Single-walled carbon nanotubes alleviate autophagic/lysosomal defects in primary glia from a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease

Nano Lett. 2014 Sep 10;14(9):5110-7. doi: 10.1021/nl501839q. Epub 2014 Aug 21.

Abstract

Defective autophagy in Alzheimer's disease (AD) promotes disease progression in diverse ways. Here, we demonstrate impaired autophagy flux in primary glial cells derived from CRND8 mice that overexpress mutant amyloid precursor protein (APP). Functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) restored normal autophagy by reversing abnormal activation of mTOR signaling and deficits in lysosomal proteolysis, thereby facilitating elimination of autophagic substrates. These findings suggest SWNT as a novel neuroprotective approach to AD therapy.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; Single-walled carbon nanotubes; autophagy; primary glia.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alzheimer Disease / therapy*
  • Animals
  • Autophagy
  • Biocompatible Materials / chemistry
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Disease Progression
  • Lysosomes / chemistry*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Nanotechnology / methods
  • Nanotubes, Carbon / chemistry*
  • Neuroglia / cytology*
  • Neuroglia / pathology*
  • Signal Transduction
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism

Substances

  • Biocompatible Materials
  • Nanotubes, Carbon
  • mTOR protein, mouse
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases