Cited by 2,898Inflammasome and immune disordersAlzheimer's disease research and treatmentsNeuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms

NLRP3 is activated in Alzheimer’s disease and contributes to pathology in APP/PS1 mice

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Heneka, Michael T., Kummer, Markus P., Stutz, Andrea, Delekate, Andrea, Schwartz, Stephanie, Vieira-Saecker, Ana, Griep, Angelika, Axt, Daisy +7 more·2013·Nature

Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease is the world’s most common dementing illness. Deposition of amyloid-β peptide drives cerebral neuroinflammation by activating microglia. Indeed, amyloid-β activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in microglia is fundamental for interleukin-1β maturation and subsequent inflammatory events. However, it remains unknown whether NLRP3 activation contributes to Alzheimer’s disease in vivo. Here we demonstrate strongly enhanced active caspase-1 expression in human mild cognitive impairment and brains with Alzheimer’s disease, suggesting a role for the inflammasome in this neurodegenerative disease. Nlrp3−/− or Casp1−/− mice carrying mutations associated with familial Alzheimer’s disease were largely protected from loss of spatial memory and other sequelae associated with Alzheimer’s disease, and demonstrated reduced brain caspase-1 and interleukin-1β activation as well as enhanced amyloid-β clearance. Furthermore, NLRP3 inflammasome deficiency skewed microglial cells to an M2 phenotype and resulted in the decreased deposition of amyloid-β in the APP/PS1 model of Alzheimer’s disease. These results show an important role for the NLRP3/caspase-1 axis in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease, and suggest that NLRP3 inflammasome inhibition represents a new therapeutic intervention for the disease.

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  • Rat research has identified the NLRP3-ASC inflammasome as a major mechanism through which microglia may drive pathological features of AD.

    “Rat research has identified the NLRP3-ASC inflammasome as a major mechanism through which microglia may drive pathological features of AD [92,93,94].”

    From The Role of Cortisol in Chronic Stress, Neurodegenerative Diseases, and Psychological Disorders (2023) · cites this paper as [92]

    The supplied passages (labelled Abstract; no page given) link the microglial NLRP3 inflammasome to AD-related pathology and identify ASC specks in activated microglia. But the experimental animals were APP/PS1 mice, not rats, so this source does not support the claim's species designation. (LLM, conf=0.90)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Both beta-amyloids and tau can activate the NLRP3-ASC inflammasome within microglia.

    “Both beta-amyloids and tau can activate the NLRP3-ASC inflammasome within microglia [92,93].”

    From The Role of Cortisol in Chronic Stress, Neurodegenerative Diseases, and Psychological Disorders (2023) · cites this paper as [92]

    The Abstract states that Aβ activates the NLRP3 inflammasome in microglia, and the Methods summary reports detecting microglial ASC specks. The copy does not establish that tau activates this inflammasome; a search for tau found no supporting passage. (LLM, conf=0.90)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • The NLRP3 within microglia recruits the adaptor protein ASC to form an inflammasome complex.

    “The nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor, pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3), within microglia recruits the adaptor protein apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a C-terminal caspase recruitment domain (ASC) to form an inflammasome complex.”

    From The Role of Cortisol in Chronic Stress, Neurodegenerative Diseases, and Psychological Disorders (2023) · cites this paper as [92]

    The paper reports microglial expression of NLRP3 and ASC and describes ASC speck formation in APP/PS1 microglia as consistent with inflammasome activation (Fig. 1d; page unavailable in our copy). It does not state or directly demonstrate the specific step that NLRP3 recruits ASC to form the complex. (LLM, conf=0.82)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • In APP/PS1 mice model, NLRP3 knockout reduced Aβ deposition by enhancing phagocytic clearance capacity and increasing extracellular Aβ degradation by IDE.

    “In APP/PS1 mice model, NLRP3 knockout reduced Aβ deposition by enhancing phagocytic clearance capacity and increasing extracellular Aβ degradation by insulin- degrading enzyme (IDE).354”

    From Role of neuroinflammation in neurodegeneration development (2023) · cites this paper as [354]

    The passages labelled Abstract report reduced Aβ deposition and greater microglial Aβ uptake in APP/PS1/NLRP3−/− mice. They also report increased IDE, but say it is “likely” to enhance Aβ degradation; they do not establish increased extracellular degradation by IDE as a measured mechanism. (LLM, conf=0.85)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Activation of hippocampal NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis is associated with neuronal damage, cognitive decline, and neuronal death.

    “The activation of hippocampal NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis is associated with neuronal damage, cognitive decline, and neuronal death (Hanslik & Ulland, 2020; Heneka et al., 2013; Ising et al., 2019; Venegas et al., 2017).”

    From Picroside II Alleviates the Progression of Alzheimer’s Disease via the NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD Pathway (2025) · cites this paper as Heneka et al., 2013

    The Results passages (page not provided) report that NLRP3 or caspase-1 deficiency protected APP/PS1 mice from memory deficits, hippocampal LTP suppression, and reduced neuronal spine density. They support an association with cognitive decline and neuronal dysfunction, but do not establish inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis or neuronal death. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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Authors
Heneka, M. T., Kummer, M. P., Stutz, A., Delekate, A., Schwartz, S., Vieira-Saecker, A., Griep, A., Axt, D., Remus, A., Tzeng, T.-C., Gelpi, E., Halle, A., Korte, M., Latz, E., & Golenbock, D. T.
Affiliations
  • University of Bonn (DE)
  • Technische Universität Braunschweig (DE)
  • University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School (US)
  • Center of Advanced European Studies and Research (DE)
Corresponding author
  • Heneka, Michael T.
  • Latz, Eicke
  • Golenbock, Douglas T.
Venue
Nature
Published
2012-12-19
Volume
493
Issue
7434
Pages
674-678
ISSN
  • 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
  • 1476-4687
OpenAlex
W1993976394
Cited by
2,898
References
34
Citations by year
2026: 274 · 2025: 270 · 2024: 273 · 2023: 270 · 2022: 306 · 2021: 314 · 2020: 261 · 2019: 203 · 2018: 187 · 2017: 147 · 2016: 117 · 2015: 112 · 2014: 99 · 2013: 62
FWCI
35.07
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • Open Repository and Bibliography (University of Luxembourg) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • HZI (Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research) (submittedVersion)
  • The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network (American Medical Association) (submittedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • Max Planck Digital Library (submittedVersion)
  • DZNE Pub (submittedVersion)
  • MPG.PuRe (Max Planck Society) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
  • National Institutes of Health
  • Genentech
  • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (R01HL093262)
  • National Institute of General Medical Sciences (R01GM054060)
  • National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (U19AI084048, R01AI083713)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Inflammasome and immune disorders
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Alzheimer's disease research and treatments
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
Keywords
NLRP3 inflammasome, caspase-1, Alzheimer's disease, amyloid-beta, APP/PS1 mice, microglia, neuroinflammation, IL-1β, amyloid-beta clearance, spatial memory, NLRP3 knockout mice, cognitive impairment, therapeutic target
MeSH terms
NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Alzheimer Disease, Animals, Behavior, Animal, Brain, Carrier Proteins, Humans, Memory, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Mice, Transgenic, Phagocytosis, Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic, Amyloid beta-Peptides, Caspase 1, Mice, Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II, Interleukin-1beta, Inflammasomes, Cognitive Dysfunction

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