Jennifer Oraha, PhD student in Åsa Peterséns's research group, has her first publication out. The article is based on her study of the effects of overexpression of TDP-43 or mHTT in AgRP-expressing neurons on metabolic, behavioral and neuropathological features in mice.
FTD/ALS and HD share early traits when it comes to altered metabolism and psychiatric symtoms, and it has been suggested that these symptoms arise from pathology in the hypothalamus, which plays an important role in regulating metabolism and emotions. The protein involved in FTD/ALS, 43kDa, and the mutant huntingtin in HD may be interlinked, and AgRP-expressing neurons, solely localised in the hypothalamus, are key modulators of body weight regulation and food seeking behaviour.