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TREM2 promotes Aβ phagocytosis by upregulating C/EBPα-dependent CD36 expression in microglia
Kim SM, Mun BR, Lee SJ, Joh Y, Lee HY, Ji KY, Choi HR, Lee EH et al.. Scientific reports, 2017-09-11
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
TREM2 plays a critical role in the alleviation of Alzheimer's disease by promoting Aβ phagocytosis by microglia, but the detailed molecular mechanism underlying TREM2-induced direct phagocytic activity of Aβ remains to be revealed. We found that learning and memory functions were improved in aged TREM2 TG mice, with the opposite effects in KO mice. The amount of phagocytosed Aβ was significantly reduced in the primary microglia of KO mice.
Key findings
- We found that learning and memory functions were improved in aged TREM2 TG mice, with the opposite effects in KO mice.
- The amount of phagocytosed Aβ was significantly reduced in the primary microglia of KO mice.
- CD36 expression in primary microglia was greater in TG than in WT mice but was substantially decreased in KO mice.
- The expression of C/EBPα, an upstream transcriptional activator of CD36, was also elevated in primary microglia of TG mice but decreased in KO mice.
Why it matters
In mice, extra TREM2 went with better learning and memory in old age and losing TREM2 went with worse, and microglia from TREM2-knockout mice took up "significantly reduced" amounts of amyloid-beta. Levels of CD36, a receptor on microglia, and of C/EBPα, a protein that switches CD36 on, rose and fell along with TREM2, which suggests one possible route by which TREM2 helps microglia take up amyloid. This is mouse and cell work with no human data, so it does not show that targeting TREM2, CD36 or C/EBPα would treat Alzheimer's in people.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 46/100
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 (Scientific reports) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Scientific Reports: journal h-index 463 (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 | 5 / 7 | Cited 141 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 12.8 citations a year over 11 year(s) since 2017 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 2.9× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 9 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 61 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 1 / 4 | Last-listed author Hyung-Sik Kang: h-index 17 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Seoul National University: institution h-index 1,053 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 6 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 28894284) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 46 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
- DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-11634-x
- PubMed: 28894284
- Original source →
- Free full text: Scientific Reports →
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
Kim, S. M., Mun, B. R., Lee, S. J., Joh, Y., Lee, H. Y., Ji, K. Y., et al. (2017). TREM2 promotes Aβ phagocytosis by upregulating C/EBPα-dependent CD36 expression in microglia. Scientific reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-11634-x
Vancouver
Kim SM, Mun BR, Lee SJ, Joh Y, Lee HY, Ji KY, et al. TREM2 promotes Aβ phagocytosis by upregulating C/EBPα-dependent CD36 expression in microglia. Scientific reports. 2017. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-11634-x. PMID: 28894284.
BibTeX
@article{kim2017-28894284,
author = {Kim, S. M. and Mun, B. R. and Lee, S. J. and Joh, Y. and Lee, H. Y. and Ji, K. Y. and Choi, H. R. and Lee, E. H. and others},
title = {{TREM2 promotes Aβ phagocytosis by upregulating C/EBPα-dependent CD36 expression in microglia}},
journal = {Scientific reports},
year = {2017},
doi = {10.1038/s41598-017-11634-x},
pmid = {28894284},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-11634-x}
}
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