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The Cellular Phase of Alzheimer's Disease
De Strooper B, Karran E.. Cell, 2016-02-01
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
The amyloid hypothesis for Alzheimer's disease (AD) posits a neuron-centric, linear cascade initiated by Aβ and leading to dementia. This direct causality is incompatible with clinical observations. We review evidence supporting a long, complex cellular phase consisting of feedback and feedforward responses of astrocytes, microglia, and vasculature.
Key findings
- This direct causality is incompatible with clinical observations.
- We review evidence supporting a long, complex cellular phase consisting of feedback and feedforward responses of astrocytes, microglia, and vasculature.
- The field must incorporate this holistic view and take advantage of advances in single-cell approaches to resolve the critical junctures at which perturbations initially amenable to compensatory feedback transform into irreversible, progressive neurodegeneration.
Why it matters
This review argues that the direct causal chain from amyloid-beta to dementia is incompatible with clinical observations and describes a long, complex cellular phase involving astrocytes, microglia and vasculature. It calls for a holistic research view and single-cell approaches but reports no treatment, cure or prevention.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 57/100
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 (Cell) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Cell: journal h-index 1,220 (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 | 2016 — 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 | 7 / 7 | Cited 1,986 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 5 / 5 | 165.5 citations a year over 12 year(s) since 2016 |
| Impact for its field and year | 6 / 6 | Cited 100.2× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 4 / 6 | Cited by 65 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 4 / 4 | Cited 692 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Eric H. Karran: h-index 41 (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 6 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 26871627) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 57 / 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
De Strooper, B., & Karran, E. (2016). The Cellular Phase of Alzheimer's Disease. Cell. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2015.12.056
Vancouver
De Strooper B, Karran E. The Cellular Phase of Alzheimer's Disease. Cell. 2016. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2015.12.056. PMID: 26871627.
BibTeX
@article{destrooper2016-26871627,
author = {De Strooper, B. and Karran, E.},
title = {{The Cellular Phase of Alzheimer's Disease}},
journal = {Cell},
year = {2016},
doi = {10.1016/j.cell.2015.12.056},
pmid = {26871627},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2015.12.056}
}
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