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2025
In this striking image by Claire Nivollet, amyloid plaques shimmer in cyan, like pathological crystallizations at the heart of glowing tissue. Surrounding them, astrocytes unfurl their branching arms, encircling these deposits with an almost organic intensity.
These glial cells, which are essential for proper brain function, change their appearance here. In response to the accumulation of β-amyloid, they become reactive, hypertrophy and form a dense barrier, testifying to a desperate attempt to contain the inflammation.
This scene is not static: it illustrates a microscopic struggle, that of the brain in the face of the first signs of Alzheimer's disease. What we see is the tipping point between regulation and dysregulation.
Observing the tangle of these structures is like reading the history of a disease before the symptoms appear, when cells are still trying to protect what can be protected.
