Femke M Feringa, PhD, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands speaks on the contradictory nature of lipid storage and production in APOE4-expressing glial cells. APOE4 is a major risk determinant for the development of sporadic Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Dr Feringa’s group investigated changes to lipid production in APOE4-expressing glial cells, to see if this could give insight into the mechanisms of AD development. APOE4-expressing glial cells exhibit elevated levels of stored cholesterol, a condition that should lead to a reduction in cholesterol biosynthesis due to feedback mechanisms. However, these cells also have a higher production of cholesterol. The mechanism behind this is not fully known, but Dr Feringa suggests it could be due to the storage of cholesterol in lysosomes, blocking feedback mechanisms. The process through which this contributes to the progression of AD remains unclear. This interview took place at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2023 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
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