the cytoplasm of neurons in mice and found that the viscosity increased in the cell body while that in the axon remained constant. This can cause mitochondria to become trapped in the cell body, which can negatively impact cell health.
The scientists suggest that changes in viscosity could be a warning sign of neurodegenerative diseases and could improve diagnosis and treatment. In the future, they plan to investigate how environmental factors and diseases can affect the cytoplasm of neurons and contribute to neurodegeneration.
Source: Ferra
I am a professional journalist and content creator with extensive experience writing for news websites. I currently work as an author at Gadget Onus, where I specialize in covering hot news topics. My written pieces have been published on some of the biggest media outlets around the world, including The Guardian and BBC News.
