Apoptosis and Brain Dervived Neurotrophic Factor are increased in cortical neurons of Marfan Syndrome mice

Marfan Syndrome (MFS) is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder that affects connective tissue throughout the body due to mutations in the fibrillin-1 ( <i>FBN1)</i> gene. There is a gap in our understanding of the impact of monogenic connective tissue aberrations on the brain. This study aimed to determine the impact of MFS on neurodegeneration in the cortical brain tissue of mice. We report increased levels of apoptosis in neurons within the sensory and motor cortical areas of female MFS mice. Additionally, we also report increased levels of neuronal plasticity in cortical brain tissue of both male and female MFS mice.