Since Alzheimer’s disease causes a ~30% decrease in overall cerebral blood flow, finding out what exactly blocks the blood flow will greatly enhance the knowledge about the disease and its clinical treatment. Our hypothesis is that leukocyte-endothelial interaction could lead to capillary plugs that eventually slow down the cerebral blood flow. Using the hypothesis, identifying which inflammatory proteins is suspected to be an important discovery that would contribute to adhesion of leukocytes to the endothelium in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease. We use immunohistochemical staining which allows researchers to detect antigens, such as proteins, in animal’s endothelial tissues. Using primary and secondary antibodies, different types antibody-antigen interactions can be found in mouse models with Alzheimer’s disease. I am majoring in Human Biology Health and Society. I started working for the Schaffer Lab in the spring of 2012 and expect to graduate in May 2015.
