Journal Archive
Current Issue
ABOUT THIS IMAGE
Rethinking neurodegeneration: placing disease in its physiological context
Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as motor neuron disease) and Huntingdon’s disease, affect tens of millions of people globally, yet current treatments are unable to halt or reverse disease. The majority of research into neurodegeneration is confined to a single disease, cell type or mechanism, making it difficult to spot commonalities and trends across the full spectrum of disease. By taking a step back and viewing neurodegeneration within its wider physiological context, we may be able to make meaningful connections. This collection of articles looks beyond diseased neurons to explore neurodegeneration in relation to the rest of the nervous system and its surrounding environment, highlighting the research underpinning our current knowledge and looking towards the future of the field. Articles cover topics such as why neurodegeneration targets some cells and not others, the roles of immune cells, oligodendrocytes and the vasculature in neurodegenerative disease, and how to better model disease in the lab to improve mechanistic understanding and drug screening. The images show (top left) a reactive microglia after chronic myelin engagement, MBP (magenta), CD68 (cyan), and CCL4 (yellow), with Iba1 and nuclear labeling in white; (top right) Iba1-positive microglia (magenta) with nuclear labeling (blue) and PLIN2-positive lipid droplets (yellow); (bottom left) BCAS1-positive myelin swelling (magenta) associated with NF200-positive axons (yellow) and nuclear labeling (blue); (bottom right) a Methoxy-X04 positive (white) tau tangle associated with APOE (blue). Together, these images depict diverse pathological features found across neurodegenerative diseases.
Image Credit: Lena Spieth and Stefan Berghoff