Home › Research › TREM2 and immune genetics
Functional and Phenotypic Diversity of Microglia: Implication for Microglia-Based Therapies for Alzheimer's Disease
Xu YJ, Au NPB, Ma CHE.. Frontiers in aging neuroscience, 2022-05-26
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease and is closely associated with the accumulation of β-amyloid (Aβ) and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). Apart from Aβ and NFT pathologies, AD patients also exhibit a widespread microglial activation in various brain regions with elevated production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, a phenomenon known as neuroinflammation. In healthy central nervous system, microglia adopt ramified, "surveying" phenotype with compact cell bodies and elongated processes.
Key findings
- Apart from Aβ and NFT pathologies, AD patients also exhibit a widespread microglial activation in various brain regions with elevated production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, a phenomenon known as neuroinflammation.
- In healthy central nervous system, microglia adopt ramified, "surveying" phenotype with compact cell bodies and elongated processes.
- In AD, the presence of pathogenic proteins such as extracellular Aβ plaques and hyperphosphorylated tau, induce the transformation of ramified microglia into amoeboid microglia.
- Ameboid microglia are highly phagocytic immune cells and actively secrete a cascade of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines.
Why it matters
This review describes how pathogenic proteins such as extracellular Aβ plaques and hyperphosphorylated tau induce the transformation of ramified microglia, and how Alzheimer's patients show widespread microglial activation with elevated pro-inflammatory cytokines. It discusses microglia-based therapies as an implication but reports no treatment tested in patients.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Genetics →
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.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Frontiers in aging neuroscience) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience: journal h-index 174 (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 | 3 / 5 | 2022 — within 6 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 | 4 / 7 | Cited 59 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 9.8 citations a year over 6 year(s) since 2022 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 3.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 1 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 44 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Chi Him Eddie Ma: h-index 20 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | City University of Hong Kong: institution h-index 665 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 35693341) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 43 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.896852
- PubMed: 35693341
- Original source →
- Free full text: Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience →
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. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Xu, Y. J., Au, N. P. B., & Ma, C. H. E. (2022). Functional and Phenotypic Diversity of Microglia: Implication for Microglia-Based Therapies for Alzheimer's Disease. Frontiers in aging neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2022.896852
Vancouver
Xu YJ, Au NPB, Ma CHE. Functional and Phenotypic Diversity of Microglia: Implication for Microglia-Based Therapies for Alzheimer's Disease. Frontiers in aging neuroscience. 2022. doi:10.3389/fnagi.2022.896852. PMID: 35693341.
BibTeX
@article{xu2022-35693341,
author = {Xu, Y. J. and Au, N. P. B. and Ma, C. H. E.},
title = {{Functional and Phenotypic Diversity of Microglia: Implication for Microglia-Based Therapies for Alzheimer's Disease}},
journal = {Frontiers in aging neuroscience},
year = {2022},
doi = {10.3389/fnagi.2022.896852},
pmid = {35693341},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2022.896852}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here. Showing 12 of 63.
Later studies that cite this one
1 study in the alzhub library lists this one in its references.