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A Tailored HPLC Purification Protocol That Yields High-purity Amyloid Beta 42 and Amyloid Beta 40 Peptides, Capable of Oligomer Formation
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Noninvasive 40-Hz light flicker to recruit microglia and reduce amyloid beta load

Annabelle C Singer1, Anthony J Martorell2,3, J Miller Douglas4

  • 1Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA. annabelle.singer@bme.gatech.edu.

Nature Protocols
|August 4, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Noninvasive 40-Hz light flicker transforms brain microglia into an engulfing state, reducing amyloid beta. This method offers a simple, rapid approach to study neural activity and brain immunity, potentially aiding neurodegenerative disease research.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Immunology
  • Biotechnology

Background:

  • Microglia are key brain immune cells involved in normal and pathological brain functions.
  • Research is exploring microglia's therapeutic potential for neurodegenerative and developmental disorders.
  • Alzheimer's disease (AD) involves amyloid beta, a peptide linked to neurotoxic events.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe a method for constructing and utilizing an LED-based light-flicker apparatus.
  • To detail the process of exposing animals to 40-Hz flicker stimuli and control conditions.
  • To outline downstream assays for studying the effects of 40-Hz neural activity manipulation.

Main Methods:

  • Construction of an LED-based 40-Hz white-light (4,000 K) flicker apparatus.
  • Noninvasive exposure of animals to 40-Hz light flicker to drive neural activity.
  • Implementation of downstream assays to assess microglial state and molecular changes.

Main Results:

  • 40-Hz light flicker exposure transforms microglia into an engulfing state.
  • Amyloid beta levels were reduced following 40-Hz light flicker treatment.
  • The light-flicker method is noninvasive, simple, and faster than optogenetics for driving 40-Hz activity.

Conclusions:

  • Noninvasive 40-Hz light flicker is a viable method to modulate microglial function.
  • This approach facilitates research into the interplay between neural activity, molecular pathology, and brain immunity.
  • The described system enables further investigation into potential treatments for neurological disorders like Alzheimer's disease.

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