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Inflammasome adaptor ASC promotes sustained neuroinflammation and mild cognitive impairment in a closed-head injury model
Tao Li, Sergio Castro-Gomez, Pablo Botella Lucena, Ana Vieira-Saecker, Stephanie Schwartz, Yingying Ding, Yushuang Deng, Maling Gou et al.. The Journal of clinical investigation, 2026-02-24
Topic: Inflammation, microglia and astrocytes
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) from a closed-head injury (CHI) can lead to prevalent neuropsychiatric disorders, including mood disorders and an increased risk for neurodegenerative diseases and dementia. Inflammasomes are molecular complexes crucial for neuroinflammation and secondary damage after trauma, however their role in mild CHI (mCHI) is poorly understood. In this study, we investigate the cellular expression of inflammasome-related genes and their functional significance in CHI models. Single-cell RNA-seq analysis of cortical tissue after trauma revealed selective expression of Asc (also known as Pycard), which encodes the inflammasome adaptor apoptosis-associated Speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain (ASC), predominantly in microglial clusters. Sustained upregulation of inflammasome-related proteins, microglia activation, and astrocyte reactivity persisted up to 21 days in a model for mTBI, with significant reduction of this pattern in Asc-/- mice. Importantly, mild cognitive impairment induced after mCHI was largely abrogated in Asc-/- mice. These findings suggest that ASC, as the primary inflammasome adaptor, plays a critical role in sustaining neuroinflammation and contributes to cognitive deficits after mCHI. This study provides insights into the molecular neuroinflammatory mechanisms underlying CHI, potentially informing future therapeutic strategies.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Li, T., Castro-Gomez, S., Lucena, P. B., Vieira-Saecker, A., Schwartz, S., Ding, Y., et al. (2026). Inflammasome adaptor ASC promotes sustained neuroinflammation and mild cognitive impairment in a closed-head injury model. The Journal of clinical investigation. https://doi.org/10.1172/jci199818
Vancouver
Li T, Castro-Gomez S, Lucena PB, Vieira-Saecker A, Schwartz S, Ding Y, et al. Inflammasome adaptor ASC promotes sustained neuroinflammation and mild cognitive impairment in a closed-head injury model. The Journal of clinical investigation. 2026. doi:10.1172/jci199818. PMID: 41734021.
BibTeX
@article{li2026-41734021,
author = {Li, Tao and Castro-Gomez, Sergio and Lucena, Pablo Botella and Vieira-Saecker, Ana and Schwartz, Stephanie and Ding, Yingying and Deng, Yushuang and Gou, Maling and others},
title = {{Inflammasome adaptor ASC promotes sustained neuroinflammation and mild cognitive impairment in a closed-head injury model}},
journal = {The Journal of clinical investigation},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.1172/jci199818},
pmid = {41734021},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1172/jci199818}
}
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Key findings
- Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) from a closed-head injury (CHI) can lead to prevalent neuropsychiatric disorders, including mood disorders and an increased risk for neurodegenerative diseases and dementia.
- Single-cell RNA-seq analysis of cortical tissue after trauma revealed selective expression of Asc (also known as Pycard), which encodes the inflammasome adaptor apoptosis-associated Speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain (ASC), predominantly in microglial clusters.
- Sustained upregulation of inflammasome-related proteins, microglia activation, and astrocyte reactivity persisted up to 21 days in a model for mTBI, with significant reduction of this pattern in Asc-/- mice.
- These findings suggest that ASC, as the primary inflammasome adaptor, plays a critical role in sustaining neuroinflammation and contributes to cognitive deficits after mCHI.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 45/100
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 25 of the 56 points we could judge it on, which is 45 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (The Journal of clinical investigation) |
| 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 | 5 / 5 | 2026 — within 1 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 41734021) |
| Free to read | — / 2 | Access not recorded — left out of this score |
| Points | 25 / 56 | Scored on 10 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 25 of the 56 points we could judge it on is 45 out of 100. |
| Total | 45 / 100 | — |
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