Axon analysis

Axon analysis analyzes axonal fluorescence variation to detect and quantify axonal aggregates formed by misfolded tau protein and to support study of neuronal dysfunction in tauopathies.

Key Features:

• Fluorescence Variation Analysis: Detects and quantifies changes in fluorescence indicative of axonal aggregates formed by misfolded tau protein, relevant to neurofibrillary tangles.
• Integration with Baseline Analysis: Compares outputs with baseline analysis scripts to highlight deviations from normal neuronal function and identify transport abnormalities.
• Tauopathy Propagation Analysis: Analyzes patterns of misfolded tau propagation between neurons consistent with prion-like spread to characterize inter-neuronal transmission.

Scientific Applications:

• Neurodegenerative Disease Study: Enables examination of axonal transport deficits and aggregate dynamics in diseases such as Alzheimer's disease associated with tau pathology.
• Therapeutic Intervention Research: Identifies conditions in which neurons remain viable despite misfolded tau presence, indicating potential windows for interventions to rescue function before cytotoxicity.

Methodology:

Analysis leverages data from experiments using microfluidic devices to simulate neuronal connections to detect fluorescence changes, identify specific axonal transport deficits, and characterize rapid propagation of misfolded tau while confirming affected neurons remain electrically competent.