Priya Prakash

Triglycerides are an important fuel reserve for synapse function in the brain - Nature Metabolism Kumar et al. show that under glucose-depleted conditions, neurons can use fatty acids as an alternative source of energy to support synaptic function.

Triglycerides are an important fuel reserve for synapse function in the brain www.nature.com/articles/s42...

thank you! :)

Many thanks to Dr. Deepak Nair at IISc Bangalore for his thoughtful comments on the role of lipid metabolism in Alzheimer’s disease and its relevance to our findings.

Immune cells’ fat blocks brain’s ability to clean Alzheimer’s plaques Alzheimer's disease progression linked to microglia fat metabolism, potential new treatment target identified in recent study.

Excited to share @thehindu.com coverage of our research: “Immune cells’ fat blocks brain’s ability to clean Alzheimer’s plaques” -- now out in print and online! Grateful to Manjeera Gowravaram for the thoughtful and clear storytelling. www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/sci...

Thank you so much for your kind words!

thank you! the kool-aid is the DGAT2 degrader (i.e., that reduces lipid droplets in microglia so they can get rid of the amyloid) :)

How this image is #notthecover? It's the coolest one I've seen in a while! All praise to M, our microglia savior, for destroying amyloid and rescuing neurons!

Thank you, Danielle! @cp-immunity.bsky.social

tiny but significant* details 😅

Thanks so much, Kelsey! I'm a superman fan and wanted to make a microglia superwoman 😅 We also tossed around a Star Wars–themed cover idea but the superwoman ultimately won! 🦸‍♀️ @davalos.bsky.social came up with the idea of DGAT2 kool-aid, lipid droplet shackles, and all the tiny details! 🙌

Amyloid-β induces lipid droplet-mediated microglial dysfunction via the enzyme DGAT2 in Alzheimer’s disease Why microglia stop reducing amyloid deposits from Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brains is unknown. Prakash, Manchanda, et al. show that microglia increase their lipid droplets and lose their phagocytic cap...

Bummed we didn’t get the cover, but absolutely thrilled that Emma Videl (drawimpacts) brought our microglia superhero vision to life in the most fantastic way! 🦸‍♀️🧠💥

#SciArt #Alzheimers #Microglia #Immunity‍ #notthecover

www.cell.com/immunity/ful...

Meet M, our microglia superheroine 🦸‍♀️💥

After chugging the magical DGAT2-Stop! Kool-Aid 💊🧃, she breaks free from her lipid droplet shackles 💥💪

Supercharged, she lifts the amyloid beams 🧱 trapping neurons and saves the city of Brain 🧠🏙️!

Our cover submission for @cp-immunity.bsky.social. #notthecover

#notthecover, but it’s beautiful and captures the science so well! Thank you for sharing your creative vision with us!

Very cool, thanks for sharing!

Thanks Shane! 🙏🏽

Thank you!

Thanks Will!

🙌🏼 This work represents a remarkable collaboration between the Chopra (Purdue) and Davalos @davalos.bsky.social (Cleveland Clinic) labs, driven by the tireless efforts of all contributing authors — including co-first author Palak Manchanda, Evi Paouri, and others — who brought it to the finish line.

🟡 DGAT2 degradation restores Aβ uptake and reduces amyloid plaques and dystrophic neurons

We show that -

🟡 Aβ drives microglial lipid droplet buildup via DGAT2-mediated conversion of FFAs to TGs

🟡 Microglial lipid droplets and DGAT2 are elevated in AD mouse models and human brains

🟡 Lipid-laden, DGAT2-high microglia exhibit impaired Aβ phagocytosis and neuronal damage

Amyloid-β induces lipid droplet-mediated microglial dysfunction via the enzyme DGAT2 in Alzheimer’s disease Why microglia stop reducing amyloid deposits from Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brains is unknown. Prakash, Manchanda, et al. show that microglia increase their lipid droplets and lose their phagocytic cap...

Happy to share that our work "Amyloid-β induces lipid droplet-mediated microglial dysfunction via the enzyme DGAT2 in Alzheimer’s disease" is out now @cp-immunity.bsky.social! ➡️ www.cell.com/immunity/ful...

Amyloid-β induces lipid droplet-mediated microglial dysfunction via the enzyme DGAT2 in Alzheimer’s disease: @cp-immunity.bsky.social www.cell.com/immunity/ful...

Tremendously grateful to an amazing team of lab members and collaborators including @pryprk.bsky.social , @evipaouri.bsky.social , Palak Manchanda and Gaurav Chopra and pretty much all Chopra and Davalos Lab members for the smooth teamwork @clevelandclinic.bsky.social @purdueuniversity.bsky.social

Amyloid-β induces lipid droplet-mediated microglial dysfunction via the enzyme DGAT2 in Alzheimer’s disease Why microglia stop reducing amyloid deposits from Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brains is unknown. Prakash, Manchanda, et al. show that microglia increase their lipid droplets and lose their phagocytic cap...

Why do the brain’s professional phagocytes stop clearing amyloid in Alzheimer’s disease? Can we restore microglial superpowers & rescue dying neurons in AD? YES, by stopping DGAT2-mediated lipid droplet formation! Checkout our latest manuscript @cp-immunity.bsky.social 👇🏼
www.cell.com/immunity/abs...

Interested! Thank you!

Special Issue: Glial omics: Unraveling mechanisms in health and disease: Glia: Vol 73, No 3 Glia is the top neurobiology journal for research into glial cells (also called gliocytes or neuroglia). Articles cover all aspects of glial cell biology in health and disease.

#GliaPapers #GliaSpecialIssue
SPECIAL COVER

SPECIAL ISSUE: Glial omics: unraveling mechanisms in health and disease
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/10981136...

Editorial Unboxing “Omics” in Glial Biology to Understand Neurological Disease here - onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Congrats, Kelsey! 🎉

awesome, thanks!

Wrapping up the last experiment before the holiday break! Grateful for all that 2024 brought and excited for what’s ahead in 2025. Thankful for my family, friends, lab, and my pup. Wishing everyone happy holidays! 🎄💫

Beautiful! What are the markers for oligos and myelin?