BPoD has moved!

BPoD has recently changed our domain name - we can now be found at bpod.org.uk

Please update your bookmarks!

Now in our 13th year of bringing you beautiful imagery from biomedical science every day

Search the archive of over 4000 images

Offending Defenders

Recreating factors involved in Alzheimer's disease with a lab-grown model

14 August 2018

Offending Defenders

A stage of battle 30,000 times smaller than a roman amphitheatre, this microfluidic device recreates the microscopic events of Alzheimer’s disease. Ageing brains often build up waste proteins – gunky amyloid plaques and tangled tau proteins. Although these can interfere with signals between brain cells like those seen here (highlighted in green), they may also build up harmlessly for decades. The real problem is how the brain responds – microglial cells (red), part of the brain’s own immune defences, flood towards affected areas of the brain (or down the spindly channels here) and attack the struggling neurons. While the overzealous defenders attempt to get rid of the plaques, levels of neuroinflammation rise, causing irreparable damage. This lab-grown model can now be put to use in finding new ways to stop plaques from forming in the first place, but also testing drugs designed to calm the microglial cells of those at risk.

Written by John Ankers

Search The Archive

Submit An Image

Follow on Tumblr

Follow on Instagram

What is BPoD?

BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

Read More

BPoD is also available in Catalan at www.bpod.cat with translations by the University of Valencia.