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Mitophagy biomarkers in the continuum of Alzheimer's disease
Katonová, Alžbeta ; Veverová, Kateřina (advisor) ; Bohačiaková, Dáša (referee)
The findings of recent years have shown that impaired mitophagy is involved in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative diseases. Studies on brain biopsies of AD patients, cellular and animal models of AD show that age-dependent decline in mitophagy is a significant contributor to AD pathology, and that the levels of mitophagy proteins are altered. However, whether these changes are reflected in the biofluids of individuals with AD, and whether mitophagy proteins could be potential biomarkers of AD, is unknown.The aim of the diploma thesis was to compare the level of mitophagy markers in blood serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients in various stages of AD with cognitively healthy controls (CU) and determine its relationship to the degree of cognitive impairment and standard Alzheimer's biomarkers (amyloid beta (Ab42), total tau (T-tau) and tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 (P-tau181)). We have shown that mitophagy is impaired in individuals with AD, manifested by increased levels of PINK1 and BNIP3L (activators of mitophagy) and decreased levels of TFEB (master regulator of lysosomal biogenesis) compared to CU. Moreover, these changes were associated with more advanced AD pathology, manifested by increased AD biomarker positivity and cognitive...
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3D models of brain tumors
Fišer, Ondřej ; Novák, Josef (advisor) ; Bohačiaková, Dáša (referee)
Despite intensive research, glioblastoma multiforme remains one of the tumours of the central nervous system with the worst prognosis. The ability of glioblastoma cells to infiltrate brain tissue by forming invasive microtubular structures is stimulated by contact with adjacent non- tumor cells. Intercellular communication and the influence of the extracellular matrix create a specific microenvironment that affects cell signaling, proliferation, differentiation and response to pharmaceuticals. The recurrent form of glioblastoma often displays a much faster progression than the initial disease, which is attributed to the development of resistance to therapeutics and the preservation of the proliferative capacity of some tumour cells. The discovery of the stem- cells ability to self-aggregate in suspension has led to the creation of 3D in vitro models - brain organoids. They are much more complex that the established 2D models and their heterogeneity provides an environment simulating the in vivo state. This thesis aims to describe their use in brain tumour research and techniques for culturing 3D aggregates of neural lineage formed from induced or embryonic human stem cells with respect to their gradually increasing complexity. It also presents methods of addressing issues of hypoxia, organoid...
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Functional and pharmacological properties of GluN1/GluN2 and GluN1/GluN3 subtypes of NMDA receptors
Kolcheva, Marharyta ; Horák, Martin (advisor) ; Bohačiaková, Dáša (referee) ; Balaštík, Martin (referee)
(EN) N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) are ionotropic glutamate receptors and they play a critical role in excitatory synaptic transmission in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS). Hyperactivity or hypoactivity of NMDARs can lead to a wide spectrum of pathological conditions and psychiatric disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, epilepsy, schizophrenia. NMDARs form a heterotetrameric complex made up of GluN1, GluN2(A-D) and/or GluN3(A, B) subunits. Different subtypes of NMDARs could have various effects on disease pathogenesis and therefore it is crucial to investigate the specific role of each subunit in the regulation of normal NMDAR functioning. The regulation of NMDARs occurs at different levels, from early processing, including synthesis, assembly, quality control in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), trafficking to the cell surface, to internalization, recycling, and degradation. In this dissertation, we mainly focused on determining the roles of extracellular and transmembrane regions of different subtypes of NMDARs in the regulation of their function. In particular, using electrophysiology and microscopy methods on HEK293 cells and cultured hippocampal neurons, we investigated: (i) the impact of N-glycosylation and different lectins on...
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Porcine models for Huntington disease
Růna Vochozková, Petra ; Motlík, Jan (advisor) ; Bohačiaková, Dáša (referee) ; Fulková, Helena (referee)
The causative role of the huntingtin (HTT) gene in Huntington's disease (HD) has been identified more than 25 years ago. The extension of CAG repeat stretch over 39 repeats in exon 1 of one HTT allele results in full penetrance of this neurodegenerative disorder. While the identification of the causative mutation raised hopes that development of the therapeutic compound will be easily achievable, the patients and their families are still waiting for treatment until now. The main reason for that might be the complex cellular function HTT that makes the determination of the pathologic mechanism difficult and the development of treatments even more challenging. Although a lot of different animal models have been generated until now, establishing a suitable model has still not been achieved yet. Due to its anatomy, physiology, and genetics, the minipig seems to be a suitable candidate for neurodegenerative disease models. Indeed, the existing Transgenic (Tg) Libechov minipig model manifests signs typical for HD in patients, but on the other hand significant inconsistencies have also been observed. The finding of malformation that partially shows the situation in human patients is true for both, the male reproductive tract as well as for the brain. The reason for this might be the fact the genetic...
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Porcine models for Huntington disease
Růna Vochozková, Petra ; Motlík, Jan (advisor) ; Bohačiaková, Dáša (referee) ; Fulková, Helena (referee)
The causative role of the huntingtin (HTT) gene in Huntington's disease (HD) has been identified more than 25 years ago. The extension of CAG repeat stretch over 39 repeats in exon 1 of one HTT allele results in full penetrance of this neurodegenerative disorder. While the identification of the causative mutation raised hopes that development of the therapeutic compound will be easily achievable, the patients and their families are still waiting for treatment until now. The main reason for that might be the complex cellular function HTT that makes the determination of the pathologic mechanism difficult and the development of treatments even more challenging. Although a lot of different animal models have been generated until now, establishing a suitable model has still not been achieved yet. Due to its anatomy, physiology, and genetics, the minipig seems to be a suitable candidate for neurodegenerative disease models. Indeed, the existing Transgenic (Tg) Libechov minipig model manifests signs typical for HD in patients, but on the other hand significant inconsistencies have also been observed. The finding of malformation that partially shows the situation in human patients is true for both, the male reproductive tract as well as for the brain. The reason for this might be the fact the genetic...
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