Biomaterial-enhancement of an ex vivo model of Parkinson’s disease (360G-Wellcome-207102_Z_17_Z)

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a disorder of the aged and efforts at finding a cure have so far failed. In order to develop new therapies that halt or reverse the decline in brain function that occurs, researchers must find ways to better model the disorder in the lab. One approach makes use of organotypic rat brain slice cultures that retain many of the 3D features and properties of brains in vivo, but are easily manipulated in vitro. However, cultured slices often do not survive well and neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc), the main brain region implicated in PD pathology, are particularly vulnerable to culture conditions. The key aim of the proposed project is therefore to test the viability-enhancing properties of medium supplements, synthetic (poly(dimethylsilane), poly(glycolic acid), poly(lactic acid) and poly(vinyl chloride), poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) and natural (collagen, hyaluronic acid, laminin, fibronection, fibrin, gelatin, chitosan, other brain extracellular matrix proteins) polymers. Cultured tissue viability will be monitored using LDH, MTT, live-dead assays, as well as immunohistochemical detection of the dopamine neuron marker tyrosine hydroxylase. The project will be carried out in the FitzGerald lab, within the Centre for Research in Medical Devices (CÚRAM) at NUI Galway.