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Trem2 deficiency differentially affects phenotype and transcriptome of human APOE3 and APOE4 mice
Fitz NF, Wolfe CM, Playso BE, Biedrzycki RJ, Lu Y, Nam KN, Lefterov I, Koldamova R.. Molecular neurodegeneration, 2020-07-23
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Background Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder influenced by aging and genetic risk factors. The inheritance of APOEε4 and variants of Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) are major genetic risk factors for AD. Recent studies showed that APOE binds to TREM2, thus raising the possibility of an APOE-TREM2 interaction that can modulate AD pathology.
Key findings
- The inheritance of APOEε4 and variants of Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) are major genetic risk factors for AD.
- Recent studies showed that APOE binds to TREM2, thus raising the possibility of an APOE-TREM2 interaction that can modulate AD pathology.
- Methods The aim of this study was to investigate this interaction using complex AD model mice - a crossbreed of Trem2 ko and APP/PSEN1dE9 mice expressing human APOE3 or APOE4 isoforms (APP/E3 and APP/E4 respectively), and their WT littermates (E3 and E4), and evaluate cognition, steady-state amyloid load, plaque compaction, plaque growth rate, glial response, and brain transcriptome.
- Results In both, APP/E3 and APP/E4 mice, Trem2 deletion reduced plaque compaction but did not significantly affect steady-state plaque load.
Why it matters
This study used mice bred to carry human APOE3 or APOE4 together with a Trem2 knockout to look at whether APOE and TREM2 interact in ways that affect Alzheimer's pathology. It is animal research only and reports no treatment, cure or prevention for people.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 44/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Molecular neurodegeneration) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Molecular Neurodegeneration: journal h-index 164 (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 | 2020 — 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 | Laboratory or animal study (title names “mice”) — scores zero |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 4 / 7 | Cited 69 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 8.6 citations a year over 8 year(s) since 2020 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 5.2× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 10 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 28 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Radosveta P. Koldamova: h-index 34 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Pittsburgh: institution h-index 1,470 (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 32703241) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 44 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1186/s13024-020-00394-4
- PubMed: 32703241
- Original source →
- Free full text: Molecular Neurodegeneration →
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 names 8 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Fitz, N. F., Wolfe, C. M., Playso, B. E., Biedrzycki, R. J., Lu, Y., Nam, K. N., et al. (2020). Trem2 deficiency differentially affects phenotype and transcriptome of human APOE3 and APOE4 mice. Molecular neurodegeneration. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13024-020-00394-4
Vancouver
Fitz NF, Wolfe CM, Playso BE, Biedrzycki RJ, Lu Y, Nam KN, et al. Trem2 deficiency differentially affects phenotype and transcriptome of human APOE3 and APOE4 mice. Molecular neurodegeneration. 2020. doi:10.1186/s13024-020-00394-4. PMID: 32703241.
BibTeX
@article{fitz2020-32703241,
author = {Fitz, N. F. and Wolfe, C. M. and Playso, B. E. and Biedrzycki, R. J. and Lu, Y. and Nam, K. N. and Lefterov, I. and Koldamova, R.},
title = {{Trem2 deficiency differentially affects phenotype and transcriptome of human APOE3 and APOE4 mice}},
journal = {Molecular neurodegeneration},
year = {2020},
doi = {10.1186/s13024-020-00394-4},
pmid = {32703241},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s13024-020-00394-4}
}
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