The research team led by Ikerbasque researcher Estibaliz Capetillo-Zarate at the Laboratory of Neurobiology of Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience and the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, has established a straightforward in vitro setting with neurons and glial cells to study Alzheimer´s disease.

Predoctoral researchers, Celia Luchena and Jone Zuazo, together with the rest of the team of this project report a new murine triple co-culture model including neurons, microglia and astrocytes, that holds physiological characteristics that are lost in classical primary cultures. In addition, this model was used to recapitulate amyloid-induced Alzheimer´s disease pathological features like synaptic loss and microglial activation.

Glial cells are essential to understand Alzheimer's disease progression and this model emerges as a powerful tool to study neurodegeneration and inflammation in the context of Alzheimer and other neurodegenerative diseases.