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Ccr2 deficiency impairs microglial accumulation and accelerates progression of Alzheimer-like disease
El Khoury J, Toft M, Hickman SE, Means TK, Terada K, Geula C, Luster AD.. Nature medicine, 2007-03-11
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Microglia are the principal immune cells of the brain. In Alzheimer disease, these brain mononuclear phagocytes are recruited from the blood and accumulate in senile plaques. However, the role of microglia in Alzheimer disease has not been resolved.
Key findings
- In Alzheimer disease, these brain mononuclear phagocytes are recruited from the blood and accumulate in senile plaques.
- However, the role of microglia in Alzheimer disease has not been resolved.
- Microglia may be neuroprotective by phagocytosing amyloid-beta (Abeta), but their activation and the secretion of neurotoxins may also cause neurodegeneration.
- Ccr2 is a chemokine receptor expressed on microglia, which mediates the accumulation of mononuclear phagocytes at sites of inflammation.
Why it matters
The study's title reports that, in a model of "Alzheimer-like disease", lacking Ccr2, a receptor the record says "mediates the accumulation of mononuclear phagocytes at sites of inflammation", impaired the build-up of microglia and accelerated disease progression. The authors frame this against an open question: microglia "may be neuroprotective by phagocytosing amyloid-beta (Abeta)", but their activation "may also cause neurodegeneration". The record we hold has only background text, with no methods, measures or numbers, and it tests no treatment in people.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 59/100
Published in a top-tier journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 10 / 10 | Tier 1 — top-tier general journal (Nature medicine) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Nature Medicine: journal h-index 763 (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 | 1 / 5 | 2007 — within 20 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) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 914 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 43.5 citations a year over 21 year(s) since 2007 |
| Impact for its field and year | 5 / 6 | Cited 29.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 4 / 6 | Cited by 49 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 95 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Andrew D. Luster: h-index 132 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 3 / 3 | Harvard University: institution h-index 3,235 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 5 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 17351623) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 59 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
May need a subscription OpenAlex found no free copy of the full text (checked 6 Feb 1020), so the publisher may charge for it. The PubMed abstract is free.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
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 names 7 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
El Khoury, J., Toft, M., Hickman, S. E., Means, T. K., Terada, K., Geula, C., et al. (2007). Ccr2 deficiency impairs microglial accumulation and accelerates progression of Alzheimer-like disease. Nature medicine. https://doi.org/10.1038/nm1555
Vancouver
El Khoury J, Toft M, Hickman SE, Means TK, Terada K, Geula C, et al. Ccr2 deficiency impairs microglial accumulation and accelerates progression of Alzheimer-like disease. Nature medicine. 2007. doi:10.1038/nm1555. PMID: 17351623.
BibTeX
@article{elkhoury2007-17351623,
author = {El Khoury, J. and Toft, M. and Hickman, S. E. and Means, T. K. and Terada, K. and Geula, C. and Luster, A. D.},
title = {{Ccr2 deficiency impairs microglial accumulation and accelerates progression of Alzheimer-like disease}},
journal = {Nature medicine},
year = {2007},
doi = {10.1038/nm1555},
pmid = {17351623},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/nm1555}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.
Later studies that cite this one
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