The cell-to-cell transmission of protein aggregates has been implicated in the progression of pathological phenotypes in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. In recent years, several experimental model systems have been developed to study the mechanisms of cell-to-cell transmission. Herein, we describe cell culture models with which cell-to-cell transmission of α-synuclein can be quantitatively analyzed. The principle underlying these models could be applied to developing model systems for transmission of other protein aggregates, such as tau and TDP-43.
Keywords: Neurodegenerative diseases; Parkinson’s disease; Protein aggregation; Transcellular transmission; α-Synuclein.