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Soluble TREM2 induces inflammatory responses and enhances microglial survival
Zhong L, Chen XF, Wang T, Wang Z, Liao C, Wang Z, Huang R, Wang D et al.. The Journal of experimental medicine, 2017-02-16
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) is an innate immune receptor expressed in microglia in the brain. A soluble form of TREM2 (sTREM2) derived from proteolytic cleavage of the cell surface receptor is increased in the preclinical stages of AD and positively correlates with the amounts of total and phosphorylated tau in the cerebrospinal fluid. However, the physiological and pathological functions of sTREM2 remain unknown.
Key findings
- A soluble form of TREM2 (sTREM2) derived from proteolytic cleavage of the cell surface receptor is increased in the preclinical stages of AD and positively correlates with the amounts of total and phosphorylated tau in the cerebrospinal fluid.
- However, the physiological and pathological functions of sTREM2 remain unknown.
- Here, we show that sTREM2 promotes microglial survival in a PI3K/Akt-dependent manner and stimulates the production of inflammatory cytokines depending on NF-κB.
- Variants of sTREM2 carrying AD risk-associated mutations were less potent in both suppressing apoptosis and triggering inflammatory responses.
Why it matters
Soluble TREM2, a fragment of a microglial immune receptor, is raised in early Alzheimer's, but what it does was unknown. This study reports that it helped microglia survive and triggered inflammatory signals, and that versions carrying Alzheimer's risk mutations were "less potent" at both. The record does not describe the model or give effect sizes, and it shows nothing about treating or preventing Alzheimer's in people.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 54/100
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 experimental medicine) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | The Journal of Experimental Medicine: journal h-index 652 (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 | 2 / 5 | 2017 — 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 | 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 363 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 33.0 citations a year over 11 year(s) since 2017 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 11.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 4 / 6 | Cited by 71 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 120 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Guojun Bu: h-index 120 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Mayo Clinic in Florida: institution h-index 681 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 28209725) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 54 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1084/jem.20160844
- PubMed: 28209725
- Original source →
- Free full text: The Journal of Experimental Medicine →
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
Zhong, L., Chen, X. F., Wang, T., Wang, Z., Liao, C., Huang, R., et al. (2017). Soluble TREM2 induces inflammatory responses and enhances microglial survival. The Journal of experimental medicine. https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.20160844
Vancouver
Zhong L, Chen XF, Wang T, Wang Z, Liao C, Huang R, et al. Soluble TREM2 induces inflammatory responses and enhances microglial survival. The Journal of experimental medicine. 2017. doi:10.1084/jem.20160844. PMID: 28209725.
BibTeX
@article{zhong2017-28209725,
author = {Zhong, L. and Chen, X. F. and Wang, T. and Wang, Z. and Liao, C. and Huang, R. and Wang, D. and others},
title = {{Soluble TREM2 induces inflammatory responses and enhances microglial survival}},
journal = {The Journal of experimental medicine},
year = {2017},
doi = {10.1084/jem.20160844},
pmid = {28209725},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.20160844}
}
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