Measuring decline in neuronal function with age
C. elegans, with its well-mapped nervous system and neurotransmitter similarities to humans, presents a unique model for studying age-related cognitive decline. The decline in dopaminergic responses associated with ageing mirrors conditions like Parkinson’s disease (PD) in humans.
Current behavioural assays using rodents for studying cognitive decline are expensive, time-consuming, and lack translatability to human conditions, hindering progress in anti-ageing therapeutic development.
Magnitude Biosciences leverages C. elegans and our proprietary WormGazer™ technology to provide our novel Age-related Cognitive (ARC) Functional Decline Assay. This assay quantifies cognitive decline in aged worms and neurodegenerative disease models, offering a cost-effective and efficient alternative to rodent models.
Our ARC assay measures cognitive function through a chemotaxis-dependent behavior that declines with age. By automating data acquisition with our WormGazer™ technology, we can evaluate the effects of compounds on cognitive health in C. elegans.
Control
Normal mobility & exploration
Can recognise food source & remain closeby
Disease A
Normal mobility & exploration
Impaired cognitive function,
failure to recognise and move towards food
Disease B
Impaired mobility & exploration
Can recognise food source & remain closeby
Worms of various ages are placed a fixed distance from their food source. As they age, it takes longer for them to find their food, and they are less able to cognitively localise themselves to the food.
Collaborate with Magnitude Biosciences to accelerate your research on age-related cognitive decline. Our ARC assay provides a streamlined approach to assess compound efficacy.
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