Mouse Model Provides Window into Working Brain

In a recent study published in the journal Neuron, scientists from the University of Utah developed a genetically engineered line of mice that could open the door to new research on epilepsy, Alzheimer’s and other diseases. The mice carry a protein marker, which changes in degree of fluorescence in response to different calcium levels. This allows many cell types, including cells called astrocytes and microglia, to be studied in a new way. With the new mouse line, scientists can use a laser-based fluorescence microscope to study the calcium indicator in the glial cells of the living mouse, either when the mouse is anesthetized or awake. Calcium is an important signaling molecule in the body and it can reveal how well the brain is functioning. “We believe this will give us new insights for treatments of epilepsy and for new views of how the immune system of the brain works,” said one of the study’s corresponding authors. The ability to track calcium changes in the microglial cells will also open up the possibility of studying inflammatory diseases of the brain. To read more about this study, click here.