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Minocycline reduces chronic microglial activation after brain trauma but increases neurodegeneration
Scott G, Zetterberg H, Jolly A, Cole JH, De Simoni S, Jenkins PO, Feeney C, Owen DR et al.. Brain : a journal of neurology, 2018-02-01
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Survivors of a traumatic brain injury can deteriorate years later, developing brain atrophy and dementia. Traumatic brain injury triggers chronic microglial activation, but it is unclear whether this is harmful or beneficial. A successful chronic-phase treatment for traumatic brain injury might be to target microglia.
Key findings
- Traumatic brain injury triggers chronic microglial activation, but it is unclear whether this is harmful or beneficial.
- A successful chronic-phase treatment for traumatic brain injury might be to target microglia.
- In experimental models, the antibiotic minocycline inhibits microglial activation.
- We investigated the effect of minocycline on microglial activation and neurodegeneration using PET, MRI, and measurement of the axonal protein neurofilament light in plasma.
Why it matters
In an experimental model, the antibiotic minocycline reduced chronic microglial activation after brain trauma but increased neurodegeneration. This suggests that simply suppressing microglia after injury may be harmful, but it is experimental work and does not establish a treatment for Alzheimer's disease.
Study details
- Effect size23.30%; 5.64%
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 72/100
Published in a leading specialty journal, and it is a randomised controlled trial. Scored zero for sample size because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Brain : a journal of neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Brain: journal h-index 503 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 11 / 12 | A randomised controlled trial (from PubMed type “Randomized Controlled Trial”) |
| 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 | 2018 — 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 | 2 / 3 | Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (pubmed indexes it as a clinical or observational study) |
| Randomised / blinded | 1 / 2 | Randomised (as stated in the record) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 227 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 22.7 citations a year over 10 year(s) since 2018 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 11.1× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 3 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 67 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author David Sharp: h-index 86 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University College London: institution h-index 2,029 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 7 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 29272357) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 72 / 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
Scott, G., Zetterberg, H., Jolly, A., Cole, J. H., De Simoni, S., Jenkins, P. O., et al. (2018). Minocycline reduces chronic microglial activation after brain trauma but increases neurodegeneration. Brain : a journal of neurology. https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awx339
Vancouver
Scott G, Zetterberg H, Jolly A, Cole JH, De Simoni S, Jenkins PO, et al. Minocycline reduces chronic microglial activation after brain trauma but increases neurodegeneration. Brain : a journal of neurology. 2018. doi:10.1093/brain/awx339. PMID: 29272357.
BibTeX
@article{scott2018-29272357,
author = {Scott, G. and Zetterberg, H. and Jolly, A. and Cole, J. H. and De Simoni, S. and Jenkins, P. O. and Feeney, C. and Owen, D. R. and others},
title = {{Minocycline reduces chronic microglial activation after brain trauma but increases neurodegeneration}},
journal = {Brain : a journal of neurology},
year = {2018},
doi = {10.1093/brain/awx339},
pmid = {29272357},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awx339}
}
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