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Dark microglia: A new phenotype predominantly associated with pathological states
Bisht K, Sharma KP, Lecours C, Sánchez MG, El Hajj H, Milior G, Olmos-Alonso A, Gómez-Nicola D et al.. Glia, 2016-02-05
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
The past decade has witnessed a revolution in our understanding of microglia. These immune cells were shown to actively remodel neuronal circuits, leading to propose new pathogenic mechanisms. To study microglial implication in the loss of synapses, the best pathological correlate of cognitive decline across chronic stress, aging, and diseases, we recently conducted ultrastructural analyses.
Key findings
- These immune cells were shown to actively remodel neuronal circuits, leading to propose new pathogenic mechanisms.
- To study microglial implication in the loss of synapses, the best pathological correlate of cognitive decline across chronic stress, aging, and diseases, we recently conducted ultrastructural analyses.
- Our work uncovered the existence of a new microglial phenotype that is rarely present under steady state conditions, in hippocampus, cerebral cortex, amygdala, and hypothalamus, but becomes abundant during chronic stress, aging, fractalkine signaling deficiency (CX3 CR1 knockout mice), and Alzheimer's disease pathology (APP-PS1 mice).
- Even though these cells display ultrastructural features of microglia, they are strikingly distinct from the other phenotypes described so far at the ultrastructural level.
Why it matters
This work describes a 'dark microglia' phenotype found mainly in pathological states such as chronic stress, aging and disease. It is an observational ultrastructural finding and does not test any Alzheimer's treatment.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 53/100
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.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Glia) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Glia: journal h-index 233 (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 | 2016 — 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 422 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 35.2 citations a year over 12 year(s) since 2016 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 16.4× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 13 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 113 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Marie‐Ève Tremblay: h-index 67 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 3 / 3 | Harvard University: institution h-index 3,235 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 9 institution(s) in 4 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 26847266) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 53 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Bisht, K., Sharma, K. P., Lecours, C., Sánchez, M. G., El Hajj, H., Milior, G., et al. (2016). Dark microglia: A new phenotype predominantly associated with pathological states. Glia. https://doi.org/10.1002/glia.22966
Vancouver
Bisht K, Sharma KP, Lecours C, Sánchez MG, El Hajj H, Milior G, et al. Dark microglia: A new phenotype predominantly associated with pathological states. Glia. 2016. doi:10.1002/glia.22966. PMID: 26847266.
BibTeX
@article{bisht2016-26847266,
author = {Bisht, K. and Sharma, K. P. and Lecours, C. and Sánchez, M. G. and El Hajj, H. and Milior, G. and Olmos-Alonso, A. and Gómez-Nicola, D. and others},
title = {{Dark microglia: A new phenotype predominantly associated with pathological states}},
journal = {Glia},
year = {2016},
doi = {10.1002/glia.22966},
pmid = {26847266},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/glia.22966}
}
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