Virginia Research Day 2022

Medical Student Research Biomedical

07 Novel Adjunct Treatment Of Alzheimer’s Disease: To Study Beta-Amyloid Reduction In Cranial Osteopathic Manipulation Treated Rats Model Of Alzheimer’s Diesease

Alex Gordon; Annie Lin; Elizabeth McDonald; Swathi Deo Sambatha; Blaise Costa Corresponding author: agordon@vt.vcom.edu

VCOM Virginia

Current studies are investigating the impairment of newly discovered brain lymphatic drainage and its role in amyloid-beta and tau accumulation in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Clearance of fluids across aquaporin-4 (AQP4) channels has a significant role in optimizing neural function in the aging human. Cranial osteopathic manipulation (COM) was identified as a potential adjunct mechanoceutics treatment to alleviate the symptoms of AD by enhancing cranial lymphatic flow through increased expression of AQP4 channels. In this study, we compare hippocampal, cerebellar, cerebral, and prefrontal cortex neural tissues of transgenic and wild-type rats upon COM treatment and analyze changes in AQP4 channel expression. Our detection of upregulated integral membrane proteins in specific regions of the brain elucidates the neural mapping where COM works most effectively. Initial findings suggest efficacy of a non-invasive adjunct treatment that reduces abnormal protein levels in an otherwise debilitating disease. Further studies are needed to establish COM as an affordable and clinically-significant treatment for AD.

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