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Low-dose intranasal deferoxamine modulates memory, neuroinflammation, and the neuronal transcriptome in the streptozotocin rodent model of Alzheimer’s disease
Jared M. Fine, Jacob Kosyakovsky, Tate T. Bowe, Katherine A. Faltesek, BENJAMIN M. STROEBEL, Juan E. Abrahante, Michael Robert Kelly, Elizabeth A. Thompson et al.. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 2025-01-13
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Five weeks of daily IN dosing of Long Evans rats with 15 μL of a 1% (0.3 mg), but not 0.1% (0.03 mg), solution of DFO rescued cognitive impairment caused by ICV STZ administration as assessed with the Morris Water Maze (MWM) test of spatial memory and learning. Furthermore, IN DFO modulated several aspects of the neuroinflammatory milieu of the ICV STZ model, which was assessed through a novel panel of brain cytokines and immunohistochemistry. Using RNA-sequencing and pathway analysis, STZ was shown to induce several pathways of cell death and neuroinflammation, and IN DFO engaged multiple transcriptomic pathways involved in hippocampal neuronal survival. To our knowledge this study is the first to assess the transcriptomic pathways and mechanisms associated with either the ICV STZ model or DFO treatment, and the first to demonstrate efficacy at this low dose.
Key findings
- Five weeks of daily IN dosing of Long Evans rats with 15 μL of a 1% (0.3 mg), but not 0.1% (0.03 mg), solution of DFO rescued cognitive impairment caused by ICV STZ administration as assessed with the Morris Water Maze (MWM) test of spatial memory and learning.
- Furthermore, IN DFO modulated several aspects of the neuroinflammatory milieu of the ICV STZ model, which was assessed through a novel panel of brain cytokines and immunohistochemistry.
- Using RNA-sequencing and pathway analysis, STZ was shown to induce several pathways of cell death and neuroinflammation, and IN DFO engaged multiple transcriptomic pathways involved in hippocampal neuronal survival.
- To our knowledge this study is the first to assess the transcriptomic pathways and mechanisms associated with either the ICV STZ model or DFO treatment, and the first to demonstrate efficacy at this low dose.
Why it matters
In a rat model of Alzheimer's disease, five weeks of daily intranasal deferoxamine at one dose rescued cognitive impairment and modulated neuroinflammation and neuronal survival pathways. This is early animal research and does not establish benefit in people.
Study details
- Effect size0.1%
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 42/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Frontiers in Neuroscience) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Frontiers in Neuroscience: journal h-index 226 (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 | 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 | 2 / 3 | Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Laboratory or animal study (title names “rodent”) — scores zero |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 2 / 7 | Cited 8 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 1 / 5 | 2.7 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 4.4× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 8 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Leah R. Hanson: h-index 38 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of Minnesota: institution h-index 1,568 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 39872995) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 42 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1528374
- PubMed: 39872995
- Original source →
- Free full text: Frontiers in 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. 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
Fine, J. M., Kosyakovsky, J., Bowe, T. T., Faltesek, K. A., STROEBEL, B. M., Abrahante, J. E., et al. (2025). Low-dose intranasal deferoxamine modulates memory, neuroinflammation, and the neuronal transcriptome in the streptozotocin rodent model of Alzheimer’s disease. Frontiers in Neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2024.1528374
Vancouver
Fine JM, Kosyakovsky J, Bowe TT, Faltesek KA, STROEBEL BM, Abrahante JE, et al. Low-dose intranasal deferoxamine modulates memory, neuroinflammation, and the neuronal transcriptome in the streptozotocin rodent model of Alzheimer’s disease. Frontiers in Neuroscience. 2025. doi:10.3389/fnins.2024.1528374. PMID: 39872995.
BibTeX
@article{fine2025-39872995,
author = {Fine, Jared M. and Kosyakovsky, Jacob and Bowe, Tate T. and Faltesek, Katherine A. and STROEBEL, BENJAMIN M. and Abrahante, Juan E. and Kelly, Michael Robert and Thompson, Elizabeth A. and others},
title = {{Low-dose intranasal deferoxamine modulates memory, neuroinflammation, and the neuronal transcriptome in the streptozotocin rodent model of Alzheimer’s disease}},
journal = {Frontiers in Neuroscience},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.3389/fnins.2024.1528374},
pmid = {39872995},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2024.1528374}
}
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