30. Marmosets: The (mon)Key to Understanding Alzheimer's Disease

Lab Rat Chat - Episode 30 with Dr. Agnès Lacreuse

In this episode of Lab Rat Chat, Jeff and Danielle chat with Dr. Agnès Lacreuse, PhD, who is a researcher at the University of Massachusetts in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences Department.

She utilizes nonhuman primates in her research in order to better understand neurocognitive aging and pathological aging processes, such as those involved in Alzheimer's disease. Two-thirds of Alzheimer's disease cases in humans are women. 2/3 of AD cases in humans are women. For this reason, we also aim to understand how changes in sex hormones, especially estrogens, affect brain and cognitive aging in females.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Dr. Lacreuse's extensive and impressive background and her journey to get where he's at in her career today.
• What Alzheimer's disease is, who is primarily affected, how it develops, and the estimated number of people living with the disease in the United States.
• Why nonhuman primates, particularly Marmosets, are best suited to study Alzheimer's compared to rodents, and why alternative models (e.g., organs on a chip, computer models, etc.) are not viable options.
• The future application of her research on the human population and what it means for those predisposed or already suffering from the devastating effects of Alzheimer's.

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Resources & Links:

• Animal models of Alzheimer’s disease embrace diversity | Lab Animal (nature.com)
• Americans for Medical Progress
• Americans for Medical Progress COVID-19 Resources

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