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Role of Microglia and Astrocytes in Alzheimer's Disease: From Neuroinflammation to Ca2+ Homeostasis Dysregulation
Di Benedetto G, Burgaletto C, Bellanca CM, Munafò A, Bernardini R, Cantarella G.. Cells, 2022-09-01
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia worldwide, with a complex, poorly understood pathogenesis. Cerebral atrophy, amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques, and neurofibrillary tangles represent the main pathological hallmarks of the AD brain. Recently, neuroinflammation has been recognized as a prominent feature of the AD brain and substantial evidence suggests that the inflammatory response modulates disease progression.
Key findings
- Cerebral atrophy, amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques, and neurofibrillary tangles represent the main pathological hallmarks of the AD brain.
- Recently, neuroinflammation has been recognized as a prominent feature of the AD brain and substantial evidence suggests that the inflammatory response modulates disease progression.
- Additionally, dysregulation of calcium (Ca 2+ ) homeostasis represents another early factor involved in the AD pathogenesis, as intracellular Ca 2+ concentration is essential to ensure proper cellular and neuronal functions.
- Although growing evidence supports the involvement of Ca 2+ in the mechanisms of neurodegeneration-related inflammatory processes, scant data are available on its contribution in microglia and astrocytes functioning, both in health and throughout the AD continuum.
Why it matters
This review describes neuroinflammation as a prominent feature of the Alzheimer's brain and says substantial evidence suggests the inflammatory response modulates disease progression. It also notes that dysregulation of calcium homeostasis is another early factor in Alzheimer's pathogenesis, but no treatment or cure is reported.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 47/100
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 (Cells) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Cells: journal h-index 234 (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 | 3 / 5 | 2022 — within 6 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 | 5 / 7 | Cited 190 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 31.7 citations a year over 6 year(s) since 2022 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 9.8× 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 163 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Giuseppina Cantarella: h-index 32 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | University of Catania: institution h-index 518 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 36078138) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 47 / 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. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Di Benedetto, G., Burgaletto, C., Bellanca, C. M., Munafò, A., Bernardini, R., & Cantarella, G. (2022). Role of Microglia and Astrocytes in Alzheimer's Disease: From Neuroinflammation to Ca2+ Homeostasis Dysregulation. Cells. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells11172728
Vancouver
Di Benedetto G, Burgaletto C, Bellanca CM, Munafò A, Bernardini R, Cantarella G. Role of Microglia and Astrocytes in Alzheimer's Disease: From Neuroinflammation to Ca2+ Homeostasis Dysregulation. Cells. 2022. doi:10.3390/cells11172728. PMID: 36078138.
BibTeX
@article{dibenedetto2022-36078138,
author = {Di Benedetto, G. and Burgaletto, C. and Bellanca, C. M. and Munafò, A. and Bernardini, R. and Cantarella, G.},
title = {{Role of Microglia and Astrocytes in Alzheimer's Disease: From Neuroinflammation to Ca2+ Homeostasis Dysregulation}},
journal = {Cells},
year = {2022},
doi = {10.3390/cells11172728},
pmid = {36078138},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/cells11172728}
}
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