Affiliations: [a]
Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russia | [b]
Asklepios-Med (Private Medical Practice and Research Center), Szeged, Hungary
| [c]
University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
Correspondence:
[*]
Correspondence to: András Palotás, Albert A. Rizvanov, and Eugene V. Shakirov, Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russia. (András Palotás, E-mail: [email protected]); (Albert A. Rizvanov, E-mail: [email protected]); (Eugene V. Shakirov, E-mail: [email protected]).
Note: [1] These authors contributed equally to this work.
Abstract: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a devastating slowly progressive neurodegenerative disorder with no cure. While there are many hypotheses, the exact mechanism causing this pathology is still unknown. Among many other features, AD is characterized by brain hypometabolism and decreased sugar availability, to which neurons eventually succumb. In light of this aspect of the disease, we hypothesized that boosting fuel supply to neurons may help them survive or at least alleviate some of the symptoms. Here we demonstrate that live moss Physcomitrella patens cells can be safely co-cultured with human fibroblasts in vitro and thus have a potential for providing human cells with energy and other vital biomolecules. These data may form the foundation for the development of novel approaches to metabolic bioengineering and treatment of diseased cells based on live plants. In addition, by providing alternative energy sources to human tissues, the biotechnological potential of this interkingdom setup could also serve as a springboard to foster innovative dietary processes addressing current challenges of mankind such as famine or supporting long-haul space flight.
Keywords: Alternative energy source, Alzheimer’s disease, co-cultivation, famine, fibroblast, glucose, hypometabolism, moss, natural scaffold, Physcomitrella, regenerative
medicine, space flight, tissue engineering
