Cited by 6,226Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration MechanismsAlzheimer's disease research and treatmentsDementia and Cognitive Impairment Research

Neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease

Open access
Heneka, Michael T, Carson, Monica J, Khoury, Joseph El, Landreth, Gary E, Brosseron, Frederic, Feinstein, Douglas L, Jacobs, Andreas H, Wyss-Coray, Tony +29 more·2015·The Lancet Neurology

Abstract

Increasing evidence suggests that Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis is not restricted to the neuronal compartment, but includes strong interactions with immunological mechanisms in the brain. Misfolded and aggregated proteins bind to pattern recognition receptors on microglia and astroglia, and trigger an innate immune response characterised by release of inflammatory mediators, which contribute to disease progression and severity. Genome-wide analysis suggests that several genes that increase the risk for sporadic Alzheimer's disease encode factors that regulate glial clearance of misfolded proteins and the inflammatory reaction. External factors, including systemic inflammation and obesity, are likely to interfere with immunological processes of the brain and further promote disease progression. Modulation of risk factors and targeting of these immune mechanisms could lead to future therapeutic or preventive strategies for Alzheimer's disease.

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Crossref · 10.1016/s1474-4422(15)70016-5

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  • Chronic low-grade inflammation contributes to both the onset and progression of Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease through microglial activation and pro-inflammatory cytokine release, accelerating neuronal injury.

    “Chronic low-grade inflammation contributes to both the onset and progression of AD and PD through microglial activation and pro-inflammatory cytokine release, accelerating neuronal injury [4].”

    From What Are the Key Biological Pathways Through Which Lifestyle Factors Influence Neurodegeneration? (2025) · cites this paper as [4]

    The Introduction describes an early role for inflammation in Alzheimer's disease, and the Cytokines section links microglial activation and pro-inflammatory cytokines to neuronal injury. The Modulating innate immunity section also describes chronic, non-resolving inflammation in AD. These passages support the AD portion, but the paper does not establish the same claim for Parkinson's disease; searches for Parkinson's disease with inflammation, microglia, and progression did not find a supporting passage. Page numbers were not available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.89)

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  • The survey finding that diet type and sleep duration were associated with belief in preventability aligns with biological evidence on diet and circadian regulation in modulating neuroinflammation and glymphatic clearance.

    “This aligns with biological evidence highlighting the roles of diet and circadian regulation in modulating neuroinflammation and glymphatic clearance [4,5].”

    From What Are the Key Biological Pathways Through Which Lifestyle Factors Influence Neurodegeneration? (2025) · cites this paper as [4]

    The Obesity section links a high-cholesterol diet to an Alzheimer’s risk factor and discusses obesity-related inflammation. The Astroglia section describes paravenous clearance of soluble amyloid-β, but the paper does not connect that clearance—or neuroinflammation—to sleep duration or circadian regulation. It therefore supports parts of the biological background, not the full claim attributed to it. (LLM, conf=0.83)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • During early stages of AD, microglia contribute to Aβ clearance.

    “During early stages of AD, microglia contribute to Αβ clearance15”

    From Amyloid-β induces lipid droplet-mediated microglial dysfunction via the enzyme DGAT2 in Alzheimer’s disease (2025) · cites this paper as [15]

    The ‘Microglial Aβ clearance mechanisms’ subsection says microglia engulf Aβ fibrils by phagocytosis, supporting their contribution to clearance. ‘Modulating innate immunity’ says microglial roles vary by disease stage, but the passages do not establish that this clearance specifically occurs during the early stages of AD. Page numbers are unavailable in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.82)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Microglia are major contributors to molecular and phenotypic changes, including synaptic loss and Aβ clearance, in the Alzheimer's disease brain.

    “Converging lines of evidence from human genetics, neuroimaging and post-mortem brain tissue studies suggest that microglia are major contributors to molecular and phenotypic changes, including synaptic loss and Aβ clearance, in the AD brain [4].”

    From Heterozygous expression of the Alzheimer’s disease-protective PLCγ2 P522R variant enhances Aβ clearance while preserving synapses (2022) · cites this paper as [4]

    The Cellular Players > Microglia section links microglial function to Aβ clearance and discusses AD-associated TREM2 and CD33 genetic findings, including a PET observation. It also describes microglial protection and remodeling of synapses, but does not establish that microglia cause synaptic loss in the AD brain; that specific part of the claim is unsupported by the passages found. Page numbers were not available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.82)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Microglia recognize Aβ oligomers via receptors such as CD36, TLR4, TLR6 and TREM2, acquiring specific AD-associated phenotypes.

