Traffic jam in neurons causes neurodegeneration
Kar Laboratory
Microscopy images
These images highlight the dramatic impact of disrupted cholesterol transport on the brain’s cerebellum. The left image shows a section of a healthy cerebellum, with its orderly layers of Purkinje neurons (red) and intricate fiber networks (green) that help coordinate voluntary movements. In stark contrast, the right image reveals the devastation caused by Niemann-Pick disease, a genetic disorder that results from blockage of cholesterol transport within cells, which leads to loss of Purkinje neurons and neural connections, motor impairment, seizures, and dementia.
