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The inflammatory response system of brain: implications for therapy of Alzheimer and other neurodegenerative diseases
McGeer PL, McGeer EG.. Brain research. Brain research reviews, 1995-09-01
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Cultured brain cells are capable of generating many molecules associated with inflammatory and immune functions. They constitute the endogenous immune response system of brain. They include complement proteins and their regulators, inflammatory cytokines, acute phase reactants and many proteases and protease inhibitors.
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APA 7th
McGeer, P. L., & McGeer, E. G. (1995). The inflammatory response system of brain: implications for therapy of Alzheimer and other neurodegenerative diseases. Brain research. Brain research reviews. https://doi.org/10.1016/0165-0173(95)00011-9
Vancouver
McGeer PL, McGeer EG. The inflammatory response system of brain: implications for therapy of Alzheimer and other neurodegenerative diseases. Brain research. Brain research reviews. 1995. doi:10.1016/0165-0173(95)00011-9. PMID: 8866675.
BibTeX
@article{mcgeer1995-8866675,
author = {McGeer, P. L. and McGeer, E. G.},
title = {{The inflammatory response system of brain: implications for therapy of Alzheimer and other neurodegenerative diseases}},
journal = {Brain research. Brain research reviews},
year = {1995},
doi = {10.1016/0165-0173(95)00011-9},
pmid = {8866675},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/0165-0173(95)00011-9}
}
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Key findings
- They constitute the endogenous immune response system of brain.
- They include complement proteins and their regulators, inflammatory cytokines, acute phase reactants and many proteases and protease inhibitors.
- Most of the proteins are made by microglia and astrocytes, but even neurons are producers.
- Many appear in association with Alzheimer disease lesions, indicating a state of chronic inflammation in Alzheimer disease brain.
Why it matters
This 1995 review describes what it calls "the endogenous immune response system of brain": molecules such as complement proteins, inflammatory cytokines, acute phase reactants and proteases that cultured brain cells can make, mostly microglia and astrocytes "but even neurons". It reports that many of these appear alongside Alzheimer disease lesions, which it reads as a sign of "chronic inflammation in Alzheimer disease brain". That is an association, not proof of cause. The title points to "implications for therapy", but no treatment is described in the text held here, so nothing in this record shows any drug works.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 51/100
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 (Brain research. Brain research reviews) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Brain Research Reviews: journal h-index 267 (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 | 1995 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| 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 1,288 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 39.0 citations a year over 33 year(s) since 1995 |
| Impact for its field and year | 5 / 6 | Cited 28.9× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 4 / 6 | Cited by 41 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 34 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Edith G. McGeer: h-index 103 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of British Columbia: institution h-index 1,424 (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 8866675) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 51 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
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