Jieun Kim1, In-Young Choi1,2,
Mary L. Michaelis3, Sang-Pil Lee1,4
1Hoglund Brain Imaging Center,
University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, United States; 2Neurology,
University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, United States; 3Pharmacology
& Toxicology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States; 4Molecular
& Integrative Physiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas
City, KS, United States
Axonal
transport impairment has been implicated as a common mechanism of
Alzheimer’s disease progression. A newly developed microtubule stabilizing
agent, TH237-A, is known for protecting neurons against Aβ
toxicity, decreasing abnormal tau phosphorylation in cultured neurons, and
permeating the blood-brain barrier. We have investigated the efficacy of
TH237-A in preserving axonal transport integrity in an animal model of AD,
3xTg-AD mice, over one year by measuring axonal transport rates in olfactory
bulbs using manganese enhanced MRI. Results show that the drug does not
reverse axonal transport deficits but may be effective in preventing further
axonal transport impairment.
Keywords