Home › Research › Lewy body dementia
A role for astrocytic miR-129-5p in frontotemporal dementia
Lalit Kaurani, Ranjit Pradhan, Sophie Schröder, Susanne Burkhardt, Anna-Lena Schuetz, Dennis Manfred Krüger, Tonatiuh Peña Centeno, Peter Heutink et al.. Translational Psychiatry, 2025-04-11
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Frontotemporal dementia is a debilitating neurodegenerative disorder characterized by frontal and temporal lobe degeneration, resulting in behavioral changes, language difficulties, and cognitive decline. In this study, smallRNA sequencing was conducted on postmortem brain tissues obtained from the frontal and temporal of FTD patients with GRN, MAPT, or C9ORF72 mutations. Our analysis identified miR-129-5p as consistently deregulated across all analyzed mutation conditions and brain regions. Functional investigations in in-vitro models revealed a novel role of miR-129-5p in astrocytes, where its loss led to neuroinflammation and impaired neuronal support functions, including reduced glutamate uptake. Depletion of miR-129-5p in astrocytes also resulted in the loss of neuronal spines and altered neuronal network activity in a cell culture system. These findings highlight miR-129-5p as a potential therapeutic target in neurodegenerative diseases and also sheds light on the role of astrocytes in Frontotemporal dementia pathogenesis.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Kaurani, L., Pradhan, R., Schröder, S., Burkhardt, S., Schuetz, A.-L., Krüger, D. M., et al. (2025). A role for astrocytic miR-129-5p in frontotemporal dementia. Translational Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-025-03338-y
Vancouver
Kaurani L, Pradhan R, Schröder S, Burkhardt S, Schuetz A.-L, Krüger DM, et al. A role for astrocytic miR-129-5p in frontotemporal dementia. Translational Psychiatry. 2025. doi:10.1038/s41398-025-03338-y. PMID: 40216778.
BibTeX
@article{kaurani2025-40216778,
author = {Kaurani, Lalit and Pradhan, Ranjit and Schröder, Sophie and Burkhardt, Susanne and Schuetz, Anna-Lena and Krüger, Dennis Manfred and Centeno, Tonatiuh Peña and Heutink, Peter and others},
title = {{A role for astrocytic miR-129-5p in frontotemporal dementia}},
journal = {Translational Psychiatry},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1038/s41398-025-03338-y},
pmid = {40216778},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-025-03338-y}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Functional investigations in in-vitro models revealed a novel role of miR-129-5p in astrocytes, where its loss led to neuroinflammation and impaired neuronal support functions, including reduced glutamate uptake.
- These findings highlight miR-129-5p as a potential therapeutic target in neurodegenerative diseases and also sheds light on the role of astrocytes in Frontotemporal dementia pathogenesis.
Why it matters
In laboratory cell models, loss of a molecule called miR-129-5p in astrocytes led to inflammation and reduced support for neurons, including reduced glutamate uptake. This is early, in-vitro work, and the findings only suggest miR-129-5p as a potential target for future research, not a treatment.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 42/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Translational Psychiatry) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Translational Psychiatry: journal h-index 180 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 2 / 7 | Cited 11 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 3.7 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 5.6× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 11 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author André Fischer: h-index 66 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Göttingen: institution h-index 934 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40216778) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 42 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1038/s41398-025-03338-y
- PubMed: 40216778
- Original source →
- Free full text: Translational Psychiatry →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Related
Studies in the library that share something with this one. The line above each title says what.
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.
Related studies in Lewy body dementia
Also tagged “tdp-43”
1,150 studies in the library carry the topic tag “tdp-43”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 1,150 tagged studies.