NIH R01 · 2025
Neurodegenerative reprograming of microglia in Alzheimer’s disease
ABSTRACT Genetic studies implicate microglia—the brain's primary innate immune cells—as major determinants for the risk of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). In murine AD models, microglia can assume phenotypes with protective or neurodegenerative functions, such as driving aberrant synapse loss. This proposal aims to elucidate molecular mechanisms that identify and give rise to functionally neurodegenerative microglia—a critical knowledge gap in the field. The results may inform future therapeutic avenues in the treatment of AD via the elimination of these microglia. Ultrastructural studies in humans and mice discovered a subset of “dark” microglia, characterized by signs of cellular stress,…
From the public funding record at NIH RePORTER. Describes the funded project, not the reviews below.