Home › Research › TREM2 and immune genetics
Trem2 promotes anti-inflammatory responses in microglia and is suppressed under pro-inflammatory conditions
Liu W, Taso O, Wang R, Bayram S, Graham AC, Garcia-Reitboeck P, Mallach A, Andrews WD et al.. Human molecular genetics, 2020-11-01
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Genome-wide association studies have reported that, amongst other microglial genes, variants in TREM2 can profoundly increase the incidence of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD). We have investigated the role of TREM2 in primary microglial cultures from wild type mice by using siRNA to decrease Trem2 expression, and in parallel from knock-in mice heterozygous or homozygous for the Trem2 R47H AD risk variant. The prevailing phenotype of Trem2 R47H knock-in mice was decreased expression levels of Trem2 in microglia, which resulted in decreased density of microglia in the hippocampus.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Liu, W., Taso, O., Wang, R., Bayram, S., Graham, A. C., Garcia-Reitboeck, P., et al. (2020). Trem2 promotes anti-inflammatory responses in microglia and is suppressed under pro-inflammatory conditions. Human molecular genetics. https://doi.org/10.1093/hmg/ddaa209
Vancouver
Liu W, Taso O, Wang R, Bayram S, Graham AC, Garcia-Reitboeck P, et al. Trem2 promotes anti-inflammatory responses in microglia and is suppressed under pro-inflammatory conditions. Human molecular genetics. 2020. doi:10.1093/hmg/ddaa209. PMID: 32959884.
BibTeX
@article{liu2020-32959884,
author = {Liu, W. and Taso, O. and Wang, R. and Bayram, S. and Graham, A. C. and Garcia-Reitboeck, P. and Mallach, A. and Andrews, W. D. and others},
title = {{Trem2 promotes anti-inflammatory responses in microglia and is suppressed under pro-inflammatory conditions}},
journal = {Human molecular genetics},
year = {2020},
doi = {10.1093/hmg/ddaa209},
pmid = {32959884},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/hmg/ddaa209}
}
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.
Key findings
- We have investigated the role of TREM2 in primary microglial cultures from wild type mice by using siRNA to decrease Trem2 expression, and in parallel from knock-in mice heterozygous or homozygous for the Trem2 R47H AD risk variant.
- The prevailing phenotype of Trem2 R47H knock-in mice was decreased expression levels of Trem2 in microglia, which resulted in decreased density of microglia in the hippocampus.
- Overall, primary microglia with reduced Trem2 expression, either by siRNA or from the R47H knock-in mice, displayed a similar phenotype.
- Comparison of the effects of decreased Trem2 expression under conditions of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) pro-inflammatory or IL-4 anti-inflammatory stimulation revealed the importance of Trem2 in driving a number of the genes up-regulated in the anti-inflammatory phenotype.
Why it matters
TREM2 variants are linked by genetic studies to a higher risk of Alzheimer's; this mouse study found that the R47H risk variant mainly lowered Trem2 levels in microglia (the brain's immune cells), which "resulted in decreased density of microglia in the hippocampus." Microglia with less Trem2, whether from siRNA or the R47H mice, behaved similarly, and Trem2 was important for "driving a number of the genes up-regulated in the anti-inflammatory phenotype." This is laboratory and animal work and does not establish a treatment, cure or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Genetics →
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 (Human molecular genetics) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Human Molecular Genetics: journal h-index 356 (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 | 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 211 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 26.4 citations a year over 8 year(s) since 2020 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 7.1× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 13 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 124 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Dervis A. M. Salih: h-index 20 (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 4 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 32959884) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 51 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddaa209
- PubMed: 32959884
- Original source →
- Free full text: Human Molecular Genetics →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here. Showing 12 of 52.
Later studies that cite this one
13 studies in the alzhub library list this one in their references. Showing the 8 highest-scoring.
Related studies in TREM2 and immune genetics
Also tagged “macrophages”
363 studies in the library carry the topic tag “macrophages”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 363 tagged studies.