    “Likewise, microglia, the brain-resident immunocompetent macrophages, also recognize Aβ oligomers via receptors such as CD36, toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and TLR6 and triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2), acquiring specific AD-associated phenotypes [14,15,16].”

    From Emerging Role of miR-21-5p in Neuron–Glia Dysregulation and Exosome Transfer Using Multiple Models of Alzheimer’s Disease (2022) · cites this paper as [14]

    The Cellular Players > Microglia section says microglia bind Aβ oligomers through CD36 and TLRs including TLR4 and TLR6, and that Aβ binding through these receptors activates microglia. It also describes diverse microglial phenotypes. But it calls TREM2 an orphan receptor and does not identify it as a receptor for Aβ oligomers. (LLM, conf=0.90)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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Authors
Heneka, M. T., Carson, M. J., Khoury, J. E., Landreth, G. E., Brosseron, F., Feinstein, D. L., Jacobs, A. H., Wyss-Coray, T., Vitorica, J., Ransohoff, R. M., Herrup, K., Frautschy, S. A., Finsen, B., Brown, G. C., Verkhratsky, A., Yamanaka, K., Koistinaho, J., Latz, E., Halle, A., Petzold, G. C., Town, T., Morgan, D., Shinohara, M. L., Perry, V. H., Holmes, C., Bazan, N. G., Brooks, D. J., Hunot, S., Joseph, B., Deigendesch, N., Garaschuk, O., Boddeke, E., Dinarello, C. A., Breitner, J. C., Cole, G. M., Golenbock, D. T., & Kummer, M. P.
Affiliations
  • University of Bonn (DE)
  • University of California, Riverside (US)
  • Case Western Reserve University (US)
  • German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DE)
  • University of Illinois Chicago (US)
  • University of Münster (DE)
  • Cleveland Clinic (US)
  • Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HK)
  • University of California, Los Angeles (US)
  • University of Southern Denmark (DK)
  • University of Cambridge (GB)
  • Ikerbasque (ES)
  • RIKEN (JP)
  • Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (DE)
  • University of Southern California (US)
  • Duke Medical Center (US)
  • Southampton General Hospital (GB)
  • Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust (GB)
  • Louisiana State University (US)
  • Hammersmith Hospital (GB)
  • Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
  • Karolinska Institutet (SE)
  • Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology (DE)
  • University of Tübingen (DE)
  • University Medical Center Groningen (NL)
  • University of Colorado Denver (US)
  • Douglas Mental Health University Institute (CA)
  • University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School (US)
Corresponding author
Heneka, Michael T
Venue
The Lancet Neurology
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2015-04
Volume
14
Issue
4
Pages
388-405
ISSN
1474-4422 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2087243986
Cited by
6,226
References
244
Citations by year
2026: 686 · 2025: 708 · 2024: 713 · 2023: 640 · 2022: 665 · 2021: 620 · 2020: 554 · 2019: 506 · 2018: 406 · 2017: 342 · 2016: 259 · 2015: 110 · 2014: 7
FWCI
29.69
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • The Lancet Neurology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Research Explorer (The University of Manchester) (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • ePrints Soton (University of Southampton) (acceptedVersion)
  • Open Repository and Bibliography (University of Luxembourg) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
  • The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network (American Medical Association) (submittedVersion)
  • HAL (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Max Planck Digital Library (submittedVersion)
  • Deposito de Investigacion Universidad de Sevilla (University of Seville) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • DZNE Pub (submittedVersion)
  • MPG.PuRe (Max Planck Society) (submittedVersion)
  • University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (submittedVersion)
  • Rare & Special e-Zone (The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology) (submittedVersion)
  • Radboud Repository (Radboud University) (submittedVersion)
  • University of Southern Denmark Research Portal (University of Southern Denmark) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Medical Research Council (MR/L010593/1)
  • Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (26293208)
  • National Institute on Aging (R21AG053884)
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (R01NS059005, R01NS076794)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Alzheimer's disease research and treatments
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
Keywords
Alzheimer's disease, neuroinflammation, innate immunity, microglia, astrocytes, pattern recognition receptors, protein aggregation, misfolded proteins, inflammatory mediators, systemic inflammation, obesity, genetic risk factors, therapeutic target
MeSH terms
Alzheimer Disease, Animals, Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal, Astrocytes, Brain Injuries, Clinical Trials as Topic, Disease Models, Animal, Humans, Immunity, Innate, Immunization, Inflammation, Locus Coeruleus, Obesity, Phagocytosis, Risk Factors, Severity of Illness Index, Biomarkers, Protein Folding, Microglia, Disease Progression, Nootropic Agents, Inflammation Mediators

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