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Progranulin deficiency promotes neuroinflammation and neuron loss following toxin-induced injury
Martens LH, Zhang J, Barmada SJ, Zhou P, Kamiya S, Sun B, Min SW, Gan L et al.. The Journal of clinical investigation, 2012-10-08
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Progranulin (PGRN) is a widely expressed secreted protein that is linked to inflammation. In humans, PGRN haploinsufficiency is a major inherited cause of frontotemporal dementia (FTD), but how PGRN deficiency causes neurodegeneration is unknown. Here we show that loss of PGRN results in increased neuron loss in response to injury in the CNS.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Martens, L. H., Zhang, J., Barmada, S. J., Zhou, P., Kamiya, S., Sun, B., et al. (2012). Progranulin deficiency promotes neuroinflammation and neuron loss following toxin-induced injury. The Journal of clinical investigation. https://doi.org/10.1172/jci63113
Vancouver
Martens LH, Zhang J, Barmada SJ, Zhou P, Kamiya S, Sun B, et al. Progranulin deficiency promotes neuroinflammation and neuron loss following toxin-induced injury. The Journal of clinical investigation. 2012. doi:10.1172/jci63113. PMID: 23041626.
BibTeX
@article{martens2012-23041626,
author = {Martens, L. H. and Zhang, J. and Barmada, S. J. and Zhou, P. and Kamiya, S. and Sun, B. and Min, S. W. and Gan, L. and others},
title = {{Progranulin deficiency promotes neuroinflammation and neuron loss following toxin-induced injury}},
journal = {The Journal of clinical investigation},
year = {2012},
doi = {10.1172/jci63113},
pmid = {23041626},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1172/jci63113}
}
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Key findings
- In humans, PGRN haploinsufficiency is a major inherited cause of frontotemporal dementia (FTD), but how PGRN deficiency causes neurodegeneration is unknown.
- Here we show that loss of PGRN results in increased neuron loss in response to injury in the CNS.
- When exposed acutely to 1-methyl-4-(2'-methylphenyl)-1,2,3,6-tetrahydrophine (MPTP), mice lacking PGRN (Grn⁻/⁻) showed more neuron loss and increased microgliosis compared with wild-type mice.
- The exacerbated neuron loss was due not to selective vulnerability of Grn⁻/⁻ neurons to MPTP, but rather to an increased microglial inflammatory response.
Why it matters
Mice lacking progranulin, which is linked to frontotemporal dementia in humans, lost more neurons after a toxin injury. This is animal research and does not show a treatment or cure for dementia in people.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 50/100
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 (The Journal of clinical investigation) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Journal of Clinical Investigation: journal h-index 706 (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 | 1 / 5 | 2012 — within 20 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 | 6 / 7 | Cited 316 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 19.8 citations a year over 16 year(s) since 2012 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 6.5× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 15 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 58 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Robert V. Farese: h-index 110 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University of California, San Francisco: institution h-index 1,915 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 23041626) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 50 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
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