Cited by 3,179Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration MechanismsAlzheimer's disease research and treatmentsNeurological Disease Mechanisms and Treatments

Neuroinflammation and microglial activation in Alzheimer disease: where do we go from here?

Leng, Fangda, Edison, Paul·2021·Nature Reviews Neurology

Abstract

Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most common form of neurodegenerative disease, estimated to contribute 60-70% of all cases of dementia worldwide. According to the prevailing amyloid cascade hypothesis, amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition in the brain is the initiating event in AD, although evidence is accumulating that this hypothesis is insufficient to explain many aspects of AD pathogenesis. The discovery of increased levels of inflammatory markers in patients with AD and the identification of AD risk genes associated with innate immune functions suggest that neuroinflammation has a prominent role in the pathogenesis of AD. In this Review, we discuss the interrelationships between neuroinflammation and amyloid and tau pathologies as well as the effect of neuroinflammation on the disease trajectory in AD. We specifically focus on microglia as major players in neuroinflammation and discuss the spatial and temporal variations in microglial phenotypes that are observed under different conditions. We also consider how these cells could be modulated as a therapeutic strategy for AD.

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Crossref · 10.1038/s41582-020-00435-y

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76 of 76 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • The beneficial effects of A11 might stem from a reduction in PU.1 activity below a threshold that otherwise causes microglia to acquire a detrimental and hyperinflammatory phenotype or that helps undo unresolved microglial activation.

    “The beneficial effects of A11 might stem from a reduction in PU.1 activity below a threshold that otherwise causes the microglia to acquire a detrimental and hyperinflammatory phenotype (Crotti et al., 2014; Gjoneska et al., 2015) or that helps the undoing of unresolved microglial activation (Leng and Edison, 2021).”
  • Growing body of evidence supports the involvement of the neuroimmune system, mast cells, and microglia in AD onset and progression.

    “The effort to find an innovative non-amyloid-based compound acting on neuroinflammation could be another treatment option since the growing body of evidence supports the involvement of the neuroimmune system, mast cells (MCs), and microglia in AD onset and progression [125,126].”
  • Several other markers of TSPO are being developed and tested in dementia such as 11C-PBR28 and 11C-DAA1106.

    “Considering the limitations of PK-PET, several other markers of TSPO are being developed and tested in dementia such as 11C-PBR28, 11C-DAA1106 (for review see [225]).”
  • Persistent neuroinflammation and oxidative stress are factors in Alzheimer's disease progression.

    “persistent neuroinflammation and oxidative stress are widely recognized as factors in the progression of AD11”
  • As Aβ accumulates, microglia become persistently activated, causing prolonged inflammatory signaling and increased neurotoxic cytokine production that aggravate synaptic and neuronal injury.

    “As Aβ accumulates, microglia become persistently activated, resulting in prolonged inflammatory signaling and increased production of neurotoxic cytokines that aggravate synaptic and neuronal injury11.”

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Authors
Leng, F., & Edison, P.
Affiliations
Hammersmith Hospital (GB)
Corresponding author
Edison, Paul
Venue
Nature Reviews Neurology
Published
2020-12-14
Volume
17
Issue
3
Pages
157-172
ISSN
  • 1759-4758 (ISSN-L)
  • 1759-4766
OpenAlex
W3111509171
Cited by
3,179
References
76
Citations by year
2026: 534 · 2025: 736 · 2024: 746 · 2023: 590 · 2022: 417 · 2021: 149 · 2020: 2 · 2012: 1
FWCI
28.99
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Nature Reviews Neurology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
Medical Research Council (MR/V007688/1)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Alzheimer's disease research and treatments
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Neurology › Neurological Disease Mechanisms and Treatments
Keywords
Alzheimer's disease, neuroinflammation, microglial activation, amyloid-beta, tau pathology, amyloid hypothesis, innate immunity, microglial phenotype, microglial priming, disease trajectories, therapeutic target
MeSH terms
Neuroinflammatory Diseases, Alzheimer Disease, Brain, Humans, Macrophage Activation, Microglia, Neurodegenerative Diseases

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