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Copper overload worsens the inflammatory response of microglia to amyloid beta (Aβ) by impairing phagocytosis and promoting mitochondrial DNA-mediated NLRP3 inflammasome activation
Marlene Zubillaga, Xenia Abadin, Elia Ivars, Margalida Puigròs, Ramon Trullas, M José Bellini, Nathalie Arnal, Anna Colell. Redox biology, 2025-09-17
Topic: Inflammation, microglia and astrocytes
Microglia play a significant role in the development and progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). These brain-resident immune cells efficiently clear neurotoxic amyloid beta (Aβ) peptides; however, chronic activation may overwhelm their protective abilities, resulting in persistent neuroinflammation. The causes of aberrant microglial activation in AD remain elusive. Emerging evidence indicates that copper (Cu) accumulation, which can arise from prolonged exposure to various environmental sources, modifies the innate immune response in AD. Here, we sought to explore the mechanisms by which Cu overload regulates the microglial phenotype when exposed to Aβ. Our findings showed that exposure to sublethal doses of Cu led to the accumulation of this transition metal in the mitochondria. Elevated mitochondrial Cu (mtCu) levels were accompanied by reduced mitochondrial glutathione (mtGSH) and high oxidative stress, leading to Aβ-induced inflammasome activation through the release of oxidized mitochondrial DNA (ox-mtDNA). Moreover, increased intracellular Cu levels enhanced cholesterol biosynthesis and facilitated its transport to mitochondria. The combination of elevated cholesterol and mitochondrial oxidative stress hindered the ability of microglia to phagocytose Aβ effectively. As expected, conditioned medium from Cu-activated microglia reduced neuronal viability. The neurotoxicity caused by Cu-overloaded microglia was prevented by inhibiting inflammasome activation and restoring mtGSH levels. In conclusion, our study outlines a mechanistic pathway by which chronic exposure to environmental Cu may lead to neuroinflammation and Aβ accumulation in AD, underscoring the crucial role of mitochondrial oxidative stress.
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APA 7th
Zubillaga, M., Abadin, X., Ivars, E., Puigròs, M., Trullas, R., Bellini, M. J., et al. (2025). Copper overload worsens the inflammatory response of microglia to amyloid beta (Aβ) by impairing phagocytosis and promoting mitochondrial DNA-mediated NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Redox biology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.redox.2025.103872
Vancouver
Zubillaga M, Abadin X, Ivars E, Puigròs M, Trullas R, Bellini MJ, et al. Copper overload worsens the inflammatory response of microglia to amyloid beta (Aβ) by impairing phagocytosis and promoting mitochondrial DNA-mediated NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Redox biology. 2025. doi:10.1016/j.redox.2025.103872. PMID: 40992081.
BibTeX
@article{zubillaga2025-40992081,
author = {Zubillaga, Marlene and Abadin, Xenia and Ivars, Elia and Puigròs, Margalida and Trullas, Ramon and Bellini, M José and Arnal, Nathalie and Colell, Anna},
title = {{Copper overload worsens the inflammatory response of microglia to amyloid beta (Aβ) by impairing phagocytosis and promoting mitochondrial DNA-mediated NLRP3 inflammasome activation}},
journal = {Redox biology},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1016/j.redox.2025.103872},
pmid = {40992081},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.redox.2025.103872}
}
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 8 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.
Key findings
- Microglia play a significant role in the development and progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD).
- Emerging evidence indicates that copper (Cu) accumulation, which can arise from prolonged exposure to various environmental sources, modifies the innate immune response in AD.
- Our findings showed that exposure to sublethal doses of Cu led to the accumulation of this transition metal in the mitochondria.
- In conclusion, our study outlines a mechanistic pathway by which chronic exposure to environmental Cu may lead to neuroinflammation and Aβ accumulation in AD, underscoring the crucial role of mitochondrial oxidative stress.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 43/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record, multi-centre collaboration and free to read, so those were left out: it earned 24 of the 56 points we could judge it on, which is 43 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Redox biology) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| 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) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40992081) |
| Free to read | — / 2 | Access not recorded — left out of this score |
| Points | 24 / 56 | Scored on 10 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 24 of the 56 points we could judge it on is 43 out of 100. |
| Total | 43 / 100 | — |
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