Eliminating microglia in Alzheimer’s mice prevents neuronal loss without modulating amyloid-β pathology

In addition to amyloid-β plaque and tau neurofibrillary tangle deposition, neuroinflammation is considered a key feature of Alzheimer's disease pathology. Inflammation in Alzheimer's disease is characterized by the presence of reactive astrocytes and activated microglia surrounding amyloid plaques, implicating their role in disease pathogenesis. Microglia in the healthy adult mouse depend on colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R) signalling for survival, and pharmacological inhibition of this receptor results in rapid elimination of nearly all of the microglia in the central nervous system. In this study, we set out to determine if chronically activated microglia in the Alzheimer's disease brain are also…

• AA
  Alzheimer's Association
• GF
  Glenn Foundation for Medical Research
• P
  Plexxikon
• NI
  National Institutes of Health

  Awards: AG00096, P50 AG016573, 1R01NS083801, AG00538, AG016573
• NI
  National Institute on Aging

  Awards: AG00096, AG016573, P50 AG016573, AG00538
• NI
  National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

  Award: 1R01NS083801