Home › Research › TREM2 and immune genetics
Human stem cell-derived monocytes and microglia-like cells reveal impaired amyloid plaque clearance upon heterozygous or homozygous loss of TREM2
Claes C, Van Den Daele J, Boon R, Schouteden S, Colombo A, Monasor LS, Fiers M, Ordovás L et al.. Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association, 2018-11-12
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Introduction Murine microglia expressing the Alzheimer's disease-linked TREM2 R47H mutation display variable decrease in phagocytosis, while impaired phagocytosis is reported following loss of TREM2. However, no data exist on TREM2 +/R47H human microglia. Therefore, we created human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) monocytes and transdifferentiated microglia-like cells (tMGs) to examine the effect of the TREM2 +/R47H mutation and loss of TREM2 on phagocytosis.
Key findings
- However, no data exist on TREM2 +/R47H human microglia.
- Therefore, we created human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) monocytes and transdifferentiated microglia-like cells (tMGs) to examine the effect of the TREM2 +/R47H mutation and loss of TREM2 on phagocytosis.
- Methods We generated isogenic TREM2 +/R47H , TREM2 +/- , and TREM2 -/- hPSCs using CRISPR/Cas9.
- Following differentiation to monocytes and tMGs, we studied the uptake of Escherichia coli fragments and analyzed amyloid plaque clearance from cryosections of APP/PS1 +/- mouse brains.
Why it matters
Human stem cell-derived monocytes and microglia-like cells with loss of TREM2 showed impaired clearance of amyloid plaques. This is a cell-based laboratory study and does not yet show a treatment, cure, or prevention for Alzheimer's disease in people.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Genetics →
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 46/100
Published in a leading specialty 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 | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Alzheimer s & Dementia: journal h-index 228 (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 | 2 / 5 | 2019 — within 10 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 79 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 8.8 citations a year over 9 year(s) since 2019 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 4.0× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 8 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 22 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Catherine M. Verfaillie: h-index 96 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | KU Leuven: institution h-index 1,386 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 5 institution(s) in 3 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 30442540) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 46 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2018.09.006
- PubMed: 30442540
- Original source →
- Free full text: Alzheimer s & Dementia →
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
Claes, C., Van Den Daele, J., Boon, R., Schouteden, S., Colombo, A., Monasor, L. S., et al. (2019). Human stem cell-derived monocytes and microglia-like cells reveal impaired amyloid plaque clearance upon heterozygous or homozygous loss of TREM2. Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jalz.2018.09.006
Vancouver
Claes C, Van Den Daele J, Boon R, Schouteden S, Colombo A, Monasor LS, et al. Human stem cell-derived monocytes and microglia-like cells reveal impaired amyloid plaque clearance upon heterozygous or homozygous loss of TREM2. Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association. 2019. doi:10.1016/j.jalz.2018.09.006. PMID: 30442540.
BibTeX
@article{claes2019-30442540,
author = {Claes, C. and Van Den Daele, J. and Boon, R. and Schouteden, S. and Colombo, A. and Monasor, L. S. and Fiers, M. and Ordovás, L. and others},
title = {{Human stem cell-derived monocytes and microglia-like cells reveal impaired amyloid plaque clearance upon heterozygous or homozygous loss of TREM2}},
journal = {Alzheimer's \& dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association},
year = {2019},
doi = {10.1016/j.jalz.2018.09.006},
pmid = {30442540},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jalz.2018.09.006}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here. Showing 12 of 26.
Later studies that cite this one
8 studies in the alzhub library list this one in their references.
Related studies in TREM2 and immune genetics
Also tagged “macrophages”
363 studies in the library carry the topic tag “macrophages”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 363 tagged studies.